Migrating a real estate website can be a daunting task because there are so many things to consider: the look and feel of the new site, the content, the SEO strategy, and how to keep your users happy during and after the transition.
But with careful planning and execution, you can make the process as smooth and painless as possible for everyone involved. Let’s explore the seven tips to help you get started with migrating a real estate website.
Keep your existing website live
This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s important to keep your existing website live and running until the new site is up and ready to go. There are a few reasons for this: first, you don’t want to lose any traffic or ranking that you currently have; second, you can use your existing site as a “staging ground” for the new site, so you can test things out before making them live on the new site; and third, it gives you a fall-back option in case something goes wrong with the new site.
Finally, make sure to redirect all traffic from your old site to the new one, so you don’t lose any visitors during the transition.
Consider the hosting platform
Your next step is to decide which hosting platform you’re going to use for your new site. There are a lot of different options out there, so it’s important to do your research and choose the one that’s right for you. Some things you’ll want to consider are cost, ease of use, features, scalability, and customer support.
On the other hand, it depends on what site you’re migrating from. If you’re moving from a platform like WordPress or Wix, you may want to consider using the same platform for your new site. This will make the migration process much easier since you’re already familiar with the platform and how it works. Of course, you can consider hosting on Amazon’s AWS Cloud platform or using a dedicated server for your new site as well. These hosting solutions can only offer you better performance and more features and security.
Plan your content carefully
Take an inventory of all the content on your current site, and decide what should be migrated over to the new real estate site and what can be left behind. However, not only do you need to decide what content to migrate, but you also need to decide how to migrate it. For example, if you have a blog on your current site, you’ll need to decide whether to migrate the entire blog over to the new site or start from scratch. The same goes for articles, pages, images, and other types of content.
Once you have a plan for your content, it’s important to execute it carefully. Migrating content is a delicate process, and if not done correctly, it can result in lost traffic and ranking.
Update your sitemap and robots.txt files
Once you’ve planned and executed your content migration, the next step is to update your sitemap and robots.txt files. Your sitemap is a file that tells search engines like Google what pages are on your site and how often they’re updated. Your robots.txt file tells search engines which pages they should and shouldn’t index.
Updating these files is important because it ensures that search engines are aware of all the changes you’ve made to your site and helps them crawl and index your new site correctly.
Choosing a (new) domain name
If you’re migrating to a new domain name, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, choose a domain name that’s short, easy to remember, and relevant to your business. You don’t want to make the mistake of choosing a domain name that’s long, difficult to spell, or unrelated to what you do.
Second, make sure the domain name you want is available. You can do this by checking the WHOIS database or using a tool like Domainr. Or you can always purchase a domain name at another domain names registrar of your choice. Once you’ve found an available domain name, you’ll need to register it. You can do this through a registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
Finally, set up DNS for your new domain. DNS (Domain Name System) is what tells the internet where your website is located. You can do this through your registrar or hosting provider.
Test, test, test
After migrating a real estate website and before you launch your new site, it’s important to test everything to make sure that everything is working as it should. This includes testing all the pages and content on your site, as well as all the functionality. For example, if you have a contact form on your site, you’ll want to test it to make sure that it’s sending messages to the correct email address.
It’s also a good idea to test your site on multiple browsers and devices to make sure that it’s displaying correctly. And don’t forget to test your redirects! They tell visitors who try to go to your old site that they should be redirected to your new site.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to set up Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for your new site. These tools will help you track your site’s performance in search engines and troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
Monitor your traffic and analytics
Finally, once you’ve launched your new site, it’s important to monitor your traffic and analytics to see how your new site is performing, as this will help you identify any issues with your new site. For example, if you see a sudden drop in traffic after launching your new site, this could be an indication that something is wrong.
Similarly, if you see a drop in conversion rate or other key metrics, this could also be an indication of an issue. Monitoring your traffic and analytics will help you identify any issues, so you can fix them as quickly as possible.
Migrating a real estate website can be a daunting task, but if you follow these seven tips, you’ll be able to do it smoothly and without any hiccups. Make sure to update your sitemap and robots.txt files, choose a new domain name wisely, test everything thoroughly before launch, and monitor your traffic and analytics once your new site is up and running.
By following these tips, you’ll ensure that your migration goes as smoothly as possible and that you’re able to track the success of your new site.