Website migration might not be every agency’s idea of an exciting client project, but if carefully planned and executed, it can be a significant earner for your business and help set your clients up for success.
Whether it’s a complete site restructuring or switching to another platform like Wix Studio for its CMS capabilities, there are some steps you can take to keep your client’s audience engaged and search rankings intact throughout and after the process.
Before taking a closer look, let’s get a refresher on website migration and why we do it.
What is a website migration?
A website migration means different things to different people. For some, it can be as simple as moving a site to a new domain, while others see it as a much bigger operation involving the movement of a site’s entire content from one location to another. To better understand it, let’s look at the main reasons clients need a website migration.
When should you migrate your site?
Some clients will know when a website migration is required, while others might need your advice, but here are examples of why you’ll be hired to migrate a client’s site:
Your client’s existing platform doesn’t support their needs
The following are some scenarios that drive clients to an alternative platform:
A client who is scaling requires a more robust infrastructure to support higher volumes of traffic.
A client is seeking stronger security for handling sensitive customer data.
A client wants a more advanced and intuitive CMS to manage and update their site content.
A client finds their existing platform too restrictive for creation capabilities and wants more customization options for unique designs.
A client is left high and dry by its hosting provider after they cease their hosting services (it happens).
A client’s site ownership changes hands to an employee who prefers an alternative platform (it definitely happens).
Your client is changing their domain
A more suitable domain name might be on the cards if your client is getting a rebrand, changing their name, targeting new markets or shifting their business focus.
Your client is consolidating websites
Companies often merge their online presence when they acquire or are acquired by another business, which calls for a migration of content and domains.
Your client is getting a site redesign or restructuring
A comprehensive redesign of a client site's layout and user interface might require a migration if it involves changing the underlying technology.
Your client wants to up their SEO game
Your client’s existing site might be falling short when it comes to search. Changes in URL structure, transitioning from HTTP to HTTPS, merging subdomains or seeking a platform that has an advanced suite of SEO tools (see Wix Studio SEO) can be part of an SEO strategy that needs a website migration.
Your step-by-step website migration plan
Adopting the right website migration strategy can ensure a smooth online transition for your client that not only keeps the show on the road, but also enhances their online presence.
Roee Kuperberg, who leads Wix’s in-house agency, is no stranger to the website migration process. His team oversaw the migration of City Football Group (CFG)’s website from its previous web hosting platform to Wix Studio. From scoping the client’s needs to mapping site structure and building wireframes, the team successfully redesigned the layout and moved CFG’s wide-ranging content to its new home.
David Camacho, founder of yourweb, counts website migration as one of his web agency’s key services. His most recent project for client Prime Practice involved migrating its entire online operations to Wix Studio, matching and enhancing the site’s UX using Wix Studio business solutions like Events, Bookings and eCommerce.
Based on insights from our two website migration experts, here are ten steps to take before, during and after a website migration to make it a success.
01. Understand your client’s business model
The first step Camacho takes in preparing a website migration—and one he believes agencies often overlook—is gaining a deep understanding of the client’s business model and how the website supports it. This helps you define the goals and objectives of the migration.
“Website migration isn’t just about moving files and data,” he says. “It’s about ensuring the new platform can support the client’s business processes and goals. For example, suppose a client relies heavily on eCommerce. The migration must ensure that the new platform can handle the same level of transactions and provide a seamless shopping experience for customers.”
02. Create a detailed website migration plan
Once you’ve identified your client’s business priorities, it’s time to create a detailed migration plan. This should include a clear scope of the project and its key objectives.
If the migration is focused on SEO, outline your organic traffic goals and the pages you want to rank for your target keywords. If the migration is based on a rebrand, metrics will be less clear, but you should provide details on site engagement expectations and how the new site will look and be structured.
Other information to include in the migration plan is the expected migration timeline (hint: the sooner, the better) and details of all stakeholders involved and their roles in the migration.
03. Map your site structure
Mapping your client’s site structure is critical to ensuring your Google Search results don't take a hit once you migrate. You must first determine your client’s old site's URLs and then identify where each one should redirect to. Use web crawlers like Screaming Frog and analytics software like Google Search Console to help you compile the list. Your site mapping will then help you plan your redirect strategy.
“One of the key stages of a site migration is mapping the current website’s structure, and you should do this to a very fine detail,” says Kuperberg. “Remember to use 301 redirects for pages you had on your client’s old website that you don’t want on the new one to make sure traffic continues to move to the new site.”
At this pre-execution stage, you’ll also want to set up the DNS information, change your CDN information and mail parameters, and update canonical tags and internal links so they direct to the new URLs. You should also update your XML Sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console and other search engines.
So much about getting your website migration right involves making sure you have all your SEO angles covered. To help, consider having a separate SEO website migration checklist, which will cover everything from crawlability checks and internal linking to mobile setup and pagination.
04. Review and backup content
Whether your client has a text-heavy website or one that is minimal in design, you need to take note of and back up your existing content, including documents, media files and any other content assets. This content inventory will ensure a smoother transition and help you quickly identify any content that might get lost during migration.
