Recreating static HTML site using WordPress – best practices?

Hello all,

I am about to create a WordPress version of an existing static site. I’m not sure what is best way to do it, however. (The existing static site needs to remain online during the entire time I’m building the WordPress site that will eventually replace it).

Here’s what I was thinking I would do:

1. Create a directory called “wordpress” in the site’s root and install WordPress in it.
2. Use a plugin like Maintenance Mode to hide the new site from view while I’m working on it.
3. Customize my chosen theme and add all the content from the old site to WordPress pages.
4. When the new WordPress site is good to go, redirect the domain (which up until now has been pointing to the old, static site) to point to https://www.site.com/wordpress.

My only issue with doing it this way is that eventually, I would like to get rid of the “/wordpress” in the URL for the site.

Is there some way around this – or another way to go about this entirely that would circumvent this problem?

Thank you!