Website migration
We move websites to new hosting or a different CMS with attention to data, functionality and search URLs. Dependencies are inventoried before a trial migration is checked ahead of the switch. Moving a site to another host and moving a site to a different CMS are tasks of different size, but the goal is the same: a migration with no loss of rankings, data or enquiries.
Pre-migration inventory
We collect pages, files, database requirements, forms, integrations and environment settings. We identify what changes with the platform and what must be preserved. For active websites, we agree how to synchronise changes between the trial migration and launch.
URLs and search structure
Old and new URLs, metadata and internal links are mapped. Useful addresses are preserved, while changed URLs redirect to equivalent pages. Canonicals, sitemaps and indexing restrictions left over from testing are checked.
Switch and verification
The project moves into a prepared environment where key journeys and the backup are checked. Switch timing and rollback conditions are agreed. After launch, we verify page availability, forms, data exchange and links that might still point to the old environment.
What the work includes
A migration with no loss of search rankings is possible when every step is prepared in advance: from backups to post-move checks. Below is what we do in every migration project.
- Inventory: pages, files, database, forms, integrations, cron jobs, environment settings and PHP versions
- Full backups of files and the database before work starts and before the switch, with integrity checks
- Preparing the new environment: hosting or server, software versions, SSL certificate, email and environment variables
- A 301 redirect map for changed addresses, with existing URLs preserved wherever possible
- For a move to a different CMS — migrating content, media, users and structure with field mapping
- Checking robots.txt, the sitemap, canonicals and meta tags so staging restrictions do not reach the live site
- Switching DNS at an agreed time with minimal interruption, and monitoring record propagation
- Post-move checks: page availability, forms, integrations, speed, log errors and webmaster tool reports
What we need from you
A website move affects the domain, hosting and working processes, so access details need to be gathered and a decision-maker appointed in advance.
- Access to the current hosting, CMS panel, database, domain and DNS
- Details of the new hosting, or requirements for it if we choose the platform together
- A list of integrations and external services that depend on the site's address or IP
- Access to webmaster tools and analytics to verify indexing after the move
- An agreed switch window and a contact who will confirm readiness
- Details of mailboxes on the domain and any subdomains that must keep working after the move
What you get
A website running on new hosting or a new CMS with its data, URLs and enquiries preserved, and with forms and integrations verified. You keep backups of the old and new states, the redirect map and a description of the new environment. The old platform is switched off only once we have confirmed the move was completed without loss.
Redirect map and URLs
We hand over a table matching old and new URLs with the configured 301 redirects and verification results. If URLs were preserved in full, we record that separately — it makes later indexing questions easier to resolve.
New environment description
We document the hosting or server, software versions, SSL, email, cron and environment variable settings, and the list of access details. Any contractor can continue working on the site without a second inventory.
Backups of both states
You keep a copy of the site from before the move and one taken right after the switch. If a data discrepancy or a missing file turns up later, it can be restored from the right point without going back to the old hosting, which may be switched off by then.
How the work is organised
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Step 1
Inventory and plan: we gather pages, data, integrations and environment dependencies, assess risks and agree the migration order and switch window.
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Step 2
Trial migration: we deploy the site in the new environment and check pages, forms, integrations and speed without switching the domain.
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Step 3
URL preparation: we compile the 301 redirect map and check robots.txt, the sitemap, canonicals and meta tags on the staging copy.
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Step 4
Switch: we synchronise fresh data, move DNS, issue the SSL certificate and watch for errors in the first hours after the move.
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Step 5
Post-move control: we check indexing in webmaster tools, forms and integrations, then decommission the old environment as agreed.
Cost and scope
The cost of a website migration depends on whether only the hosting changes or the entire CMS, the volume of data and media, the number of integrations tied to the environment, requirements for preserving URLs and the acceptable downtime, and whether email and subdomains must also move. A detailed estimate follows an inventory of the current project.
Frequently asked questions
How does hosting migration differ from changing CMS?
A hosting move generally keeps the application and changes its environment. A CMS change affects data structure, templates and features, and may require development and a separate content migration.
Can existing URLs remain unchanged?
Often, if the new platform supports the required structure. We check the URL map before development. Where an address must change, it is mapped and redirected to an equivalent page.
How long does a website migration take?
Moving a site to another host without changing the platform is relatively quick; most of the time goes into verification and agreeing the switch window. Moving a site to a different CMS is a full project involving content migration and, often, template development. We give an indicative schedule after the inventory.
Can a site be moved from a website builder to a CMS?
Yes, but that is a move to a different CMS rather than a copy: website builders rarely release source code, so content, images and structure are transferred page by page and templates are rebuilt. URLs are preserved or mapped through redirects so the migration does not cost search rankings.
How are search rankings protected during the move?
We preserve URLs wherever possible and prepare a 301 redirect map for changed addresses. Before the switch we confirm the new site has no indexing block, that the sitemap and canonicals point to the right URLs and that meta tags match. After the move we monitor webmaster tools and fix crawl errors as they appear.
What happens after the move?
In the first weeks we monitor indexing, log errors, forms and integrations. We recommend keeping the old hosting until all data and email are confirmed as transferred, and only then switching it off. Ongoing care — updates, backups, monitoring — can be arranged as technical support.