About this template
Redesigns and CMS migrations are uniquely risky web projects. You're not starting from scratch — you're replacing a live system that real users depend on. This template is structured to account for the hidden costs that make redesign projects go over budget: content audit and migration, redirect mapping, data transfer, and the careful QA process needed to ensure nothing breaks in the transition. It follows the same 9-group structure as the other web templates but with a specific focus on migration-related tasks.
Perfect for
Web teams planning a platform migration (WordPress to headless, Drupal to modern CMS, etc.), agencies managing redesign projects for clients with existing websites, and in-house teams modernizing legacy web infrastructure.
How to customize it
- Add a Parallel Running Period line item for maintaining both old and new sites during transition
- Include SEO Migration Audit as a line item to preserve search rankings through the transition
- Add User Acceptance Testing (UAT) as a separate QA phase for stakeholder sign-off
- Budget for Post-Launch Monitoring (2-4 weeks) to catch issues early after go-live
What's inside this template
These are the line items the template comes with, organized by stage. Adjust amounts, quantities, and rates to your project.
Discovery & Strategy
- Audit current site
- Migration requirements
Information Architecture / UX
- Restructure sitemap
- Key user flows
Visual Design
- Redesign direction
- Page templates
Content / Copy
- Content mapping
- Rewrite / cleanup
Frontend Development
- Frontend rebuild
- Component QA
CMS / Backend
- CMS rebuild
- Content model migration
Integrations
- Forms / marketing tools
- Analytics migration
QA / Launch
- Redirects
- Launch validation
Project Management
- PM
- Content coordination
FAQ
What are the hidden costs in a CMS migration?
The biggest hidden costs are content migration (reformatting content for a new CMS), redirect mapping (maintaining SEO equity for every URL that changes), data migration (moving structured data between platforms), and the extended QA needed to verify everything works on the new platform.
How long does a typical CMS migration take?
A straightforward CMS migration for a 50-page site typically takes 3-6 months. Complex migrations with custom functionality, large content libraries, or multiple integrations can take 6-12 months. The content migration phase alone can take longer than the actual development.
Will we lose SEO rankings during the migration?
Not if the migration is done properly. The key is comprehensive redirect mapping (every old URL to its new equivalent), preserving meta data and structured markup, and maintaining content quality. Budget for an SEO migration audit as a dedicated line item.
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