Kentico to WordPress conversion is a major undertaking, and it often comes with the perfect opportunity to redesign your website. Whether you’re switching platforms for cost reasons, flexibility, or user-friendliness, redesigning your website during the move allows you to not only replicate but improve upon your existing digital presence. This guide shares practical, actionable tips for a successful redesign during your migration from Kentico to WordPress—ensuring your new site is faster, better optimized, and easier to manage.
Define Your Redesign Goals Early
Before diving into development, define the goals of your redesign. Are you looking to modernize the design? Improve mobile usability? Enhance site speed or user engagement? Establishing clear goals will help guide every design and content decision. Don’t simply copy over your old layout; use this transition as a chance to improve.
Audit Your Existing Kentico Website
Take time to audit your current Kentico site. Identify what’s working—like popular pages, strong conversion funnels, or effective design elements—and what needs improvement. Use tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or Microsoft Clarity to gather behavioral data. This information helps you retain high-performing elements in the redesign while eliminating or improving weak spots.
Reimagine the User Experience (UX)
WordPress gives you the freedom to rethink your website structure and UX. Start by simplifying your navigation, improving page load times, and creating clearer user journeys. Break up large chunks of content with visuals, use more whitespace, and prioritize mobile responsiveness. The goal is a seamless, user-first experience that makes your website easier and more enjoyable to explore.
Choose a Theme or Go Custom
While Kentico uses templates and web parts, WordPress operates on themes. Choose a modern, mobile-friendly theme that supports your redesign goals. If you want full creative control, consider building a custom WordPress theme or using a starter theme like Underscores (_s). Many businesses also turn to page builders like Elementor or Gutenberg for greater design flexibility without deep coding.
Preserve Branding but Modernize the Look
Consistency matters for user trust, so retain key branding elements such as your logo, brand colors, and fonts. That said, your redesign is a great opportunity to freshen things up. Adopt a cleaner layout, use more contemporary typography, and refine color contrast for better readability. The idea is to feel familiar but refreshed.
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Rebuild Key Templates Thoughtfully
In Kentico, templates often included built-in functionality like sidebars, calls-to-action (CTAs), or tabbed content. When moving to WordPress, you’ll need to rebuild these elements as theme components, widgets, or reusable blocks. Use this chance to improve usability—make CTAs more visible, declutter layouts, and optimize for conversion.
Optimize for Performance from Day One
A redesigned WordPress site should load faster than its Kentico predecessor. Optimize image sizes, use lazy loading, implement caching plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache, and enable GZIP compression. Also consider using a CDN like Cloudflare to further boost global performance. Test speed regularly with tools like PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
Plan a Scalable Content Structure
Kentico sites often use structured content types. In WordPress, replicate this using Custom Post Types (CPTs) and Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). Think ahead—if your website may need a blog, case studies, product listings, testimonials, or team bios, build them in a way that’s flexible and scalable. This makes future updates easier and keeps your backend organized.
Design for Mobile-First
Most visitors will interact with your website on mobile, so design with that in mind. Choose responsive themes, test layouts on multiple devices, and keep navigation simple and thumb-friendly. Use larger touch targets and legible fonts. Don’t just make the desktop version shrink—optimize every layout element for smaller screens.
Recreate Functionality with WordPress Plugins
If your Kentico site had special functions—like contact forms, booking tools, sliders, or social feeds—identify WordPress plugins that offer the same (or better) functionality. For example, Contact Form 7, WPForms, or Ninja Forms are great alternatives. Always choose lightweight, reliable plugins that are regularly updated and compatible with your WordPress version.
Redirect and Retain Your SEO
Your redesign shouldn’t cost you your hard-earned SEO rankings. Map all old Kentico URLs to their new WordPress counterparts using 301 redirects. Preserve metadata, image alt tags, and heading structures. Make sure the new design uses clean, semantic HTML and is mobile-optimized. Use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to manage on-page SEO.
Test Everything Before Launch
Before going live, rigorously test your redesigned WordPress site. Check across different browsers and devices, test page speed, run broken link checks, and validate form functionality. Also test login access, security settings, and backups. Ask team members or a small group of users to beta test and provide feedback. Fixing issues now avoids costly post-launch problems.
Train Your Team on WordPress
If your team is used to Kentico, the WordPress dashboard will feel different. Provide training or documentation on how to add posts, edit pages, upload media, and manage plugins. The goal is to make the backend user-friendly so your staff can confidently update the site without needing developer support for every change.
Backup and Secure Your New Site
As part of your redesign, set up strong security and regular backups. Use plugins like UpdraftPlus for backups and Wordfence or Sucuri for security. Enable two-factor authentication for admins, and keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated. A secure site maintains credibility and protects your content investment.
Measure and Iterate Post-Launch
After launch, continue monitoring performance using analytics tools and user feedback. Track bounce rates, time on site, and conversion metrics. Use A/B testing to refine design choices and content. A redesign isn’t a one-time project—it’s an ongoing evolution based on real user behavior.
Consider Accessibility in Your Redesign
Accessibility is often overlooked during redesigns, but it’s critical for reaching all users and meeting compliance standards. When converting from Kentico to WordPress, pay attention to alt text for images, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and proper heading hierarchies. Use accessible plugins and test your site with tools like WAVE or Axe. Inclusive design not only expands your audience but also improves SEO and usability.
Incorporate Modern Visual Elements
Today’s web users expect more than static content. Use the redesign opportunity to integrate dynamic visuals like video backgrounds, subtle animations, or parallax scrolling—just make sure they don’t negatively impact speed or accessibility. Tools like Lottie animations and lightweight sliders can enhance engagement while keeping the experience smooth.
Work With a WordPress Expert
If your team lacks experience in WordPress development or design, hiring a professional can save time and prevent costly mistakes. WordPress experts understand best practices for theme customization, performance optimization, plugin management, and SEO migration. A smooth, effective redesign often comes down to the right expertise at the right time.
Final Tip: Keep the User in Focus
Above all, every redesign decision should center around the user experience. Whether it’s layout, content, performance, or visuals—ask yourself how each change improves the visitor’s journey. A successful Kentico to WordPress redesign is one that not only looks good but works better for your audience from day one.
