Choosing a provider
Website migration services
A migration provider is trusted with your whole online presence for a period. The quality of their planning shows in the details: whether every old address is accounted for, whether forms are tested end to end, whether there is a plan if launch goes wrong, and whether anyone watches the site in the weeks afterwards.
This page explains what to ask a migration provider and what a well-run project looks like.
Illustrative diagram
Questions to ask a migration provider
Planning
- How will you inventory our current site?
- Can we review the redirect map?
- How are forms and integrations rebuilt?
Launch
- When and how will the switch happen?
- What is the rollback plan?
- Who checks the site on launch day?
After launch
- How long will you monitor for problems?
- How are missed redirects handled?
- What documentation will we receive?
What you should receive
| Deliverable | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Content and address inventory | Proof that nothing was missed |
| Redirect map | Record of where every old address now points |
| Test checklist and results | Evidence that forms and features work |
| Launch plan with rollback | Clear steps and a way back if needed |
| Post-launch report | Issues found and fixed after the switch |
Why a rollback plan matters
Even well-tested migrations can meet surprises on launch day: a payment integration behaving differently in production, a domain change taking longer than expected, an email setting overlooked. A rollback plan, keeping the old site available and knowing exactly how to point the domain back, means a problem can be contained in minutes rather than becoming a prolonged outage.
Ask any provider to describe their rollback plan before agreeing a launch date.
A well-run migration project
Discovery
Inventory, goals and constraints agreed.
Output: Migration plan
Build
New site on staging with redirects prepared.
Output: Staging site
Acceptance
You review content and test key journeys.
Output: Sign-off
Launch and support
Switch, checks, monitoring and fixes.
Output: Stable live site
Accounts and ownership
Domain
Should remain registered to your business throughout.
New platform account
Created in your business's name, with provider access.
Old site
Kept available until the new site is stable, then archived.
Choosing a launch time
Launch when the business can respond to problems: not just before a holiday, a major campaign or the busiest trading period. Early in the week often works well, with time to monitor and fix issues before the weekend. Agree who will be available on launch day from both the business and the provider.
Your involvement
A migration needs input from the business: confirming which content to keep, reviewing the staging site, testing journeys you know well and approving the launch. Plan for someone to have time for this. Projects stall most often while waiting for content decisions or sign-off, not for technical work.
Naming one decision-maker keeps feedback consistent.
Platform experience
Ask whether the provider has migrated from your current platform and to your new one before. Each platform has its own export formats, quirks and limits. Experience with both ends of the move reduces surprises and makes estimates more reliable.
Search console and analytics
Ask the provider to check that analytics and search console are connected to the new site, that the sitemap is submitted and that no search-blocking setting from staging has been carried over. These quick checks prevent common post-launch problems that can go unnoticed for weeks.
Who reviews the content
Automated imports rarely get everything right. Agree who will review each migrated page: the provider checks formatting and links, while the business confirms accuracy. Splitting the review this way is quicker and catches different kinds of problems.
Documentation
Ask for a short handover document covering the new platform's structure, how to edit common page types and where redirects are managed. It helps your team and any future provider.
Telling customers
If the site will look or work differently, a short note to regular customers, explaining what has changed and how to log in or book if that process changes, reduces confusion. A provider can help identify which journeys have changed enough to need explanation. For like-for-like migrations, no announcement may be needed at all.
Questions about website migration services
What should a migration provider deliver?
An inventory, redirect map, test results, launch plan and post-launch report.
What is a rollback plan?
A way to restore the old site quickly if launch goes wrong.
Can we review the redirects?
Ask to see the redirect map before launch.
When should we launch?
When the business can respond to problems, avoiding busy periods.
Who should own the new platform account?
Your business, with provider access.
How long is the site monitored after launch?
Agree a period in the plan.
How much of our time does a migration need?
Content decisions, staging review, testing and approval; name one decision-maker.
Should we tell customers about the migration?
If key journeys change, a short explanation helps; otherwise it may not be needed.
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Ask about Website migration services
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