Have one WordPress, do I need another?

  • ys1635

    (@ys1635)


    10 years, 1 month ago

    I have a website which is non-Wordpress. I would like to move it to WordPress.

    I have a blog in a subdomain of that site which is WordPress.

    Can I use the same database for the new main-site WordPress? Or do I need another database? Do I need another WordPress, seeing I’d like the blog to simply be part of the main website?

    Also, to build the new one, while my website is still in operation, what’s the best way to do that?

    I understand that I could use MAMP (I’m on a Mac), but what that actually means and how it works, I have no idea.

    I figure I could also install WordPress in a different subdomain and then move it to the main domain when I’ve finished the new website. I have no idea how to do that either.

    Thanks for any help or advice you can offer.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • bemdesign

    (@bemdesign)

    10 years, 1 month ago

    You can use one database to run multiple WordPress sites – but if performance is really important (read ecommerce or highly utilized forums) then you would want to consider a different approach then using the same database instance for two WordPress sites.

    Anyway, to do two WordPress sites using the same database instance you would need to use a different database prefix for each site – this is set in the wp-config file for the site.

    You would also need a new WordPress install (files and wp-config) for the new WordPress site.

    I would recommend looking into using MAMP and doing development locally first. There are plenty of tutorials on the web on how to do that.

    MAMP is basically Apache, MySQL and PHP bundled up all nice into an application you can install in your Applications folder and run from there. It runs an Apache server for you locally (and safely – its not available over the internet) and allows you to basically do everything that your production server does but locally (minus email – if you need to see WordPress emails you will also want to look at https://mailcatcher.me/ – this is a bit more technical than MAMP and requires using the terminal command line to install and launch it.)

    Hope this helps.

    Thread Starter ys1635

    (@ys1635)

    10 years, 1 month ago

    Thanks bemdesign. I appreciate your thoughts! I hadn’t thought of the performance issue. That is very valuable. Thanks.

    I have just found a tutorial about working with MAMP that is much more helpful than the WordPress info. I’m working my way through it.

    If I do have two different databases, one for website with forums and ecommerce, the other for the blog (but with the same look/feel as each other), I guess that means that any design changes I make to one website will have to be made separately to the other. No way around this, I guess.

    Thanks!

    bemdesign

    (@bemdesign)

    10 years, 1 month ago

    You can also consider a WordPress multisite install (http://codex.ww.wp.xz.cn/Create_A_Network) but that *can* be complicated and has its own technical considerations.

    But with MAMP you could test either approach locally first and decide which makes the most sense.

    bemdesign

    (@bemdesign)

    10 years, 1 month ago

    Another thought – using one install and one database but just import your content from the existing blog into your new “universal” WordPress site.

    Thread Starter ys1635

    (@ys1635)

    10 years, 1 month ago

    Thanks bemdesign. I’d been wondering if it might be possible to move the blog content later. Worth trying.

    Already making progress with getting MAMP happening.

    Thanks!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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