Kuperberg reminds those moving lots of content that Google will note any key content changes that occur once it’s migrated. You should make sure H1s, meta titles and meta descriptions remain the same. “If you have a very content-heavy website and drop your content standards once you’ve moved it across, Google won't like it, and your ranking will be lower,” he says. “You need to keep the content at least as good and in-depth as the content you had on your previous site.”
For content that makes the migration, Kuperberg highlights the benefits of Wix Studio’s editor in protecting your client’s content long after your work is done. “One of the amazing things you have in Studio is its content mode, which allows your client to manage their content seamlessly,” he explains. “It gives them almost 100 percent freedom to make changes from the back office without breaking the website. That's something huge for agencies.”
05. Consider data protection
Your client might store tons of sensitive data or simply collect basic visitor info with necessary cookies. Either way, you need to keep data protection in mind during all stages of a website migration to safeguard personal data, ensure legal compliance and minimize risks associated with data loss or theft.
“With today’s regulations, it’s essential to handle data migration carefully, ensuring that all sensitive information, such as contact lists and platform access, is securely transferred,” says Camacho. “This involves thorough analysis and professional handling to maintain data integrity and compliance.”
You should carry out a comprehensive data audit to understand what information is held and ensure you’re only collecting and retaining data that is strictly necessary for your client’s business.
Check the security infrastructure of the platform you’re migrating to, to ensure it’s running all the right checks and balances in the background. For example, Wix Studio’s data in transit encryption uses HTTPS, TLS 1.2+ and automatic SSL, while its data at rest uses AES-256—the strongest encryption standard commercially available.
06. Follow accessibility best practices
Kuperberg also highlights the importance of checking your client’s website accessibility as part of the migration to help you ensure that every visitor, regardless of ability, can view and navigate your client’s site. “Many don't put any effort in on that front, but this is a crucial part of SEO,” he says. “No matter how many other correct measures you’ve taken, if your accessibility isn’t right, neither will your migration.”
A good way to keep on top of accessibility is by checking W3.org’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and generally following the principles of good website design.
07. Manage client expectations
A website migration requires work from those on both sides of the brief. Clients need to be flexible and open-minded about adapting to new systems, according to Camacho. Your job is to make sure they understand it will involve change and prepare them for the necessary technical adjustments.
“There is usually a learning curve as clients get accustomed to new tools and processes,” he says. “Clear communication and patience are key, as clients need to consider this adjustment period in their business and marketing plans when launching the new website.”
If you’re moving your client’s site to a new platform, put in some time post-migration to go through the technical areas they’ll need to know to manage their website.
08. Transfer content smoothly
Once you’ve tested your new site in a staging environment to make sure everything is running smoothly like page loading speed, it’s time to transfer your content and execute the migration. You should conduct this as quickly as possible to ensure search engines can make the adjustments fast and start indexing the new URLs.
There are some helpful tools to make the process faster and smoother. For example, if moving a client site to Wix Studio, you can import large amounts of data with a CSV file directly to the platform, like contact and email marketing lists and CMS collections.
“It saves tons of time,” says Kuperberg. “Instead of copy and pasting data where there’s a lot of room for error, you create a template, fill it out with the content from your current website, simply import it to the relevant collection and then connect it through data binding to the relevant areas of your new site.”
For those migrating a blog from WordPress to Wix Studio, up to 4,000 posts can be imported to a Studio site in just a few clicks with the help of Studio’s automated migration tool.
09. Monitor site performance
Once the migration is complete, it’s time to put on your monitoring hat and keep an eye on your client’s site performance. Look out for backlinks, keyword rankings and organic search traffic going to the old site. Check all internal links and 301 redirects, and watch Google Search Console for any server errors. Plus, remember to get in touch with anyone still linking to your client’s old URLs and ask them to update their links.
10. Ensure continuous improvement
A website migration doesn’t end after those initial performance checks. It might take time for Google to notice problems in your internal linking structure that will impact traffic some weeks or months after you go live. Ideally, you or your client should monitor the site’s metrics closely for six months after the migration.
Kuperberg says agencies should take a hands-on approach for the weeks following execution to ensure signs of continuous improvement. “Checking that the migration went as smoothly as possible beyond those first reviews is super important,” he says. “Use Google Analytics, Google Search Console and other performance tools to make sure you haven’t hurt the legacy of your client’s site.”
Kuperberg stresses that website migration shouldn’t be seen as a box-ticking exercise but viewed by both agency and client as an opportunity.
“You get a lot of websites where the client simply wants to lift and shift,” he says. “They essentially want the same website they already had. We always look at their current site and consider how we can improve it. We highly recommend that agencies and clients see a website migration as an opportunity for cleanups, change and improvement. Approach the execution with the right mindset and the outcome will be optimal.”
Migrate your next client site to Wix Studio.
%20(1).png)
%20(1).png)
%20(1).png)
