Replatform Your CMS - The Definitive Guide

Replatforming your Content Management System (CMS) refers to the process of migrating from one Content Management System to another. It is a more structural/foundational decision, and differs from a redesign which refers primarily to changes to the visual identity or layout of the site. However, in some instances, a website project may roll a redesign and website replatform into one. Replatforming has become more common in recent years due to a combination of push and pull factors. 

Some context is needed here - this article relates to commercial websites in general but primarily to B2B SaaS/technology startup websites. For this cohort of users, their website is an all-important factor in their success and thus the threshold for eeking out improved performance percentages is a lot lower than is the case for small business sites. In other words, there is little value in replatforming a personal blog, or website for a local service unless the pull factors are material. Whereas for fast-growth technology companies, investing in content, and seeking to generate leads, the need to replatform will likely be greater (and more frequent).

The most common upgrade path is from a Traditional monolithic CMS like WordPress to a Headless CMS [What is a Headless CMS?] like Contento. This in part reflects the journey of B2B SaaS Startup websites and those of scale-ups. As they mature, the teams get bigger, traffic to the site increases, and the inbound marketing engine cranks up a gear. Often they will raise money which helps fund marketing activities but also raises expectations. The key point here is that your choice of CMS is very context-dependent. What was the right decision in your formative years, is no longer likely to represent the best choice as you seek to scale.

What is a Headless CMS?

As referenced above, a popular migration is from traditional legacy systems like WordPress to a new category of CMS, bizarrely called ‘Headless'. The phrase 'Headless' refers to the back-end or content database (or repository) where the website content resides. The front-end and the back-ends are decoupled, so the category of Headless refers to an API lead approach with different blocks/ bricks/services connected together rather than an all-in-one offering. While an all-in-one offering will appeal to a certain cohort of users, the limitations of that approach mean that a Headless CMS route is an increasingly popular approach amongst developers. 

So what are some of the things you need to consider as you embark on this journey?

1- In House Capability

Moving to Headless will need some external support (or at least access to some internal developer resources to set everything up). While it should reduce developer dependencies in the medium term you will need some technical support setting it up. If budget permits, using an external web development agency is advisable.

2- Alignment with Key Benefits

The key benefits of a Headless CMS include blazingly quick sites, scalability, flexibility, portability (reduced vendor lock-in), etc. You need to be sure the drivers for your b2b saas site migration are aligned with these resultant benefits (or if not that the push factors are material).

3- Total Cost of Ownership

Trying to compare Headless CMSs on a cost basis is nigh on impossible as there are so many different factors at play. You also have to decide what time period to view the investment over. It is hard to get an ‘apples to apples’ comparison. WordPress may appear a cheap option, but if you need a developer on a retainer just for maintenance at 2 days/month at $1100/day, then costs are simply moving from software license costs to headcount. When it comes to Headless CMSs, it is important to understand the drivers of cost - some of the market leaders in the Headless space are being accused of ‘price gouging’ as the jump between tiers is significant and the trigger points between tiers can be a little unusual (to say the least). One provider ratchets the price if you hit certain object limits.

4- Security

Headless CMS security is multi-faceted as it covers everything from access credentials to the CMS, to the use of 2FA through to user behavior (password difficulty, the frequency the password is changed, where passwords are stored, etc). Headless CMS vendors typically claim that their security is superior to legacy systems like WordPress due to several reasons; including vulnerabilities associated with the reliance on 3rd party plugins, as well as the reduced attack surface with a Headless architecture, and widespread use of two-factor authentication (2FA).

5- Managing the Migration

Migration from one CMS to another is a fairly significant undertaking. It is recommended that specialist support is sourced especially when it comes to things like Search Engine Optimization. The last thing you want to do is trigger a collapse in site traffic due to poor URL management for example. If you are using an agency to manage the process it is important that traffic is closely monitored (before and after the switch) and that the marketing team is trained on how to use the newly installed Headless CMS. Part of the aim has to be to reduce your developer dependency and the need for freelance developers on retainer. Ideally, you select a dedicated Headless CMS agency to de-risk the process for you where training is baked into the migration price.

