What to Expect During a Website Content Migration
When organizations redesign their website or replatform to a new CMS, migrating content is a critical part of the process. It carries over critical page structure, retains performance, and eases the transition for both users and content teams. Whether you’re moving to a modern platform or refining your digital experience, the goal of content migration is to bring forward the right content with clarity, accuracy, and purpose.
This article provides a high-level overview of the content migration process, key phases, and what to expect when working with an implementation partner.
What Is Content Migration (and Why It Matters)?
While a content migration involves the transfer of content from one platform to another, a successful migration depends on identifying, preserving what works, and creating a cleaner foundation for what’s next. At its core, content migration is the process of moving structured content, media, and metadata from one CMS (or system) to another. Rather than copying and pasting, an effective content migration carries forward meaningful content and structure while optimizing for performance, usability, and editorial workflows.
The impact of a CMS migration is not limited to your website, it changes how your team operates Training, documentation, and stakeholder communication are essential to reduce friction and ensure the new platform is adopted effectively across departments.
When (and Why) You Need to Migrate Content
Content migration often surfaces during broader digital projects, the underlying drivers can vary. From modernizing the user experience to addressing CMS limitations, there are several reasons organizations migrate content as part of a larger transformation effort. Website content migration typically happens when your team is:
- Redesigning the front-end experience to improve UX, accessibility, or performance
- Upgrading from a legacy CMS that no longer supports modern features or integrations
- Reorganizing templates or design systems to support a better authoring experience
- Consolidating multiple sites or platforms into a unified system
It’s also a strategic opportunity to review outdated, duplicated, or underperforming content, strengthen your content governance and workflows, align messaging with current brand standards and voice, and create a more scalable foundation for future campaigns and initiatives.
Key Considerations for Website Content Migration
Every content migration looks a little different, but the foundation stays the same. At The C2 Group, we follow a structured, repeatable approach that helps reduce risk, promote clarity, and support long-term success. From early planning through post-launch support, our process is designed to align stakeholders, protect digital assets, and empower content teams in their new environment.
Behind every visible page is a set of connected components, assets, and rules. A migration must account for how media, files, and embedded content are stored and rendered across systems. This is especially true when working with a digital asset management (DAM) or content marketing platform (CMP), external platforms, or multiple content sources. Our phased migration model anchors content work within the broader goals of your redesign or CMS replatform:
- Align: Set clear goals, timelines, roles, and expectations across your team and ours.
- Envision & Plan: Define what success looks like, map out key content types, and determine which content will be migrated, rewritten, or retired
- Build & Test: Migrate content into staging environments and validate structure, layout, and metadata before launch.
- Train & Adopt: Equip content authors with training, documentation, and support to confidently manage content in the new CMS.
- Thrive: Post-launch, we continue to support content teams through optimization, governance, and strategic guidance.