Your website is often one of your business’s most important assets. One Stanford study found that 75% of a business’s credibility is based on its website. Unfortunately many companies are being held back by outdated websites in need of migrating to a modern and more appropriate platform. That might involve rebuilding, switching to a new domain, or using a more secure protocol. Website migrations, while viewed as important, are often put on hold because they are perceived as being too complex. Here we’ll look at why the COVID-19 situation, maybe the perfect opportunity to move forward with your migration.
Why Do Your Migration Now?
One of the most commonly cited reasons for not proceeding with a website migration is insufficient employee time being available. Even when using a third party to facilitate the actual migration, an internal point-person, or even a team, is usually dedicated to the task. The scope of the work involved with the migration means that existing client projects are usually given precedence. In many cases a website migration will be delayed until it becomes business-critical that it moves forward.
Despite the fact that businesses often delay a website migration because of a perceived shortage of time, it is usually something that is viewed as important for the long term success of the business. Because of the benefits that come with website migration, it usually makes sense to proceed sooner rather than later.
The immediate impact of COVID-19 has been a slow-down, or even a complete halt, to client projects. Many businesses are finding that where there once simply wasn’t enough hours in the day to keep up with existing projects, they now have an excess of time available. This creates an opportunity to take action on internal projects which will help the long term success of the business.
At the top of that list for many companies will have to be a successful website migration. While nobody knows exactly when we will return to “business as usual”, this situation will at some point end. The window therefore for taking action on
What Type of Website Migration Do You Need?
Here we’ll look at the most common types of website migration your company is likely to need. These may include one (or more) of the following scenarios:
- Redesigning or rebuilding your website
- Moving to HTTPS
- Merging websites
- Changing your domain name
Redesigning or Rebuilding Your Website
Perhaps you have a clunky CMS that makes it impossible for your team members to add new content. Or maybe your website has a bloated codebase, that is destroying your website performance.
This project could mean moving your website to a new CMS (such as WordPress) or changing to a new framework (Genesis is what we use and recommend). Rebuilding or redesigning a website requires planning and coordination with your technical SEO team, to ensure the new site is user friendly and properly optimised for the search engines. With more mental bandwidth available, now is the perfect time to get started.
Moving to HTTPS
In a study published in Google’s Transparency Report it was found that in 2019 that 84.2% of all pages that were loaded in Chrome were served via HTTPS. HTTPS reassures visitors and helps to protect both your customers and your business. It is also used by Google as a ranking factor. If your business makes online sales or is involved in sensitive industries such as finance or healthcare, then it is almost essential that you make the switch to HTTPS.
Many businesses fail to switch to HTTPS not because they don’t realise it is important, but because it is viewed as too time-consuming. Moving to HTTPS does need to be planned and executed carefully to avoid a loss of search engine rankings. Take advantage of the time that is available to make your switch to HTTPS a success.
Changing Your Domain Name
Many businesses own a domain that would be better suited to their current business than the one they are now using. Businesses evolve over time, maybe even the company name has changed. Perhaps you have even managed to acquire the .com version of your business but have failed to make use of it.
Now is your chance to make the switch to your preferred domain name. Generally speaking this is a relatively straightforward type of website migration. However, it is important to ensure that redirects have been set up correctly to ensure your visibility in the search engines isn’t damaged. You really do need to speak with an SEO expert in this case.
Merging Websites
You may have acquired a company and want to merge it within your existing operations. Or perhaps you have multiple websites that you no longer want to have as separate sites. Whatever the reason, you need to merge multiple websites into a single site.
Merging multiple website is one of the most complex types of website migrations. It can involve everything from a newly redesigned UX, an overhaul of your SEO, to a change in content and branding. If you have multiple employees across different parts of your business with available time in their schedule, now is the time to execute your website merge.
Summing up a Successful Website Migration
Depending on what you wish to achieve, migrating your website can range from a relatively simple task to a complex project involving multiple team members. However, all migrations require at least some staff time and resources. The current situation may be your best opportunity to finally get that website migration boxed ticked.
If you need help with your website migration, then get in touch today so we can discuss your requirements.
