Your website is the very first interaction an audience has with your brand. And at some point it will need a facelift and – very likely – a new CMS. Whether you’re a business, a non-profit, or a blogger – keeping your website fresh and up-to-date will ensure you stay competitive and relevant.
However, switching all of your content to a new and upgraded site doesn’t usually happen at the push of a button, even if you’re using the same content on your new site.
Changing your website platform means your current content might be stuck in the past. You’ll need to migrate this content to a new CMS as part of your replatforming, which is the perfect time to give it the attention it deserves. You’ll be able to ensure it aligns seamlessly with your new site’s goals and capabilities, as well as the design, layout and brand elements.
But it’s not as simple as it sounds. Content migration (one of the most important elements of your redesign) is often relegated to a last-minute patch job. This means you’ll probably only have a few weeks to completely edit, rewrite and reorder the site. On top of this, you’ll also need to upload it all to the new Content Management System (CMS). If that sounds daunting, that’s because it is. But it absolutely doesn’t need to be.
To ensure it all goes ahead with no complications, you’ll need a rock-steady process in place. You’ll need to use tried and tested content migration services. You might find these services through dedicated data migration companies, a data migration consultancy, or through technical copywriting agencies that specialise in content migration as a service (like Proof Content, although we’d absolutely never plug ourselves of course).
Keep reading and we’ll show you how to accomplish your content migration in mere weeks while ensuring every piece of copy gets a fresh lick of paint.
During a website replatform, you’re likely to need to rework all of your existing content, including moving, updating, deleting, or editing it to ensure it aligns seamlessly with the new CMS. If your copy no longer represents your brand’s goals or is simply too long to fit into the available space on the new site, you’ll need to update it.
Just like during a website rewrite, this could also be for several other reasons, including changes in your target audience’s preferences, the need to communicate new Positioning, or the need to incorporate new features and functionalities. One of the main things to consider is how you’ll effectively communicate your value if your website content doesn’t make sense or is no longer relevant to your audience.
For example, let’s say you’re an insurance company. A decade ago, your website was designed with technical terms and lengthy policy descriptions. Back then, this content may have been suitable for an audience that was more willing to dig into the details due to less competition, comparison sites and a longer online attention span.
Fast forward to the present day and consumer expectations have changed. People want easy-to-understand, concise information. They’d rather quickly compare policy options and get instant quotes online than spend time reading long pages of text. Your website, with its outdated content and complex language, no longer meets your customers’ needs.
As a result, your bounce rate increases, potential customers get frustrated, and you’re losing business to competitors who have modernised their websites. In this scenario, along with needing the added functionality of instant quotes and offers, your content migration has an additional requirement. The updated content must align with your audience’s current preferences. This is a necessity if you want to stay competitive and relevant in the industry.
This might not be something that you immediately think of (especially when going through the stress of a website migration). It’s a complex process. But that is the beauty of using content migration services. They can identify where your content needs updating to get it more in line with a modern audience, while you can spend your time overseeing the website replatforming as a whole.
Content migration comes with a whole lot of challenges that can quickly become overwhelming. When overhauling and upgrading your website, you’ll soon realise that migrating your current content is far from a simple task. This complexity crops up due to several factors:
Given the complexity involved, it’s clear that content migration is a high-stakes game. It requires expertise, meticulous planning, and a well-defined process. Attempting it without the right knowledge and tools can lead to costly mistakes and disruptions such as data loss, broken links, SEO ranking drops, downtime, and security vulnerabilities.
To mitigate these risks and ensure a seamless transition, you might need to enlist an agency that offers content migration services, like Proof Content. These data migration consultants will have a proven track record in managing the complex migration process – and will be able to ensure everything goes according to plan.
A content or web migration service can ensure that all the worries you have about moving your content to a new CMS are no more. These services will have robust processes in place to keep everything working as intended and will get you up and running again as quickly as possible. They’ll be your guiding light through the maze of migration. Here’s why:
Whatever might need doing, content migration service experts already have a solution. So there’s no need for content migration to fall squarely on your shoulders. Instead, you can access a tried and tested process. A process like PORTAL.
Here at Proof, we use our PORTAL process to ensure your content migration goes off without a hitch. It’s basically foolproof (if you’ll pardon the pun) and also works as a kind of replatforming checklist. We make sure every piece of content is treated with the kind of care and attention that’s usually reserved for the homepage. It requires process + content experts + tech.
Let’s break that down further.
In the preparation phase, we begin to lay the groundwork for your successful content migration. This step involves collecting all of your existing content together, including text, images, videos, and other media. We also gather information about the current designs, layouts, and technical specifications for each content management system (CMS) in use. Understanding what we have and what might be missing is crucial to ensuring a seamless transition to the new platform.
Organising the content is a critical part of the process, especially when dealing with so much data – including blocks of text, media files, and more. We use a sophisticated system that lets us categorise and structure the content, ensuring that it aligns with the new website’s architecture. This step helps us determine what content needs to be migrated, where it should be placed, and how it should be organised so that people actually read it and remember you.
During the research phase, we collaborate with your product and marketing teams. This allows us to fill in any knowledge gaps and make sure we have a comprehensive understanding of your brand, goals, and target audience. This knowledge is essential for making informed decisions about content adjustments, rewrites, and restructuring.
Transformation involves taking your existing content and transforming it to better meet the standards and goals of the new website. This might include tasks like moving images around, rewriting and re-structuring copy where necessary, and even creating entirely new sections from scratch. The goal is to ensure that the content not only fits seamlessly into the new design but also engages and resonates with your audience effectively.
Editing and adapting content is expected with a content migration. We use this stage to seek sign-off on any updated or entirely new content we’ve written. If any adjustments or refinements are needed, we work closely with your teams to make sure the content meets your Tone of Voice and other requirements.
The final step involves efficiently transferring every piece of content to your new website. This either means using AI or humans – whichever gives us the quickest and most accurate. Our team ensures that all content is correctly linked between pages, media files are uploaded, metadata is updated, and everything looks good in the website’s new template. This meticulous attention to detail guarantees a smooth transition to your new online home.
It’s clear that your website needs to keep up with the times. The good news? Upgrading can be a simple and efficient process, and while it can seem daunting, effective content migration promises substantial benefits. However, it’s essential to recognise that this transformation goes beyond a mere facelift; it involves revamping your content to harmonise with changing objectives and audience expectations.
With PORTAL, we manage every facet of your content migration, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition that reduces downtime to a minimum.
So why wait? Embrace content migration services like PORTAL. Get in touch and your journey to a seamless website migration can begin.
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