1. Know why you are moving
Before comparing platforms, write down what your current website makes difficult. Is your team struggling to publish content? Has one landing page outgrown its purpose? Do you need a clearer structure or a different editing workflow?
A migration should solve a specific problem. It does not have to mean changing every page, every URL and your entire brand at once. If your main challenge is content management, start with the CMS structure. If you need a rebuild, define what should stay and what should change.
2. Make an inventory before the redesign
Collect what is already there, including pages that are not linked from the main menu. A simple spreadsheet is enough to start.
- Pages and their current URLs.
- Articles, projects, team profiles and other CMS entries.
- Images, downloadable files and embedded media.
- Forms, confirmation messages and connected tools.
- Language versions and important internal links.
Add a decision beside each item: keep, improve, merge or retire. This gives the project a realistic scope and makes missing content easier to spot before launch.
3. Plan what happens to existing URLs
If a page address changes, decide where visitors using the old address should land. For content with a relevant replacement, prepare a mapping from the old URL to the new one. Avoid treating the homepage as the destination for every old page.
Google’s guide to site moves ↗ explains URL mapping, permanent redirects and the checks needed when addresses change. A page that is being removed without a useful replacement needs a different decision from one that is simply moving.
If /practice/personal-injury becomes /services/personal-injury, record that exact relationship in your redirect plan. This is an illustrative example, not a URL from a client project.
For a Webflow build, use the platform’s redirect documentation ↗ when implementing the agreed map.
4. Structure the CMS before moving all the content
Importing content is easier when you know what each entry should contain. A blog post might need a title, slug, cover image, body, author and category. A project might need a summary, gallery and service relationship.
Test a small sample first. Check headings, image placement, links and optional fields using real content, including longer entries. Once the template works, continue with the wider import. Webflow’s WordPress migration guide ↗ describes the export and import workflow and points to platform limits you should check.
In Hire Warriors, structured CMS content supports a directory. In Mungo Law, connected pages turn a single landing page into a fuller website. The content model should follow the job your site needs to do.
5. Test the visitor journey, not just the homepage
A polished homepage cannot tell you whether a contact form reaches the right inbox. Run through the actions that matter to the business.
- Submit a real test inquiry and confirm delivery.
- Check confirmations, email links and booking destinations.
- Open navigation and dropdowns on small screens.
- Check keyboard access, visible focus and readable contrast.
- Review each language version, including forms and buttons.
If the website is bilingual, include localization in the migration scope from the beginning. Small interface strings deserve the same review as the main page copy.
6. Prepare the launch and keep checking afterwards
Use a launch checklist rather than relying on memory. Confirm redirects, page titles, descriptions, internal links, the sitemap and any settings used to keep the development site out of search results.
After launch, revisit important pages and forms. Monitor broken links, search visibility and incoming inquiries. Google notes that rankings can fluctuate during a significant move while pages are recrawled. A migration plan reduces avoidable issues; it does not guarantee unchanged rankings.
Keep a record of the changes and an agreed way to handle issues. A clear handover is as useful as a careful build.
Before you switch platforms, gather these five things
- Your current website link and access details, shared securely.
- An inventory of content and URLs.
- Your branding direction, copy and image assets.
- A list of forms, integrations and languages.
- The main problems you want the new website to solve.
References and further reading
- Google Search Central: How to move a site ↗
- Webflow: Migrate your site from WordPress to Webflow ↗
- Webflow: Set up redirects ↗
Sources checked on 13 October 2026. Platform interfaces and requirements can change.