Content Migration
Content Migration often gets underestimated in digital projects. It is easy to focus on other project elements such as design, branding, and the technology of the new platform. Not being prepared for the content migration portion of your project can result in missed deadlines and exceeded budgets. You might be wondering for your project if you need a content migration strategy. There are a few questions to ask before getting into a content migration. Let’s go through a few of them.
What is a Content Migration?
A content migration is essentially when content in one place moves to another place. However, this definition sounds more simple than the process usually is and the more content migrating, the more complex it can get. Often content migrations can consist of hundreds or thousands of pages in which case the content will need to be audited. The audit has many purposes but it is mostly to determine what content is coming to the new platform and what can get left behind (or moved elsewhere). If an audit has removed a significant amount of content then the information architecture (IA) needs to be revisited to accommodate for the gaps. After this, several other steps need to be taken to ensure a successful content migration project.
Why would you want to migrate your content?
A website is only a shell that frames your content. If you have built up content over the years on your website (or sometimes in PDF or other document formats), then you will want to build upon it rather than abandoning it. Also for any content that has been online, search engines like Google have indexed it and are familiar with your content so why let it disappear.
Is a content migration right for you?
An in-depth look should be taken into your content to see if a content migration is right for you. Does your content only need minor edits or is it completely outdated and needs to be written from scratch? If you are taking a write from scratch approach keep in mind that the content rewrite is often a bigger project than building your new website.
How do I get started with a content Migration?
A content migration requires someone to lead it as its own project, (often it is considered a project within a project). Whether you plan to take this on in-house or hire externally, SaaS Port Digital Solutions will be able to help provide guidance regarding your content migration.
