Migration to a new website

In this blog post, we'll look at the topic of publishing a new website. Every few years you will think about a new website, maybe with a new layout, new features and other new things. This will not only keep your website up to date, but also fresh and enjoyable to use. After all, the technology behind a website may be outdated and no longer suitable for smaller screens, for example. A new website can remedy this and give your users a nice new experience again.

Prepare well for the migration

Thorough preparation is essential before you start the actual migration. Start with a comprehensive inventory of your old website, including all web pages, multimedia elements, and interactive features. Create a detailed list of all the features, forms, and other elements you want to keep on the new site. This inventory will help you avoid overlooking any valuable elements during the migration. Also, check Google Analytics or your stats tool to see which pages generate the most traffic, as these will naturally take priority during a migration.

Back up your old website

Before making any changes, it's important to create a full backup of your old website. This is a necessary precaution that will provide you with a safety net at all times in case there are any unforeseen complications during the migration. This way, you can fall back on your backup if everything goes wrong. It is advisable to make a backup copy of both your website files and your database, and then store it externally as well. So outside your hosting area .

It is also advisable to use a new database for a new website, rather than reusing the old database. Again, new data applies, so a new database user and password. Because this technology does not stand still either and at MijnHostingPartner.nl we now have for example MariaDB and MySQL 8 available in your package. These databases are more powerful than the now obsolete MySQL 5 databases.

Development of the new website

Now comes the exciting part - creating your new website! Whether you are a professional web developer or use a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, you should carefully consider the design and functionality of your new website. The ultimate goal is to improve the user experience while retaining essential and popular elements of your old website.

If your new website is being built by an agency or other party, it's wise to keep in close contact with the developer at this stage. Make all your wishes clear in the process. Later, when the site is live, major changes will not be as easy.

Content migration

Now it's time to transfer your valuable content to the new website. Depending on the size of your website, this can be a time-consuming task. Be sure to keep all SEO-optimized content and update meta tags and keywords as needed. All of your text, images, videos and other content fall under this. And they absolutely must be transferred to your new website. For websites or parts of a website that focus on content, such as blogs, news articles or product pages. They can be an important part of your marketing strategy and a source of visitors and conversions.

URL structure and redirects

Keeping your old URL structure is important to avoid broken links and maintain your search engine ranking. Configure 301 redirects for all old URLs so that visitors are automatically redirected to the correct pages on your new site. To do this, consult Google Search Console to get ahead of any problems and check which resources still need to be redirected or corrected after the migration. Too many 404 notifications on your site can be detrimental.

Thorough testing and debugging

Once the migration is complete, thorough testing is critical. Thoroughly test all pages and features of your new site. Identify and fix any errors, missing images, broken links, or other irregularities. Also, run tests on different devices and browsers to ensure your site is fully responsive. Google Search Console and website audits can be a powerful tool for this, saving you a lot of manual work. But even with these tools, it is still necessary for you to manually check the operation and experience.

Congratulations. You have successfully migrated your old website to a new and optimized version. Even though the migration process has presented challenges, the end result will undoubtedly be worth it. A new website offers unprecedented opportunities to build your brand and strengthen your online presence. Continue to closely monitor and optimize your new website to ensure it's functioning optimally. Also, ask for feedback from your users to determine what the user experience is like after the transition. The goal, of course, is to keep both old and new visitors happy!