“The existing site developed from scratch is difficult to use and I want to switch to a site with a CMS ” “The current CMS is difficult to use and I want to migrate to another CMS “ Let’s migrate CMS in a simple procedure .
If you make a mistake in the procedure, you will have to migrate to another CMS again, or the risk of trouble during operation will increase. In this article, we will explain in detail the flow of CMS migration, points to note, and how to choose.
Table of contents
- What is CMS
- When to think about CMS migration
- 5 steps to CMS migration
- Points to note when migrating to CMS
- How to choose a destination CMS
- Migrate to the right CMS to achieve your goals
What is CMS
CMS is an abbreviation for “Contents Management System”, and is a system that centrally stores and manages the texts and designs that make up website content .
Normally, text and design are adjusted by changing HTML tags and CSS descriptions, but with CMS , changes can be made easily with intuitive operations . Therefore, even people who do not have the knowledge and skills of the system can create and update the site.
When to think about CMS migration
Since there are no rules or theories about when to introduce a CMS or when to introduce it, it is important to carefully determine when to migrate. Let’s take a closer look at when to think about CMS migration.
When you want to renew your site with CMS
There are cases where you want to migrate a custom -made website created by scratch development to a CMS . If you ask a production company to rewrite HTML and CSS , it takes time, effort, and cost .
A CMS , on the other hand , can be easily updated by your own personnel, reducing all costs . Also, if you want to upload a notice on the website in an emergency, you can work quickly with CMS .
When the current CMS is difficult to use and you want to switch
If the CMS you are currently using is difficult to use and your business efficiency is declining , or if you cannot design according to the concept , it is time to think about CMS migration.
Choose a CMS that matches the purpose and concept of the site , the knowledge and skills of the person in charge, and the budget .
5 steps to CMS migration
When migrating to a CMS , it is necessary to clarify the purpose of the migration instead of picking and choosing a CMS at random. We will explain in detail from preparation for CMS migration to what to do after migration.
1. Clarify the purpose of the CMS migration
First, let’s clarify the purpose of the CMS migration. The purpose of introducing a CMS is to facilitate website management and updating, and to increase the speed of information updating and transmission and operational efficiency . If you migrate to a CMS that doesn’t meet this requirement , you may need to change your CMS again.
If you feel that it is difficult to use, think about what kind of CMS is easy to use . Also, when introducing a new CMS , it is important to decide the conditions based on the ideal for the CMS .
2. Choose a CMS
We select CMS candidates based on the purpose of CMS migration. At this time, check whether customization is possible, whether continuous support is available, and in which cases additional charges may apply.
The point is to select a CMS that has the ease of use and functions that suit your purpose from among the CMS that meet the conditions such as budget and support .
3. Organize and prioritize content to be migrated
When migrating CMS , it is necessary to decide which pages to migrate from existing content . Organize your content with the following items :
- page name
- URLs
- Category , article ID, etc.
- manager
- Published date , updated date
- number of backlinks
- Average monthly page views , conversion rate , etc.
Throwing away the content instead of migrating it and lightening the website is one way. However, if possible, migrate content with high monthly PV counts and high conversion rates .
4. Migrate your CMS
CMS migration includes the following methods:
- Migrate data from old site to new site one by one
- Export the data of the old site as CSV and import it to the new site
- Export file using plugin and import to new site (migration from WordPress )
Exporting and importing CSV files requires specialized knowledge, so in many cases you will ask a production company to do it. If the old site is not WordPress , it is common to migrate the information to the new site one by one by yourself.
If the content to be migrated is huge, it will cost a lot of time , so we recommend that you consider requesting a data migration company.
5. Decide the rules for CMS operation
After migrating to CMS , let’s decide the operation rules. If you do not have operational rules, someone may update or add content without permission and cause trouble. Also, changing settings without permission may interfere with site operation.
After assigning the person in charge , it is important to clearly state that other employees must not change the settings of the CMS or update or add content without the permission of the person in charge.
Points to note when migrating to CMS
In order not to fail in CMS migration, let’s keep the following points in mind.
Do not change the URL as much as possible
It is important not to change the URL of the migrated article as much as possible. If you change the URL , you may lose the acquired backlinks and reduce SEO effectiveness , or you may lose internal links and affect site traffic .