6- Measuring Success

Finally, a successful migration is not just about the new blazingly quick beautifully designed Headless deployment ‘on time and budget’. As mentioned above, ensuring there is no traffic loss or negative impact on conversion funnels is also vital. The ability of the marketing team to manage and maintain the site autonomously needs to be factored in also.

The key features of a Headless CMS include:

• Decoupled Front-End and Back-End, where the Headless CMS refers to the ‘content repository’ which can then feed multiple ‘heads’ i.e. websites, mobile applications, billboards, etc

• API-based approach - so it is a case of the content being distributed to the front-end via API

• Uses other 3rd party applications which enables developers to build using their preferred tools and frameworks

• The use of Static Site Generators (SSGs) and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) helps ensure the underlying infrastructure leads to a blazingly fast website.

• It is a highly scalable approach that is well suited for traffic spikes without leading to excessive commensurate cost increases or the risk of the site going down

• A reduced attack surface allied to enterprise-grade security amongst the leading vendors helps ensure your CMS is well protected against hackers.

• The structured content nature of the approach helps support Omnichannel content delivery, reducing content duplication and the related costs of trying to manage multiple content sources.

Contento is a Headless CMS with several differences compared to some of the other leading Headless CMS vendors. While it consists of all the main features you’d expect from a Headless CMS it differs in a few crucial aspects:

• Competitive pricing - a number of our competitors ratchet pricing aggressively. Our pricing is competitive and easy to understand.

• We assume you are using our Headless to manage a website - by making this assumption we can ensure the UI/UX is designed to support this dominant use case rather than letting  you loose with a ‘blank box’

• B2B SaaS and Technology focus - most of our competitors are ‘horizontal offerings’, meaning their CMS is used by a wide range of businesses, industries, and use-cases. Our focus on growing B2B SaaS and technology companies means we can ensure that we build features supporting this primary category

• Intuitive UI/UX - too many Headless CMS solutions meet the needs of developers, without catering adequately for less technical users. Our approach ensures the marketing team is not overwhelmed when logging in and that it is genuinely easy to use for the marketing team - something that is definitely not the case when it comes to many Headless applications.

When it comes to a migration plan, ideally the agency will lead the process and manage it via a project management tool - it is after all a complex process with several moving parts. The following represents a non-exhaustive shortlist of areas to think about.

1- Content Audit

Do you need to retain all pages? Perhaps it is an opportunity to purge legacy content or update content (be that make improvements to metadata or the actual content). You can also consider a more structured content approach when moving to Headless.

2- URL Management

Ideally, you want to ensure all URL’s map across seamlessly. Tools like Screaming Frog can help. You want to avoid the creation of broken links because of how the new URL’s render.

3- Stakeholder Management

The project is likely to impact several departments so ensuring there is good communication to keep all relevant stakeholders up to speed on developments is highly recommended to ensure broader alignment.

4- MetaData and SEO

Again the migration may allow you to improve SEO efforts and review the existing structure. Tools like SEMRush or aHrefs can be used for a pre-migration audit so you can identify pages that can be fixed as part of the migration.

5- Vendor Selection

You’ll need a robust process to select the appropriate Headless CMS, especially given the range of options. The web development agency can also assist here, although some internal assessments should also be made to ensure the recommended solution is a good fit.

6- Integrations and Plugins

If you are migrating off WordPress, there are likely a lot of applications running on the site (alongside Plugins). Again it is opportune to do a full audit on these to ensure that they are still needed in a post-migration world.

7- Backups and Rollback

Before the switch-over, the old site should be backed up and available if any issues arise during the migration. It is also best to do the switch early in the week picking a quiet time based on historic traffic patterns. You also want to avoid a switch on a Friday evening in case any issues happen when the team is off over the weekend.

8- Training

Finally, it is important that the agency deploying the new site trains several members of the marketing team so they can manage the site in-house themselves once it is live.

In summary, a CMS replatforming represents a natural evolution for most growing startups. While it is often rolled up into a project that includes a visual identity upgrade, it doesn’t need to be. There is no doubt the migration project is a major one and brings some short-term pain, however, once the move is made a modern CMS like a Headless CMS should future-proof your website for several years.