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Drupal is a very good framework for creating websites but its steep learning curve can be a hindrance for many users especially amateurs. A lot of website owners convert Drupal to WordPress interface in order to take advantage of the latter’s intuitive and user-friendly qualities. The process required to migrate Drupal to WordPress website is complex and it will be sensible to engage well-versed in the technicalities of both the platforms to complete the process. Owners must keep some important points in mind before embarking on any such conversion project and a checklist is being presented here for their benefit.

1. Plan For The Conversion In Advance

It is essential that website owners plan well in advance for the migration and identify the objectives that they hope to achieve with the project. This will help them in getting an idea about the appearance as well as the functionalities of the new interface. For instance, if a person is not happy with the design of the present website and wants to move to WordPress to utilize its themes, then only the content needs to be moved to the new interface. Migration is not simply a change of platform for the website but in fact, the whole interface undergoes a complete makeover with the URL structure, website architecture, hosting etc. modifying either partially or completely. The owner must be prepared for these alterations in order to adapt to them quickly and creating a plan will be extremely helpful in smoothening the whole procedure of migrating to a new platform.

2. Make An Inventory Of All Content

One of the most important pre-migration tasks that all owners must undertake is to make an inventory of all the content of the current interface. In fact, creating an inventory is the basic foundation of any website conversion project and involves the listing of details of each an every content element in a spreadsheet. The details include the URLs of the web pages, documents, and images besides additional information which will be generated during the course of conversion, such as redirected links and SEO- optimized URLs. This inventory gives the owner a reference point against which the new website can be compared and assessed besides helping in identifying patterns in the content structure. Doing a content inventory can be a complex and cumbersome task for interfaces that are regularly updated and people must, therefore, start maintaining a spreadsheet as soon as they launch a website and start uploading content on it.

3. Create A Backup Of The Website

All owners must create a backup of their Drupal website before starting the conversion procedure as a failure to do so can lead to loss of valuable data in case any problems arise. Storing the backup in multiple locations will also be helpful as in case the data gets corrupted in one place, it can be accessed from the secondary storage location. The backup must be saved on the system of the owner as well as in a cloud-based service to ensure its complete safety. The procedure to convert Drupal to WordPress is technical and complex and if an issue emerges, then losing the data of the website will be a double blow for the owner with financial repercussions. This is one of the most necessary pre-migration tasks that all owners must execute to safeguard themselves from losses and if they do not possess the technical knowledge for it, professionals must be hired who can create and save the backup of the website for them.

4. Devise A Timeframe For The Migration

Depending on the size of the website, the number of its pages and the volume of content being transferred, the process of migration can take a lot of time. The website will also be inaccessible to visitors for some duration and to finish the process as early as possible, the owner must devise a timeframe in which he/she expects the procedure to be completed. Identifying a lean period i.e the time of the year during which the website sees less traffic and doing the transfer during that time will be wise as it will minimize any potential losses. Devising a timeframe for the migration will be helpful in planning in advance for all the stages involved in the process.

5. Maintain The Current SEO Of The Website

The most critical part of the pre-conversion planning is to make preparations for the preservation of the SEO of the present website. Some, if not all links of the interface will be drawing good visitor traffic and losing them will be detrimental for the business which makes it essential for owners to devise a strategy for retaining the valuable content and URLs. holding discussions with the expert conducting the migration to find out if it is possible to keep the same page names and URL structure should be a mandatory practice for all people. Moreover, do not edit or modify high-performing content until it has been moved to the new interface and try to make any changes well after the conversion has been completed.

Conclusion

The procedure to convert Drupal to WordPress website can consume a lot of time and therefore owners must devise a comprehensive blueprint which will help them prepare for the transfer with ample time to spare. People looking for experts to conduct such migration can call +1.415.548.6170 and request a quote.