It can be handled by 301 redirect processing, but it takes time to develop and it may not be possible to avoid the deterioration of SEO effect, so let’s take over the URL as much as possible.
Website renewal after migration to CMS
Renew your website after the migration, not at the same time as the CMS migration. If you renew first, the finalization of the CMS design will be delayed and template development will not be possible. Also, depending on the design, there is a risk that the CMS migration will fail .
Overestimate man-hours and working hours
CMS migration is not something you do often, so it may take more man-hours and hours than you expected. It is important to overestimate the number of man-hours and work hours so that there is no delay in the timing of site renewal and content upload.
take regular backups
Make regular backups as there is a risk that the data migration will fail and the data will be lost. We recommend that you make a backup before starting work or after transferring all data .
Communication is key when outsourcing
Outsourcing your CMS migration allows your staff to focus on their core business . You will be able to greatly reduce labor, time and labor costs. However, in order to realize a CMS migration that reflects the intentions of the person in charge 100% , frequent communication is required.
How to choose a destination CMS
When choosing a CMS to migrate to , it is necessary to pay attention to types, functions, security, cost, etc. Let’s take a closer look at how to choose a CMS .
Decide on the type of CMS
First, you need to decide on the type of CMS . Here are the features, advantages, and disadvantages of each type of CMS .
| kinds | feature | merit | Demerit |
|---|---|---|---|
| open source type | CMS with publicly available source code | ・Cost can be reduced because most of them are free ・Customization is easy because there are many plug-ins |
・Support is often not available ・There are concerns about vulnerabilities |
| Package type | A CMS that purchases a license from a vendor and installs it on its own server | ・You can receive generous support ・Enhanced functions for companies |
・ Initial cost, monthly cost, option fee, etc. |
| Cloud type | CMS that can be used only with an internet environment and a browser | ・Speedy installation ・No version upgrade procedure required |
・You may not be able to receive Japanese language support for products made overseas. ・When trouble occurs, you need to ask the vendor |
Decide on the type of CMS based on your desired conditions, such as wanting to receive support or keeping costs down .
Compare features
Choose a CMS with features that match the purpose of your site and the reason for migration . For example, if you want to spread it on SNS, you need a social link function. Another useful feature is “ editing as you see it, ” which allows you to reflect text , images, and designs exactly as you see them, without using HTML or CSS .
In addition, there are various functions such as recording user’s operation history, granting access authority by group, access analysis function, mail magazine delivery function, etc.
Compare usability
The purpose of CMS is to improve business efficiency, so we want to pursue ease of use. There is a big difference in difficulty depending on each CMS . Let’s actually use what is available in the trial and check the usability.
CMS with a simple UI and intuitive operation has a reputation for being easy to use. If you are using it with multiple people, we recommend that you compare the ease of use with everyone .
Compare security
Leakage of personal information or falsification of websites due to unauthorized access can greatly reduce the social credibility of a company. There are many cases in which business performance deteriorates rapidly due to security problems.
Consider security to be the most important item , and choose a CMS with full security measures .
compare costs
Compare the profit generated by the website with the initial and monthly costs, and choose a CMS with high cost-effectiveness . The more features, the higher the cost tends to be. It is important to choose a CMS that has an excellent balance between functionality and cost . In addition, the point of an appropriate comparison is to take into consideration the labor costs and outsourcing costs that can be reduced
by the introduction, rather than the introduction costs alone .
Compare support systems
You need to make sure that you can continue to receive good quality support. Insufficient troubleshooting can lead to serious damage. If you don’t have someone in your company who can handle it, choose a CMS with as much support as possible.
By the way, ” Ferret One “, which specializes in BtoB site operation , has a technical support window where you can ask questions about how to use the tool at any time. There are also plenty of functions such as SEO ranking check, white paper measures, and editing as you see it.
Overwhelmingly easy-to-use domestic CMS!
Ferret One allows you to create and update websites and LPs with no code
Migrate to the right CMS to achieve your goals
If you use a CMS that matches your purpose and reason for migration , you can smoothly improve your business efficiency. It will also lead to smooth management by preventing the person in charge from becoming dependent on one person and reducing the hassle and cost of requesting updates to the production company.
Check items such as functions, cost, support system, security measures, etc., and migrate to the most suitable CMS for your company to improve productivity.
