How to Export and Import a WordPress Blog

Changing your web host is probably not something you do for fun, but if you are unhappy with your current host or have found a better one, there is no reason for you to suffer, when there is something better out there. If you have a WordPress blog, you will need to move it and most likely want keep all of the posts. Follow these simple steps.

1. Login to WordPress
2. In the left column, expand the “Tools” section
3. Click “Export”
4. Click the “Download Export File” button and save the xml file to your computer.
5. Install WordPress on your new hosting account.
6. Login and Click “Tools”
7. Click “Import”
8. From the list, choose the last option: WordPress.
9. Click “Choose file” to select the import file, and find it on your computer.
10. Finally, click “Upload file and import”.

With that you will have successfully moved your WordPress blog. If you had a custom theme, you will also need to copy that separately. Otherwise, you are all finished.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

What is SVG?

Question: What is SVG?

Answer: SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. It is an open, XML-based graphics format that is being incorporated in Web standards. Many browsers already support SVG to some degree. It can be used for both still images and animations. Because SVG is a vector graphics format, the images can be resized and manipulated without degradation, which is why they are considered scalable.

For example, rather than having three different image sizes for an icon, a website can be configured to use an SVG image scaled to all three sizes. Even when enlarged, it will still maintain its quality. If your browser supports it, you can view an example here.

SVG file sizes can get large, depending on the amount of metadata included in the XML code, especially if the file includes gradients and animations. To compensate for this, there is standard SVG file compression, using gzip, that is lossless and reduces file size by 50%. As browsers continue to adopt HTML5 standards, SVG is expected to play a more significant role in web development.

Photo Source: Flickr

Create an XML sitemap for your website

A site map is a single document that links to all other documents within a website. Essentially, it provides an overview of all of the site’s content. Over the years, as website sizes have increased, sitemaps have become instrument in search engine optimization (SEO). Google introduced a tool called Google Sitemaps that allows Web content providers to publish their sitemaps. Other search engines now also support these sitemaps.

The standard format for a sitemap is XML, which lists the data in a format both browsers and other software can interpret. It is also common to provide an HTML version and possibly even a visual representation for human users who actually want to browse the sitemap. Many times it is useful to users if they have trouble finding something on a site or are not even sure what they want to find.

There are many sitemap generators on the market that automate their creation. Some content management systems also have user-created extensions or plugins for sitemap generators. Furthermore, there are some free sitemap generators on the web, such as XML-Sitemaps.com. These typically also include submission instructions so that you can make your sitemap available through Google.

Photo: Wikipedia