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Hi there,
We just acquired a commpany that has a company website that was build with Crio and a product website built with Inspirations. I’m not familiar with any of your tools and they are quite different from our existing website on YOOTheme. Rather than starting from scratch to build an integrated site with potentially a new tool on a new URL, I’m looking to “move” the two company pages to the product site and turn that into the company site. Is there an easy way to transfer this content? Also is it possible to switch from Inspirations to Crio on the site that was built with the former?
Hi Kira,
Thanks so much for reaching out! We first want to clarify your goals, it looks like you want to merge two websites—a company website built with the Crio theme and a product website built with Inspirations—into one integrated site. Specifically:
- Move the content from the company website (currently built with Crio) to the product website (currently built with Inspirations).
- Turn the product website into the new company website, effectively merging both sites under one URL.
- Switch the theme of the product website from Inspirations to Crio to maintain consistency in design across the new integrated site.
Switching from Inspirations to Crio is possible and won’t require rebuilding your site from scratch. Crio is a flexible and customizable theme, and BoldGrid Inspirations is a product that only serves as a starting point to help you create professional websites efficiently.
Steps to Switch to Crio:
- Install the Crio Theme:
- Go to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress dashboard.
- Search for BoldGrid Crio or upload it if you have the premium version.
- Activate Crio.
- Customize Your New Crio Design:
- After activating Crio, go to Appearance > Customize to adjust the look and feel.
- Crio offers advanced customization options like header/footer layouts, color palettes, typography, and more.
Notes:
- Content Compatibility: Your existing content from Inspirations (pages, posts, media) will remain intact. However, the layout and design will need adjustments to fit the Crio theme.
- Blocks and Widgets: If you’re using BoldGrid Blocks from the Post and Page Builder, they will continue to work, though they may need some tweaks to fit Crio’s design structure.
After transferring content and switching the theme:
- Consolidate Menus: Go to Appearance > Menus to create a unified navigation structure for your new integrated site.
- Update Permalinks: After merging content, ensure that all URLs and links are updated to reflect the new structure under one domain.
- Test and Review: Make sure to test the new site thoroughly, checking for any layout inconsistencies or missing content after the migration.
Thank you Kira! I really hope this helps!
Thank you for the comprehensive and quick response!
Further to my earlier note on bringing content from one site to another and instituting a new design tool (Crio), is it possible to create a “staging site” so that I can build the new one without disrupting the live site? Draft pages are one thing, but not sure how to deal with changes to nav bar and footer.
Hi Kira!
Sure you can easily create a staging area for your website using our BoldGrid backup plugin Total Upkeep! you can clone your live site to a staging environment, allowing you to build and test your new design with the Crio and other tools before making it live. Here’s a step-by-step guide, sorry it’s so extensive:
Step 1: Install and Configure Total Upkeep
If you haven’t already installed Total Upkeep, follow these steps:
- Install the Total Upkeep Plugin:
- Go to Dashboard → Plugins → Add New.
- Search for Total Upkeep by BoldGrid.
- Click Install Now and then Activate.
- Configure Backup Settings:
- Go to Total Upkeep → Settings.
- Configure backup options, such as Backup Storage (local or remote like FTP/SFTP) and Scheduling if needed.
Step 2: Create a Full Backup of Your Live Site
Before creating a staging site, always create a full backup of your current site to ensure you have a restore point in case something goes wrong.
- Create a Backup:
- Go to Total Upkeep → Dashboard.
- Click Backup Site Now.
- Make sure to include both the database and files in the backup.
- Verify the Backup:
- After the backup is complete, go to Total Upkeep → Backups.
- Ensure the backup is listed and accessible in the Backups section.
Step 3: Clone Your Site to a Staging Environment
Now that you have a backup, you can create a staging site by cloning your live site. Total Upkeep makes it easy to create a staging site by using the Clone/Restore feature.
- Create a Subdomain for Staging:
- Go to your hosting cPanel or hosting dashboard.
- Create a new subdomain (e.g.,
staging.yourdomain.com). - Make sure the subdomain points to its own empty directory in your hosting file manager.
- Clone to the Staging Subdomain:
- Go to Total Upkeep → Backups.
- Locate your most recent backup and click on Restore or Clone.
- Choose the Clone Option.
- Enter the URL of the staging subdomain (e.g.,
staging.yourdomain.com). - Provide the FTP/SFTP details of your staging subdomain. This includes:
- FTP Host (e.g.,
ftp.yourdomain.com). - FTP Username and Password.
- Path to the staging subdomain (e.g.,
/public_html/staging/).
- FTP Host (e.g.,
- Start the Cloning Process:
- Click Start Clone.
- Wait for the process to complete. This might take a few minutes depending on the size of your site.
- Verify the Staging Site:
- Once the cloning is complete, visit your staging subdomain (
staging.yourdomain.com) to confirm that your site has been successfully cloned. - The staging site should look exactly like your live site but will be completely separate, allowing you to make changes without affecting the live environment.
- Once the cloning is complete, visit your staging subdomain (
Step 4: Update the Staging Site Design
With the staging site set up, you can now experiment with your new design using the Crio SuperTheme and BoldGrid Post and Page Builder.
- Switch to the Crio SuperTheme:
- Go to Dashboard → Appearance → Themes.
- Activate the Crio SuperTheme on your staging site.
- Redesign the Navigation Bar and Footer:
- Use BoldGrid Customizer to update the Header, Navigation Menu, and Footer.
- Create new layouts, and add new elements without worrying about disrupting your live site.
- Preview Changes and Test Functionality:
- Preview your changes and test all links and functionality to ensure everything works as expected on the staging site.
Step 5: Push Staging Changes to the Live Site
Once you’re satisfied with the new design, you can migrate the staging site back to the live site using Total Upkeep:
- Create a Backup of the Staging Site:
- Go to Total Upkeep → Dashboard on your staging site.
- Create a new backup of the staging site.
- Restore the Staging Backup to the Live Site:
- Go to your live site.
- Go to Total Upkeep → Backups and choose the Restore from URL option.
- Provide the URL of the staging backup (e.g.,
http://staging.yourdomain.com/wp-content/updraft/backup-file.zip). - Restore the backup, and your live site will now reflect the new design.
- Verify the Live Site:
- Visit your live site and thoroughly test all pages to ensure the new design and changes have been applied correctly.
Important Tips for Working with a Staging Site
- Use a Maintenance Plugin: If you want to limit access to the staging site, use a maintenance mode plugin to block public access.
- Set Up Password Protection: Use your hosting’s password protection feature to secure the staging site.
- Sync Changes Regularly: If your live site changes frequently (e.g., new posts, products, or comments), make sure to re-sync the data between live and staging before pushing the new design live.
Thanks Kira!
Let us know if you have any questions or need more help with this!
This is excellent instruction Brandon. If we were to change the URL of the hosted site, would that be done after making the staging site (with the existing name) live?
I’m happy you found that information useful Kira!
So, ideally you would create a staging domain separately from the original domain. It could just be a simple sub-domain you create from the primary domain (e.g.,
staging.yourdomain.com).You’ll create the staging site Totally Separately on the staging domain and then use Total Upkeep to migrate the full site from the staging area to the live domain.
I hope this helps!
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