7 Essential Things for a Successful CMS Migration

7 Essential Things for a Successful CMS Migration

Author
8 minutes

If you’re frustrated with your current CMS — its limited scalability, clunky user experience, or never-ending maintenance costs — it might be time for CMS migration. After all, why would you keep using a CMS that no longer meets your needs?

The CMS migration journey, though, isn’t just about fixing these problems. It’s about doing what’s best for your specific business and ensuring its long-term success.

In this guide, we’ll discuss why you should consider migrating to a different CMS, common pitfalls to avoid, and steps to ensure a disruption-free switch. As a CMS migration services provider, we’ve handled all sorts of migrations — from simple transitions to website redesigns — and we’ll share how to manage the entire process effectively.

Highlights:

  • Successful CMS migration starts with clear goals and a detailed roadmap — don’t leave your transition to chance.

  • Legacy CMS platforms can cost you more than you think. Consider higher maintenance, slower performance, and missed opportunities.

  • Content audits are fundamental. Delete redundant information and start fresh with an optimized library.

 Common Reasons for CMS Migration

Common reasons for CMS migration.

Why consider migrating to a different CMS in the first place? You may seek improved performance and user experience, the ability to scale easily, or a natural desire to stay competitive. Regardless of your specific goals, the most typical reasons for CMS migration include:

  • Scalability requirements: As your website traffic grows, your CMS needs to scale alongside it. Legacy systems often fail to handle increased user demand, which results in website slowdowns. A newer CMS would ensure your site is stable, even during traffic surges.

  • Faster load times for better user experiences: Your website’s page load time shouldn’t exceed three seconds — it’s a golden rule introduced by Google. If you go beyond that limit, your users will likely get frustrated or, even worse, leave your site for good. To avoid such a scenario, migrate to a faster, more efficient CMS platform.

  • CRM and marketing tools integration: You definitely want a CMS that easily integrates with your CRM, marketing automation, analytics, and numerous other tools. Migrating to a new CMS — in contrast to legacy solutions — is the best way to unify your tech ecosystem.

  • AI content personalization and headless CMS features: Modern CMS platforms are increasingly using AI to deliver personalized content. Some even come with headless CMS architectures — solutions that enable flexible, omnichannel experiences. If these capabilities are important to you, then website migration is non-negotiabl

Background

Explore how we helped businesses like yours migrate to a new CMS

Avoid These Common CMS Migration Mistakes

Common CMS migration mistakes.


While highly beneficial, a CMS switch can ruin even the best-laid plans if not handled carefully. To minimize CMS migration risks, you should know what pitfalls to avoid. Here are some common CMS migration problems and ways to stay away from them:

  • Migrating redundant content without auditing: Carrying over outdated or unnecessary content can clutter your new CMS. Conduct a thorough content audit to identify what should be migrated, archived, or deleted. Prepare a data migration checklist and follow it strictly.

  • Overlooking the impact on third-party integrations: Your current CMS may rely on analytics, CRM, marketing, and other third-party tools. Failing to check if these integrations are compatible with a CMS you’re migrating to can cause significant disruptions. Before switching, evaluate how your new CMS will support these connections.

  • Choosing a CMS based solely on trends: It’s tempting to follow the latest technology trends. Yet, selecting a platform without considering your team’s expertise can lead to various CMS migration issues. For example, a feature-rich solution may be underutilized or create a steep learning curve if it doesn’t fit your team’s skill set.

In order to succeed and prepare for the website migration process thoroughly, follow our CTO Serhiy Sydorchuk's advice:

Migration often depends on the expected result. For example, in our Kentico migration case study, it was a direct switch — the design and functionality remained the same as on the old site. However, you can also use the migration as an opportunity for a site redesign, retaining most of the functionality from the old platform. Finally, there’s the option for a complete website overhaul, as seen in our COREtec Floors project.

Background

Want to avoid common pitfalls
in your CMS migration?

