The vast majority of website building technologies grant online users with the exclusive ability to shoot higher and amaze site visitors with the artistic web design, home-like usability, and allows them to take the right sow by the ear. So, you should realize that the website management is the infinite dedication and cooperation.
Starting from the alpha of website creation, usually CMS (content management system) is its basis. Nowadays, there exists literally a precious few of them, which differ with the various levels of “write-ibility,” functional abilities, and, of course, multiple purposes. And apparently, because of this variety, the website migration issue may occur eventually. There are several reasons for switching to another CMS:
- to extend website functionality
- to get more user-friendly solution (generally, it’s a common issue)
- to take a challenge (as it is said, nothing ventured, nothing gained)
Certainly, it’s a risky process, but, admittedly, constant improvement and website visitors in mind are the highest priorities. Now, moving on to the target issue of this article on how to deal with the website migration, you should take into consideration the site content protection, your SEO and ranking, and don’t forget to include the hopes of website users. So, let’s pick at the pieces
CMS Migration Overture
The Choice of Further Growth
Before you get started with website migration, you should bestir yourself that it’s a granular and complex procedure that demands attention and a comprehensive strategy. The first step of CMS switch is the diligent contemplation of your future website instrument. Compare the functionality offers, ease of use, and all the privileges of your current CMS and the desired one.
Look at the Data. According to the CMS2CMSautomatedwebsitemigrationservice statistics (starting from 2012), WordPress is the first most desired content management platform and, correspondingly, every second website convent is migrated to WordPress. Joomla is the next most-wanted CMS software.
New Website Builder: Test-Pilot
Now, when you have decided on your future CMS, it’s recommended to take it through its paces — choose a hosting provider, install your new platform, try to activate some extra functionality, like plugins/extensions/modules, and look through the design offers (theme/template). In order to make the migration invisible for your site visitors, set up a new theme and the necessary functionality. In addition, enable the SEO URL structure via CMS dashboard.
Preparing For Migration
The next step to be set up for the website transfer procedure is the analysis of your current website data. If you run a website for a long time, more likely, there may be some out-of-date content that might not necessarily be moved to a new site. Such a filter allows for saving lots of time and effort, and you won’t have a blind alley job.
Backup Option - Fallback Measure or Migration Panacea
There should always be a plan B. In the case of website data migration, backup your data. If there are some difficulties with the data transfer, it will be a life-line measure to recover your content.
Site Content Migration
Migration Techniques
Now, the most crucial part of your website conversion is content transfer. Usually, there are distinguished such components as pages, posts, media files, comments, user data, URLs (site navigation) and categorized elements. Looking through the tradition of website migration, there are several ways, specific coding script for each type of content, to use the plugin that is related to a CMS platform, and automated conversion tool like CMS2CMS.
Specific Coding Script
Note this method is effective in two cases — you are a programmer and have no more than 250 pages with the related items. Under other conditions, you will waste lots of time and patience.
Migration Using Plugin
All the popular CMS platforms, like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, TYPO3, etc., retain the migration plugins/extensions/modules at their repositories. However, you should take into consideration that not all of them are up-to-date, support the necessary items you want to migrate and provide users with the proper assistance.
Automated CMS Migration
Basically, an automated converter is a reliable solution for data transfer. Its core has the specific scripts that are suitable for any CMS migration. Technically, website conversion takes from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on whether or not you’re a techie. The only drawback of the automated converter is the ineptitude of customized content migration.
New Website: Be Up and Running
Post-Migration SEO Recovery
When the website content migration is done, a few finishing touches left to revert your website into the right direction is needed.
- At first, in order to reverse your traffic and ranking, you should set up 301 permanent URLs redirects from your old CMS to the new one. Redirection rules direct the Google bots together with the users to the new location of your website.
- Generate Google XML sitemap. It will help search engine robots to index your website more quickly.
In brief, website migration is complex task, but it’s still just an eminent process, a motive force that will help you to optimize your website management and become one of the top web masters.
