Solution · Websites
Website migration to a new platform, domain or hosting
A migration moves a website somewhere new — another content management system, another domain, another server — while everything that visitors and search engines rely on keeps working. Done carefully, visitors notice nothing. Done in a hurry, a company can lose years of search traffic and a working mailbox in one evening.
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In short
In short
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There are three kinds of migration: platform (CMS), domain and hosting. Each has its own risks, and they are safer done one at a time.
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The foundation is an inventory: every URL, every redirect, every integration and every mailbox that depends on the domain.
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Old addresses are redirected to new ones permanently (301), one to one, not all to the home page.
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DNS changes are prepared in advance so that email and subdomains keep working during the switch.
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After cut-over we compare traffic, errors and indexing against the baseline for several weeks.
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Scope
Three kinds of migration
Platform migration
The site moves from one CMS or framework to another: from an outdated system to a maintained one, from a website builder to custom code, or the reverse. The main risks are losing content fields (such as meta descriptions or image alt texts), changing URLs and breaking integrations like forms and payment.
Domain migration
The site moves to a new address — for example from a .com.az to an .az domain, or after a rebrand. This is the riskiest kind for search, because every signal attached to the old domain has to be transferred through redirects. Search Console has a change-of-address tool that should be used.
Hosting migration
The site stays the same but moves to another server or provider. The risk here is downtime and data loss rather than rankings: files, databases, scheduled tasks, SSL certificates and email must all move together.
How the work goes
- Inventory. We crawl the current site and export URLs from analytics and Search Console, including pages with backlinks. We list integrations: forms, payment, CRM, analytics, maps, chat.
- Mapping. Each old URL gets a new destination. Pages without an equivalent are redirected to the closest relevant page, not to the home page.
- Data transfer. Content, images, users, orders and any other data are moved with scripts, not by hand, so the transfer can be repeated right before launch with fresh data.
- Staging checks. The migrated site runs on a closed address. We compare page counts, titles, structured data and forms against the original.
- DNS preparation. Record lifetimes (TTL) are lowered in advance, and mail records are copied exactly, so the switch takes effect quickly and email keeps flowing.
- Cut-over. A short freeze on content changes, a final data sync, the switch, and immediate checks of key pages, forms and payment.
- Monitoring. Crawl errors, indexing, traffic and enquiries are compared with the baseline; redirects that were missed are added.
Common mistakes
- Redirecting all old pages to the home page. Search engines treat this as a soft error and drop the old pages' signals.
- Forgetting images and PDF files, which also get traffic and links.
- Changing DNS without copying MX and other mail records, which breaks company email.
- Leaving the old site running and indexable alongside the new one.
- Launching on a Friday evening with nobody available to fix problems.
More on the mechanics in redirects when changing a website and domain, DNS and email setup.
What we need from you
- Access to the current hosting, CMS, domain registrar and DNS.
- Access to analytics and Search Console.
- A list of integrations and who is responsible for each on your side.
- A window for the switch when a content freeze is acceptable.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to change the domain and the design at the same time?
It is safer not to. If traffic drops after a combined change, it is hard to tell which part caused it. When both are necessary, we sequence them or at least keep URLs as stable as possible.
How long do redirects need to stay in place?
Permanently, if possible. Search engines and old links keep referring to old addresses for years. Removing redirects later is one of the most common ways traffic is lost long after a migration.
Will email stop working when we move hosting?
It should not, if mail is hosted separately and DNS mail records are carried over. If mail is hosted on the same server as the site, it has to be moved as a separate part of the plan.