Schedule a complimentary consultation with our experts today
and start your migration journey!

7 Steps to a Successful CMS Migration

CMS migration checklist — tasks to perform before, during, and after migration.

When starting the process of migrating to a new CMS, do it gradually. Follow these seven steps from our CMS migration checklist to ensure a successful transition:

1. Define Goals

Determine what you want to achieve with this migration. Your goals might include improving scalability, speeding up load times, improving user experience, and enabling advanced functionality.

2. Audit Existing Content

Don’t make a mistake — audit your current content thoroughly. Identify duplicate, outdated, or irrelevant material, and decide what you need to keep.

3. Document All Integrations

List all third-party tools and integrations you currently use, from CRM to analytics platforms. By doing this, you’ll be able to check if these integrations are compatible with a new CMS and that they can be easily migrated.

4. Choose the Right CMS

Next, you need to actually pick a CMS that suits your needs. Base your choice on:

  • Your business goals.

  • Your team’s expertise.

  • Technical and integration requirements.

As we mentioned earlier, don’t choose a CMS solely because it’s popular or offers trendy features — focus on what will have a positive impact on your business.

To explore your options, read our post on the best .NET CMS to choose from and our comparison of Umbraco vs. Dotnetnuke.

5. Develop a Detailed Migration Roadmap

Once you’ve chosen a CMS, create a step-by-step website migration plan. It should include key tasks, timelines, milestones, and each team member’s responsibilities. Then, follow your project plan and switch to a new platform.

6. Test Extensively

At this point, testing is one of the best ways a CMS migration can succeed. Handle user testing, check core functionalities, make sure all integrations are working correctly, find broken links, and ensure content displays properly.

7. Monitor and Optimize Post-Migration Performance

The last step in our CMS migration guide is actually infinite. Regularly monitor your new setup after a switch. Study performance metrics, manage user feedback, and improve accordingly.

Step

Practical tips
Define goalsAt this point, testing is one of the best ways a CMS migration can succeed. Handle user testing, check core functionalities, make sure all integrations are working correctly, find broken links, and ensure content displays properly.
Audit existing contentUse tools to identify duplicate content and take care of SEO
Document all integrations
Engage your IT team to document all integration points
Choose the right CMS
Consider if your team’s technical expertise is sufficient for a new CMS
Develop a detailed migration roadmap
Break tasks into manageable parts, regularly review and adjust the roadmap based on progress and unexpected challenges
Test extensively
Involve end-users in the testing process, test how content displays on multiple devices
Monitor and optimize post-migration performance
Use real-time monitoring tools, optimize website content based on the insights

Tips from Our Team for a Smooth Migration

Migrating to a new CMS can seem difficult at first. But with the right strategies, you can make the process smoother. Here are the top tips from our team members:

Allocate time for testing post-migration: As we said, thorough testing is a must. So, don’t rush — set aside enough time for catching and fixing potential issues.

  • Use the migration process to update designs or refresh content: CMS migration is a great chance to revamp your website’s look and feel. Consider updating your design or revising outdated content during the migration process. Yet, be careful and choose the right CMS for website redesign.

  • Document workflows for custom features: Custom CMS functionalities can make migration more challenging. Documenting their workflows will help you make sure they are correctly replicated in the new system.

Read also: Custom CMS Development Guide.

Take, for example, one of our clients, the State Agency. They needed to switch from the legacy Kentico 12 Portal Engine to Kentico Xperience 13 Core. Why? Two goals:

  • Adopt modern technology.

  • Ensure long-term support and updates.

To make the CMS migration smooth, we implemented custom functionality that connected the Kentico 12 database and the new system. This allowed for the transition of all pages, attachments, and alternative URLs without a hitch. As a result, we managed to switch platforms without data loss, disruptions, or downtime.



Background

Need expert help with your CMS migration?

Connect with our CMS migration experts today for tailored guidance and support. Ensure your transition is smooth and successful from start to finish!

