Content Migrations

Migrating content from one website to another is a delicate process. You must make sure that all documents, web pages, and URLs are accounted for to avoid data loss or corruption. We wish it was as simple as moving A to B, but since there are potentially millions of documents that need to be migrated and integrated into a new system, content migrations just aren’t that easy.

If you don’t have a technical background, this whole process can feel very complicated and overwhelming. At Matchbox, we recognize the importance of a smooth transition. Our content, development, and SEO teams come together to ensure that all content is accounted for and properly integrated into a new system. Our goal is to help you rest easy at night without the fear of losing important company data and spare you the trouble of having to put out fires that could result from a poorly transitioned website.

Our Content Migration Services

Executing a successful content migration is tricky due to the fact that you’re often juggling a large number of varying content types. This includes navigation structure, web page content, HTML documents, product information, media, plugins, blog content, and categorization, etc. It’s not uncommon for a vital piece or grouping of content to be missed during migration and when that piece of content is missed, it can often result in a permanent loss once your new site is live.

Now, our goal here is not to scare or intimidate you with this information, but rather to face the reality of the situation. Without some sort of process, anyone could miss something or create an error, even someone with a high level of technical skills. The key is to create a system that ensures that all the boxes get checked and double-checked, which is exactly what we do here at Matchbox.

Our Content Migration System

1. Content Crawl – The first step in our process is conducting a site-wide crawl which will tell us how much and what type of content lives on your old site. Once we have that information, we can start to figure out which types of content need to be migrated, the volume of each type of content and how to properly migrate it.
2. Content Opportunities – After the initial content crawl, we will often provide recommendations for how to improve content or point out opportunities for new content. Content migrations can be a prime time to refresh, update or add new content since your site is in flux. This step is not mandatory, but is highly encouraged.
3. Task Delegation – Once we’ve identified and made a master list of all content that needs to be migrated, we will proceed to break the process down into smaller, more manageable tasks. These tasks are then distributed to a team member that is best suited to handle that specific task.
4. Content Migration – The next step is to start the tedious process of migrating and properly integrating content into a testing environment. This often includes manual migration, export/imports, plugin downloads, etc. During this process we track our progress in a spreadsheet that is visible to all team members to ensure that all content is accounted for and isn’t duplicated.
5. Status Reporting – One of our core values here at Matchbox is transparency. We want to make sure that you’re in the loop every step of the way by providing regular status updates. These updates are usually in the form of a quick phone call with our project manager who will relay important information to you.
6. Content Testing – Once all of the content has been successfully migrated into a testing environment for your new site, our team will then perform one last crawl to ensure that all content is accounted for. We’ll also test the content to make sure its styled correctly and functions properly.

We’re Here To Help!

This system has worked flawlessly for us time and time again so we’re confident that we will be able to help you execute a successful content migration. Aside from the system itself, our team will also make sure to stay on budget and not disrupt the day-to-day functions of the business. Again, our main goal is to make the entire site migration process as stress-free and seamless as possible.