Migrating to HubSpot CMS: 5 Tips for a Smooth Transition

Previously we already covered the topics like "why should you choose HubSpot CMS" or "how to build the website on HubSpot CMS". But what if you want to migrate already existing website to the HubSpot CMS? Migrating itself can be a significant undertaking, but with proper planning and execution, you can ensure a smooth transition.

Here are some tips from our expirience with migration to HubSpot CMS that could help you along the way:

Assess your current website

The first thing I suggest doing is checking the current website to understand its structure, content, and functionalities. Are all pages necessary? Is all the content up to date? Perhaps there are areas that can be improved. Additionally, identify any critical features or integrations that need to be carried over to the new HubSpot CMS.

Create a comprehensive inventory of your existing content, including pages, blog posts, images, and media files. Map out how this content will be structured and migrated within HubSpot CMS. Consider creating a content migration spreadsheet to keep track of each piece of content.

After the check is done, you will have a clear view of what should be migrated to the new CMS and what can be left behind, what structural changes are required, what should be redesigned, and what needs to be built from scratch.

Plan your migration strategy

Once you know what needs to be migrated, develop a detailed migration plan that outlines the steps, timeline, and resources required for the transition. In most cases, the migration of a 10-15 page website could take from 2 weeks to one month, depending on the complexity and uniqueness of the pages.

Familiarize yourself with HubSpot CMS

The next tip may seem obvious, but many companies, for various reasons, tend to skip it. Take the time to learn about HubSpot CMS's features, capabilities, and best practices. Understand how its templates, modules, and content organization work to make the most of the platform. HubSpot has a quite good academy that can clarify and demonstrate both simple and advanced features.

Also, you can provide training and resources to your team members who will be using HubSpot CMS. Ensure they understand how to create and manage content, use templates, and leverage the platform's marketing and analytics capabilities.

SEO

Pay attention to SEO during the migration process. Search engine rankings are crucial for many websites, and there is a significant possibility of losing rankings if something goes wrong during the migration process. To avoid it:

• Try to maintain the site structure, so the links remain the same and do not confuse the user.
• In case the structure has changed and some URLs no longer work, ensure that you set up proper redirects to similar content on your current website.
• Preserve important metadata.
• Optimize new content for search engines, and consider checking the old content as well (HubSpot CMS provides quite good SEO tools).

This will help prevent a decline in your search rankings and traffic.

Test and iterate

Obvious thing, but before making your new website live, it is crucial to thoroughly test it to ensure everything works as expected. HubSpot CMS allows you to easily change the URLs of the pages, enabling you to build a mirror of your website on HubSpot's test domain.

Test the functionality, responsiveness, and performance of your website across different devices and browsers. Make any necessary adjustments or fixes based on user feedback and testing results, and go live just then. 

After the migration, don't forget to monitor your website's performance, user feedback, and analytics data. Make necessary adjustments and improvements to optimize the user experience and achieve your marketing goals. Using the HubSpot CMS structure (with modules, templates and A/B test functionality) any page adjustments are not so complicate task as it might seem.

Migrating of a website to a new CMS is a complex process, so it's crucial to have a backup of your existing website and a detailed plan in place. Consider seeking assistance from experts or consulting with HubSpot's support team for specific guidance tailored to your needs. In case you want to migrate your page to HubSpot CMS just let us know, and we would be glad to help!