Considerations When Moving from Drupal to WordPress

When thinking about moving from Drupal to WordPress, there are many reasons why organizations wait to upgrade. It can be budgetary constraints, lack of CMS knowledge, or technical complexity. But whether you’re just starting to research your CMS options or you’re ready to make the leap, we’re sharing our considerations when moving from Drupal to WordPress.

WordPress offers many of the same features as Drupal; however, it’s more user-friendly and doesn’t require as many custom configurations. That being said, newer versions of Drupal have been increasingly built for ease of use for Administrators. 

 

Initial Preparations

Regardless, migrating a website from one CMS to another still requires preparation. 

• First off, if you are currently using Drupal, you should already have a hosting provider and a domain. However, you may consider switching to a web host more in line with your WordPress needs and requirements. 
• It’s recommended to back up your existing files and relevant data before beginning. 
• It’s essential to have a blank WordPress instance installed on your web server. 
• You may have to obtain and install an SSL certificate to be able to integrate your website with a content delivery network (CDN) 
• Finally, find and remove any malware your website may contain. 

 

Drupal to WordPress Migration Considerations

Once WordPress is installed, and all of the above points are addressed, you can start the process of migrating Drupal to WordPress. But how easy is the migration process itself? It depends on many factors, including: 

1. What version of Drupal your website is on
2. If you have a custom design or an out-of-the-box template site
3. What type of media and SEO migration is needed
4. What level of basic understanding do you have around WordPress plugins 

 

All these present unique situations that can result in various challenges like; Content duplication, incorrect placement, and custom modules and plugins used to organize content can be particularly a “fun” part of the migration project. 

 

Website Migrations are for the Pros 

Because of the complexities of these migration projects, we highly recommend leaving it to the pros. (Perhaps someone like Cheeky Monkey Media – who did you think we’d suggest?) Seriously though, if you’re choosing an agency to help with all the heavy technical lifting, know that our team has extensive experience handling website migrations of all kinds, as well as website operations and creative design if you want to refresh your site’s look while you’re moving from one CMS to the other. 

 

A Quick Migration Case Study

Here’s a recap of a client’s Drupal to WordPress migration project. 

The City of Armstrong (in beautiful Armstrong, BC, Canada) needed an updated website with a fresh new look, with a requirement to move from Drupal to the WordPress platform. The City required a newly designed website that met today’s design standards and was attractive and mobile-friendly, and easy for its Administrators to update and add content. 

Their old site was packed with information but organized in a way that made it hard for users to find what they were looking for quickly and efficiently. In addition, updating the site was time-consuming for the administrative staff. The biggest challenge with the City’s website was that it was a Drupal to WordPress “migration.” The previous developers were not able to give our team complete access to the database, content plugin stacks, and code for the old website, making this migration especially complicated, so a complete rebuild was ultimately decided upon. The next challenge was to find a navigation structure that worked on the new site without burying all the information. As the City of Armstrong site is a government website, most of that information had to stay put. 

Cheeky Monkey completed the website build and launch under the estimated time, successfully addressing all of the earlier hurdles. The new website is much easier for the City’s internal team to add and update information. They are no longer reliant on external resources to make frequent and straightforward website edits. The site provides a significantly improved user experience, as it’s now easier for visitors to find information and get to know the City of Armstrong better. 

The updated design now meets today’s design standards, including improved WCAG Accessibility features. The site now effectively communicates all the information and services the City of Armstrong provides, and finally represents the City’s unique value as a community for businesses, residents, and visitors.  

 

Contact us if you have a website migration project on the horizon and want to learn more!