Take Control of Your Website Migration
4 likes799 views
The document outlines key factors to consider during website migration, focusing on four main control knobs: raw heft, distance, quality, and content handling. It emphasizes the importance of content management and culling strategies to optimize the migration process. Overall, it encourages organizations to plan carefully to ensure a successful transition and maintain quality.
Take Control of Your Website Migration
- 1. Take Control of Your Website Migration @jdavidhobbs 10 November 2011
- 2. Your migration control knobs • Raw heft • Distance • Quality • Content handling Most organizations don’t think enough about these controls and run into related issues as surprises @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 2
- 3. Control Knob: Raw Heft 1) Migration is a perfect opportunity to better focus your site and improve quality by dropping content 2) Less weight is easier to migrate @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 3
- 4. Yeah, but how? Main points: • Set weight loss as a goal and track it • Separate out what’s easy from what you want! A couple approaches: • Natural attrition • Rules-based @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 4
- 5. Set goal and track it http://www.flickr.com/photos/migrationhandbook/6289117089/ 900 800 700 600 500 Remaining 400 Complete 300 200 100 0 Rewrite Moving As-is Staying in Dropping place @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 5
- 6. Rules-based culling Define Inventory Confirm Implement Rules @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 6
- 7. Rules-based culling example Define Inventory Confirm Implement Rules For more, see Rethinking the Content Inventory series at bit.ly/rethinkinventory @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 7
- 8. Rules-based culling example Define Inventory Confirm Implement Rules Example rules: If business focus is high, then edit If less than six page views in the last month, then drop If the page is in version 2, then move as-is If the page is in version 1 and more than 100 page views in the last month, then as-is Otherwise, drop @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 8
- 9. Rules-based culling example Define Inventory Confirm Implement Rules @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 9
- 10. Raw heft final thoughts • Don’t yo-yo diet Also see The Web Diet at bit.ly/webdiet • Attempt to cut based on rules • Remember the vision for your project overall when cutting content Impact: More focused site and an easier migration @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 10
- 11. Control Knob: Distance If you already have a base station on the moon, then moving to the next crater might be easy. If you live in a cardboard box, then moving into a condo down the street may be difficult. @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 11
- 12. @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/migrationhandbook/6289099459 12
- 13. Other Distance Decisions • Other distance decisions: – Amount of structural changes to content – IA changes – New content required – New functionality – Number of content types / templates Impact: less planning and transformation required @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 13
- 14. Control Knob: Quality One of the most important knobs you have at your disposal is quality level, and it isn’t just a simple yes / no toggle switch @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 14
- 15. Some Quality Level Questions • What elements that currently are unmanaged will be managed? • How will links within the content be handled? How will redirects happen? • In general, what HTML transformation needs to occur? • How accurate does placement and tagging need to be? • What backend structure should be in place? What default values will be used? @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 15
- 16. Important Quality Tidbits • Even if you go with the incumbent team / tool capabilities, you should ask yourself what level of quality you expect. • Talking about quality early avoids expectation surprises when it’s too late • When reviewing quality expectations, consider who is responsible for attaining that quality level and also who will test that this is done Impact: Better quality as well as improved QA process @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 16
- 17. Control Knob: Content Handling Don’t just consider the movement of content – there are important steps before and after @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 17
- 18. Six Steps of Content Handling • Consider what needs to happen at each step • Look at cost of each step Also see Content Handling Process at bit.ly/contenthandling http://www.flickr.com/photos/migrationhandbook/6289099459/ Impact: Understanding manual effort earlier, reducing effort, and improving quality @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 18
- 19. Avoiding Frankenstein’s Monster • Many orgs wind up with Frankenstein’s monster quickly after launch • Product manage for ongoing quality, and consider the product management process during migration itself @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 19
- 20. You Sit At The Controls! • Raw heft • Distance • Quality • Content handling @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 20
- 21. You Sit At The Controls! • Raw heft • Distance • Quality • Content handling Special Offer for CM Pros: 50% off Website Migration Handbook v2.0 Go to http://migrationhandbook.com/v2 and enter the code cm pros are cool to buy before the handbook is generally available @jdavidhobbs hobbsontech.com 21