Why You Shouldn’t Delay CMS Migration in 2025

Consider this if you’re still unsure whether it’s time for you to migrate. Waiting for too long can put you at a serious disadvantage, and here’s why:

  • Increased importance of AI-driven personalization: Since over 70% of users expect businesses to provide them with tailored content, AI-powered personalization is a new tool to adopt. Outdated platforms simply cannot support these capabilities. Thus, access to such advanced features is one of the primary benefits of migrating your CMS.

  • Rising maintenance costs for outdated CMS systems: Old CMS platforms not only lack features but also come with high maintenance costs. As vendors discontinue support for legacy systems, you’ll have to work on expensive patches yourself.

  • The competitive advantage of modern platforms: Modern platforms have everything for a successful CMS migration — speed, scalability, flexibility, you name it. Advanced features like headless architecture, AI personalization, and various integrations can help you stand out as well.

Conclusion

CMS migration is indeed a technical upgrade. But it’s also an opportunity to ensure your business’s longevity, deliver better user experiences, and simplify content management for your editors.

However, to achieve the promised scalability, speed, and functionality, you need a thorough content migration plan. Don’t rush the process. Take the time to define your goals, choose the right CMS, and thoroughly test everything before launch.

And if you’re looking for someone to ensure a successful CMS migration for you, you’re in the right place. Bits Orchestra has over 8 years of experience delivering smooth, disruption-free CMS switches. So, contact our team to discuss your requirements in greater detail.

Background

Start your migration journey today with Bits Orchestra!

Take the stress out of CMS migration. Reach out to our team at Bits Orchestra to discuss your unique needs and discover how we can make your migration smooth and hassle-free.

Table of contents

    Share

    How much does a CMS migration cost?

    CMS migration price depends on several factors — your website’s size, content volume, the number and complexity of integrations, and whether you’re updating designs or features.


    Simple migrations will cost you from $5,000 to $15,000, while a large-scale switch could range significantly higher. Using a CMS migration step-by-step checklist ensures you cover all bases and avoid unexpected costs.

    What support can I expect after the CMS migration?

    Post-migration support typically includes performance monitoring, bug fixes, and optimizing content management systems based on the user and internal team’s feedback.

    What’s the best CMS for my business needs?

    Choosing a new CMS platform highly depends on your specific goals and requirements. Headless solutions are great for businesses that have strong IT teams and require flexibility. On the other hand, open-source CMS explained as a top option for small companies with limited budgets.

    Automated vs. manual CMS migration: what do you recommend?

    Automated migration tools can save you plenty of time by handling bulk content transfers, but they might not suit complex workflows and custom feature migration. Manual migration, in turn, offers more control and accuracy — especially if you’re dealing with redesigns or feature upgrades.

    What metrics should I track post-migration?

    Your post-migration studies may include tracking the following:

    • Page load speed.

    • User engagement.

    • SEO performance.

    • Conversion and bounce rates.

    Author

    Author

    Roman Hutnyk

    CEO and Co-Founder of Bits Orchestra

    email link linkedin link

    12 years of software development experience helped me to grow up a deep feeling of business needs and processes, the value we could introduce to business, quality standards, and trends in business as well as software development.

    As the CEO of Bits Orchestra software development company, I spearhead the mission to drive business innovation and growth, by building cutting-edge web & mobile applications, as well as specializing in Kentico development.

    Check other articles

    Multisite CMS: Features, Benefits, How to Choose

    Multisite CMS: Essential Features and How to Choose

    Enterprise CMS for eCommerce: Trends & Insights [2025]

    Enterprise CMS for eCommerce: Trends, Benefits & Insights

    CMS Integration: Key Steps, Best Practices &How to Consider?

    CMS Integration Guide: Maximize Your CMS Potential

    Contact us

    Before we proceed, please help us understand your needs better. We will review your application and schedule a free estimate call

    Roman Hutnyk

    CEO & Co-founder

    ceo