Can I convert an existing WordPress site to Weaver Xstream?

[mackim]

I manage a WordPress site (shuswaptheatre.com) created by someone else. I don’t have access to various parts of the interface without the programming skills needed, though I am an administrator. I have created several other sites using Weaver Xstream and love the access it gives me to all of the interface elements. So I would like to know if I can convert my present site to a Weaver Xstream site.

[scrambler]

If it is a WordPress site  (.org, not .com) you can do what you want and change whatever theme it is using now to Xtreme.

You mention they are using programming on their current site, that could mean they created advanced effects, so you need to make sure that everything they did can be done with the theme.

You also need to make sure they are OK with the disruption of the site while you are recreating the aspect of the site with Xtreme.

Eventually you could clone the site to a subfolder and do all the work on that. Once you have something acceptable to them under Xtreme you can port it over to the main site.

[mackim]

Thanks, Scrambler. The site is hosted on a private server with a local company. Although I have admin privileges I do not have access to the C-Panel. So I assume it is neither wordpress. org or wordpress.com. What I was hoping I could do was convert the site to Xtreme without changing the actual design/appearance of the site. I suspect that is asking too much. Failing that, I presume I could design the new site from scratch with Xtreme (using a new host as well) and then import the content to the new site. Am I on the right track?

Thanks,
Kim

[scrambler]

If the site uses a WordPress theme and is not hosted with wordpress.com, then you are fine.

An easy way to tell, is to check if you can install the Xtreme Theme. If you can search, find and install the theme then you are fine, as wordpress.com would not allow you to do that.

I do not understand why you cannot get access to the Cpanel of the current hosting. If you are managing the site with the approval of the owner, why cant he give you access?

Without it I dont see how you could import the site to a new host.

WIthout Cpanel access you cannot clone the site to work on the transition to Xtreme either. so the only solution would be to activate Xtreme on the site which would change the look, then work on redoing the styling on Xtreme. Of course during that time, the site will look different.

[mackim]

Yes, you can see why I want to switch providers. I’ll have to investigate this further.  Thanks for your assistance.

Kim

[Weaver]

The site is in fact a WordPress.org type site using a custom theme (one created specifically for this site, probably derived from some other theme as it would be VERY expensive to create a totally custom theme. The theme is described as a custom theme for Suswap by  a company called perimeterdesign.ca.

If I were thinking about refreshing / imitating the site with Weaver, I’d simply install a site under development plugin, work from admin, and install Weaver Xtreme. I’d pick some Weaver sub-theme that more or less resembles the current look (not overly ccritical), and see if all the widgets show up in the sidebar, and the menu is there. Since the menu and sidebar widgets are associated with specific menu names or sidebar areas, you might have to hand duplicate the original in the dashboard options.

If that gives you the same content, then you should be able to customize the settings to get as close to the original as you want;

 

Might not be trivial, but it is quite doable.

 

[mackim]

Thanks very much, Weaver.  Very helpful and doable. If I understand it, this will not solve the problem of being unable to access the CPanel, that that is a separate issue with the host service, correct?

[Author]

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