Your website almost certainly operates via a content management system (CMS). That’s a software platform for creating, managing, and publishing digital content.
And there may come a time when your existing CMS simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Perhaps it’s not performance-friendly, doesn’t scale well, or is simply too expensive.
When this happens, it’s often wise to consider migrating to a different CMS.
In this guide, we’ll give you a step-by-step tutorial to perform a CMS migration. We’ll also touch on the main reasons why you might want to migrate to a new CMS (even though your existing one seems fine).
Plus, we’ll go over some search engine optimization (SEO) considerations to keep in mind before you decide to migrate.
A CMS migration is the process of migrating a website from one content management system to another. For example, migrating your website from WordPress to Webflow.
Why would you need to migrate?
Common reasons include:
Before you decide to migrate, you should know that a CMS migration can both positively and negatively impact your website’s SEO.
Migrating to a different CMS can result in several SEO benefits. Giving your website a greater chance of ranking higher in organic search.
Further reading: The Importance of SEO: 10 Benefits of Search Engine Optimization
Here are a few common ways a CMS migration might positively impact your website’s SEO efforts:
There may also be instances when a CMS migration negatively affects your site’s SEO. Here are a few possible issues:
There are a few common CMS migration problems you should be aware of before you move forward. These include:
Migrating to a new CMS can sometimes result in the loss of important data (e.g., content, stylesheets, etc.)
This is why you must back up all your data beforehand. And create a detailed CMS migration plan that takes into account all possible risks.
Not every CMS offers the same features. So you need to be careful when choosing a new CMS platform.
Make a list of all the features you might need from a CMS (e.g., a WYSIWYG editor, multilanguage support, etc.) Then, ensure that your new CMS supports all of those features before attempting to migrate.
Here’s Squarespace, an example of a WYSIWYG editor:
Your website design and layout might not transfer perfectly from your old CMS to the new one. Owing to differences in how the two platforms work.
Here are some issues experienced in a migration to WordPress:
The issue might be a quick fix—like changing fonts. Or something you’ll need to hire a developer for e(.g., reworking how the website appears on mobile devices).
In this section, we delve into the most important steps to follow when migrating to your new CMS. We provide a handy checklist below.
Your first step is to ensure the right platform for your website’s needs.
Here are a few criteria you could consider to determine what will work best for you:
Next, you’ll want to perform a content audit and create an inventory of all your existing pages. This will ensure no pages get forgotten during the migration process.
You’ll also want to create a plan of action for each page. And determine whether you want to include it in the migration process.
If you have a small website, create a list of all your website pages manually.
For large websites, a tool like Screaming Frog SEO Spider can help scan your website and retrieve a list of all existing pages.
From here, you’ll need to decide the best course of action for each page:
No matter how prepared you are, there’s always a risk of a CMS content migration going wrong.
That’s why you should back up all your existing website data before attempting to migrate. This will likely include:
You can do a manual backup by downloading the data to your computer.
Your web hosting provider might also offer an option to back up your data automatically. Here’s Wix’s backup interface:
If WordPress is your current CMS, download a plugin like UpdraftPlus or Jetpack VaultPress Backup to automate the data backup process.
Here’s how this might look with UpdraftPlus:
The exact process you’ll use next will depend on the CMS you’re migrating to.
Most platforms (such as WordPress and Squarespace) have supporting documentation on their official website on the best way to migrate.
Some platforms might offer done-for-you CMS migration services (e.g., Wix Enterprise), built-in CMS migration tools (e.g., Squarespace), or automated CMS migration support (e.g., tools like CMS2CMS).
Thoroughly test your website after completing the migration to check that everything is working properly.
Here’s a handy QA checklist you can apply:
You should also visit your website in different web browsers to make sure it’s working as intended with every popular program. Or use a tool like BrowserStack to automate the process.
Image source: TrustRadius
It’s also important to check your website for performance and technical SEO issues. This is where Semrush’s Site Audit tool can help.
Enter your domain URL in the tool page and click the “Start Audit” button.
The tool lets you customize settings for the audit. Such as including or excluding specific URLs from the audit, specifying the user agent for the website crawl, etc.
But you can stick with the default settings in most cases.
Simply hit the “Start Site Audit” button to begin the audit. The Site Audit tool will then analyze your website and present you with a detailed report.
In the top left, you’ll see a score for your overall website health.
If the tool finds any issues with your site, you’ll be able to review them by clicking on the “Issues” tab above.
You’ll see three categories of issues:
Click on an issue to see a list of pages containing that specific problem.
Or hit the “Why and how to fix it” link next to an issue to get an explanation and solution.
Once you’ve made sure there are no more issues present and that your website works properly, publish the website on your new CMS and stop using the old one.
Migrating to a different CMS can improve your website loading speed, allow you to access additional features (multilingual support, advanced SEO capabilities), and strengthen your website’s security.
Some of the most common risks associated with CMS migration include loss of website data and functionality, layout and design issues, and SEO problems.
Start by creating an inventory of all your existing content. Then, back up all your data and transfer it to the new CMS.
Finally, test your website to make sure it’s working properly on your new platform.
The best way to migrate to your new CMS without any issues is to first document all the steps needed. You’ll also want to consider and address any risks associated with the migration beforehand.
A CMS-to-CMS migration can go smoothly if you follow the steps we’ve outlined above.
Our guide, alongside tools like Semrush’s Domain Overview and Site Audit, can make the process a seamless and straightforward one.
Get started with a free account today.
This post was updated in 2024. Excerpts from the original article by Kristina Azarenko may remain.
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