Virtina always gets the best kick out of tackling the most challenging projects typically unimaginable by standard companies. We invariably say yes to projects that competitors reject. We always look for complex, intricate requirements that will leave us with sustainable expertise and experience for our future undertakings. Our latest endeavor was all these and much more.
Executing Content Migration Process from Adobe to WPML for a Global Client
The new client is a Colorado-based American international financial services corporation with a presence in over 200 countries, both UN-registered and otherwise. Their considerable size and global presence, along with the sensitive nature of their financial data, called for extreme caution and discretion on our part. We were all set to take on the new test of our talents.
Catering to Client Needs for Error-free WordPress Data Migration from Adobe Cloud
The client's existing website functioned on an Adobe software-based cloud platform with around 2000 SEO-related and 2000 non-SEO-related pages. The client wished to migrate the content of these pages to a WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML) format. WPML is known for building and running multilingual sites relatively efficiently. It is powerful enough to handle big corporate websites and small blogs alike.
The firm had already completed the migration of the non-SEO-related pages before coming to us. They had tried to migrate the SEO-related pages with minimal errors with the help of other agencies. But the exercise failed when the results only showed 90% accuracy.
Being a global financial conglomerate dealing with extensive monetary transactions, the client needed no less than 97% accuracy in migration—the data loss required to be minimal to preserve their credibility and brand name. We also needed to safeguard all information, links, and formats on the existing website for the same reasons.
Looking to build a customized WordPress website for your eCommerce business that stands out for all good reasons?
The Challenges We Faced to Preserve Accuracy, Data, and Format
The most arduous task was executing the project on the client's cloud platform. We had to work on their server premises due to the sensitive nature of the data. We also had to take into account their high brand value and the type and sheer magnitude of their financial transactions while completing the project. We had to find a way to work on the client's platform and VDI networks to maintain a seamless workflow.
We were called in at the Data Migration Stage of the project, and maintaining the accuracy of the migration process in itself was the next hurdle. We needed to find a way to transfer the data without it being a copy-paste job. The migration must be done from the client's old website, preserving the original format and links while retaining the data and accuracy. We had to plan the process flawlessly, so the client did not lose any valuable information from their pages. The accuracy requirement had to be sustained above 97% while keeping up with all the other parameters. Data loss could be detrimental to the client's reputation and business. Precision was the need of the hour, and we had to be prepared for glitches.
The company has a global presence in over 200 countries. Due to the differences in languages, it was inconceivable to migrate data in one go. We divided the task into batches, with multiple waves of countries assigned according to their priority to the company's business. We dealt with each cluster, called a wave, individually. Wave 0 was our pilot project with a single country. Once we concluded it to the client's satisfaction, the client assigned us the subsequent waves.
The subsequent waves, numbered 1 - 11, had individual clusters of 5, 7, or 9 countries. Most significant countries had multiple pages. Some European countries, like Serbia, Portugal, Russia, Georgia, etc., have numerous local languages and have pages in those languages. We studied each page in detail. The client's content team converted the content on these pages from English to the local languages, and we accomplished the migration without fault. The final wave consisted of118 countries with the least priority regions and had only one or two pages per country.
After finishing Wave 0, we realized that there was a lack of process flow in the migration process. Setting up a structured work system was the next of our obstacles. There had to be a right sync between the client team and ours. We had to devise a suitable process flow to execute the task without problems. We also had to foresee the hitches we might face in the future and make provisions in the plan to accommodate them.
Next, we needed to collaborate with client team members living in different time zones to get tasks executed without trouble. The coordination was a bit of a snag.
Finally, we had to sort out many bugs during the process. The project was massive, so the chances of bugs existing were also high. We needed to sort them out immediately to move on to the project's next step quickly. Keeping the process error-free was one of our ultimate tests.
Managing the Data Migration Process in Waves, Rigorous Q/A Testing, and Teamwork
After successfully completing the pilot wave, we organized a detailed process flow to streamline the project execution. We incorporated the workflow alterations to increase efficiency and ensure submission within deadlines. We had to keep the website structure intact, hence all the more need for the precautions.
We formed a six-member team with four developers (content developers, data scribers, etc.) and a manager overseeing the whole process. An additional developer joined the team by the end of the project to enhance performance. The client team consisted of a content team and a scrum master who coordinated the project.
We conducted daily meetings with the client team handling the project twice daily to resolve issues, discuss the action plan and update progress. We had full-team DSM calls to sort out any concerns that might have arisen in the past 24 hours. Over and above these, we conducted quality-check meetings for performance analysis and status assessment meetings once a week, every Wednesday. We also provided 24/7 client assistance to rule out any chances of complications.
We adopted an Agile migration method and managed the process with the help of the project management JIRA tool. JIRA helps manage operations and also acts as a bug and issue tracker. We created user stories with the completion of each task. Every user story was marked complete as we concluded the migration for each country. We performed preliminary Q/A testing and passed it on to the client team for rechecking the content, URLs, hyperlinks, and links for accuracy.
The bugs found are then flagged off as a ticket in the JIRA tool and assigned to our project head, who fixes the issue and marks the ticket resolved. After the subsequent Q/A testing from our end, the client content team conducts a second round of Q/A before launching the page live.
Looking for high-accuracy data migration from other platforms to WPML format?
Significance of Meticulous Migration for SEO-related Pages
We were finally able to meet the entire set of client requirements to their satisfaction. We migrated the complete data successfully, well within the promised deadline. We started working on the project in December 2021 and wound up the project by July 31st, 2022, well before the time set by the client, which was the first week of September. We were able to keep the data loss to a minimum. The websites started functioning quickly and effectively. The migration provided the client with an easy-to-manage, scalable website with enhanced SEO capabilities.
Accurate Data Migration to WPML Preserving SEO Practices
Working for this client was one of the highlights of our careers. They were the best in their industry, and we successfully met every demand the client had put forward. Achieving above 97% accuracy took work, we admit. But we love a good challenge. It also helped that our experts were masters in WordPress and WooCommerce platforms, which was the cherry on top.
Our team also worked round the clock to learn the ropes and provide the client team with updates and resolutions. We successfully executed the data migration project with almost negligible data loss or format changes. The client was highly content with the bottom line. Our team gained immense experience, and we are well-equipped to take on more such projects.
