Web platform migration can have an immediate effect on SEO results. Be prepared for temporary traffic drops; however, with proper planning and execution, this effect can be reduced significantly.
web platform migrationStart by conducting tests of your site in a controlled environment to detect errors that might disrupt its launch. Next, create a plan with assistance from a cross-department team composed of system admins, developers, content editors, SEO consultants, and UX specialists.
Do Your Research
Web platform migration refers to switching from one platform to another, such as CMS or eCommerce sites. There may be various reasons for changing platforms; maybe one offers greater functionality or features you require ecommerce capabilities that a new platform has.
Before undertaking a migration, you must conduct extensive research. Not only will this ensure the success of your website, but it may also enable you to avoid potential issues that could harm SEO efforts.
An effective migration is usually a multi-stage process. One common misstep people make when migrating is trying to do it all at once, which can create major complications. Therefore, you must work with an experienced web development team that knows how to migrate properly across platforms; additionally, certain tasks must be completed before migration, such as submitting an XML site map and creating redirects.
Determine Your Goals
Site migrations are part of larger digital transformation projects and may include upgrading software, changing domain names or creating an entirely new design. They may also help your company meet new business goals such as mobile optimisation, increased usability and robust integrations or providing online chat facilities.
No matter if it’s just some content or your entire website that needs migrating, it is crucial that you first assess your project and set out its goals. Doing this allows you to determine who needs to be involved and which steps must be taken; system admins, developers, SEO specialists and designers may all play critical roles. Creating a timeline will also ensure you stay on track during this process.
Create a page on your site to explain and outline any previous differences. It can help prevent organic traffic loss as people search for your old brand/URL or utilise paid search ads (PPC) to rank for recurring queries and expose your brand to more people.
Create a Work Scope
Website migration refers to any change in a website’s location, platform, architecture, layout, content or UX. It could involve changing web hosting providers or domain names to complete site overhaul and re-platforming.
No matter why a website migration occurs, a work scope must be communicated to all stakeholders. Each task should be assigned a team member with an expected completion date, and all dependencies must be noted and considered so that none are missed in the process.
Launching your new site during an off-hours or low-traffic period minimises issues and risk, with pre-launch promotional campaigns providing customers with ample notice of transition and aiding search visibility. Now is also an opportune time to revamp page structure, implement an SEO strategy including keyword research and content rewrites, and set up URL redirects to ensure customers bookmarking old pages are taken directly to the appropriate new ones, thus decreasing lost traffic and search visibility.
Hire a Team
Your web platform migration can be an enormous task that requires professional assistance to complete successfully. Depending on its complexity, you may require system administrators, developers, SEOs, designers/UX developers/copywriters, etc., to aid with its transition. Ensure all departments involved can effectively communicate to ensure its success.
Design teams must be included in the site migration planning process when considering migration due to redesign. A redesign can alter how and where content and links are arranged on the page, potentially altering SEO strategy in ways not anticipated before.
Start Early
Beginning work on a website migration plan at the outset of any new project can help ensure a more straightforward process in the future and prevent missteps from being missed.
Closer to the migration time, it would also be wise to freeze any new creations to reduce the risk of accidentally creating pages that need redirecting. It can prevent additional 404 errors once your website has been converted and avoid losing customers who bookmarked or saved legacy pages as potential traffic losses.
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