What is content migration?
Content migration refers to the process of transferring prepared website content to your new website. Content for your new site can be migrated from different places, depending on your situation:
If you have an existing website, we can migrate content from your current website into your new site. This content could include pages, images, and posts.
If you are creating a brand new website that does not already exist, you will need to create documents for the content that you want to add to your new site.
If you have an existing website but are also creating new content, content can be migrated from both your current website and any newly prepared documents.
What kind of content migration does Cornershop provide?
Cornershop Creative provides two types of content migration.
Manual Content Migration and Layout is included in projects where a content specialist will need to copy and paste content from your existing documents into your new website. Manual Layout can also be included if we anticipate that more content adjustments are needed. For example, if we know we’ll need to not just copy your existing content into a new site, but also finesse your layout, images, and the overall look and feel of your landing page content to make your site and calls to action even more engaging.
Programmatic Content Migration is a less manual process and can be used to migrate content through technical tools like plugins and/or scripting. Programmatic content migration works well when migrating from one WordPress site to another, or when migrating a high volume of existing content, including sites with important content that needs to be copied directly into the new website.
This documentation focuses on preparing your site for manual content migration or content layout. If you are unsure what is included in your budget for content migration or content layout, please refer to your Statement of Work or ask your Cornershop Project Manager.
The Content Migration Spreadsheet
The first step of a manual content migration process is to organize your existing content alongside the content that you need for your new site. We manage this through a Content Migration Spreadsheet.
The content migration sheet has two purposes: First, to help your team compile and prepare website content and second, for Cornershop Creative to manage what content is eventually migrated.
How To Fill Out Your Content Migration Sheet
The content migration sheet includes many columns that your team or the Cornershop team will need to fill out.
ID - The ID column is completed by Cornershop. This refers to unique IDs we attribute to each of your pages. These IDs can be useful when naming documents or when referring to specific pages for easy identification.
Level 1 - Level 3 - These columns are filled out by Cornershop. We transcribe your sitemap and assign each navigation item to various levels. Level 1 items indicate your primary navigation, as well as any pages in your footer or utility bar. Level 2 items are pages nested under Level 1 pages, usually presented on your new site in the form of a dropdown. Level 3 pages are nested under Level 2 pages.
Content Type - This column is filled out by Cornershop. The content type refers to the type of content on the page. WordPress has a variety of terms for different content types, including posts, pages, archives, events, and more, and Cornershop sets aside time to identify each content type so that we can best communicate our development and content needs as we work on building your site.
Template - This column is filled out by Cornershop. This refers to the WordPress frontend template that we expect the page will be using. If Cornershop is working with you to design a mockup or wireframe for your page layouts, you can expect that we will use these to build your page templates on your new site. This information also helps our content team know which page template they should use when migrating your content.
Priority Page - This column is completed by your team. Please assign priorities to your content by using “Y” for priorities, and “N” for non-priorities. This helps our content team streamline our processes and make the most of your content budget. Though we try to account for migrating all of your pages during the sales process, there may be times when we need to request additional hours to migrate every single bit of your content, and this helps us make sure we get your highest priority content into your new site, first.
Migrating As-Is - This column is filled by your team. Migrating a page “as-is” means that we can expect that we can migrate an existing page from your site with no new copywriting or edits, including retaining all images. If you have existing content on your current site that is okay to migrate as it is, please mark these rows with a “Y” in this column. If you designate a page to migrate as-is and that page includes design or layout elements that will not exist on the new site, such as a slider or some specialized feature of your current site’s CMS or Pagebuilder, then our Cornershop team will make a note to let you know which items can be migrated over.
If you want to rewrite or make changes to a particular page, please use “N” in this column. Unless otherwise directed, our content specialist will follow the exact instructions in your updated migration source, using their best judgment for layout, and they will not assume styling or other specific elements should be included from the old website page. If you do want the content specialist to include specific pictures or layout elements from the old page in addition to the content in the new migration source, please be sure to add these instructions in your new content source. For example, “Include the photo titled present.jpg of our president from the old page here.”
Link To Content - This column is filled out by your team. Please add links to the page or content that the Cornershop team should use for the content migration to your new site. Your links will vary depending on whether or not a page can be migrated as-is. For pages that are migrating as-is, please link to the corresponding page on your current site. For pages that need additional copywriting and images, link to a Google document with your new content.
Additional Notes - This column is filled out by your team. No additional notes are required, but this can be a handy place for you to share any additional notes or link to other resources (such as an image library) that will be helpful to our team for a particular content item.
Preparing Content From Your Google Drive Folders
Alongside your content migration sheet, we have created a Google Drive folder for you to save the content and information that needs to be migrated to your new site.
In this folder, we encourage you to create new documents for each page and name them according to the page name and unique ID referenced on our Content Migration spreadsheet. After the page document has been created and updated with your desired content, please make sure you link to the document in the “Link To Content” column.
Tips for preparing content
Here are a few tips and tricks for preparing your content:
When including images, please do not copy and paste nor embed the images into the document. Instead, add the specific image files in the Google Drive folders, and reference the file name in your document instead. Use the exact file name rather than a description of the photo, since this specificity helps our team use your migration time most efficiently.
Use the provided templates, wireframes, or mockups when creating your new content. This approach will make it much easier for our team to migrate your content and follow the design layouts that we’ve planned for your new site.
Don’t forget to include the labels and links that you want to use for buttons!
Any content updates requiring that we install additional plugins, configure social media feeds, embed third-party widgets, create microinteractions, and so on will not be addressed during our content migration hours. Your Project Manager will communicate if any requests of this nature will need to be addressed during development hours or Site Revisions on your project.