Website Replatforming
Website replatforming goes beyond changing your CMS. It involves replacing the broader technology foundation of your website when the existing platform is limiting performance, integrations, scalability or future development.
This may include a new CMS, but can also involve changes to frontend technology, hosting, architecture, integrations and deployment.
At Bright Labs, website replatforming forms part of our broader websites capability. We help organisations assess their current platform, define what needs to change and move to a stronger technical foundation without losing sight of content, users, search performance or day-to-day operations.
Understand what is holding the platform back
Replatforming usually starts because the existing technology has become a constraint. That may be obvious, such as an unsupported platform, poor performance or security concerns. In other cases, the problems appear gradually through difficult integrations, slow development, repeated workarounds or rising maintenance costs.
We review the current environment across areas such as:
- content management
- frontend technology
- website performance
- security
- hosting
- integrations
- technical architecture
- publishing workflows
- user permissions
- accessibility
- SEO
- scalability
- development effort
- vendor dependencies
- ongoing maintenance
The aim is to understand where the real limitations are before deciding what should replace the existing platform.
A new technology stack should solve meaningful business and technical problems rather than simply introduce newer technology.
For some organisations, the right outcome may be a more suitable CMS on a conventional architecture. For others, the requirements may point towards a headless website, a different hosting model or a broader separation between content, frontend applications and business systems.
Choose a platform around future requirements
The replacement platform should be selected around what the organisation needs over the coming years. We consider how internal teams work, what the website needs to integrate with, how much flexibility content editors require and what technical capabilities will be needed as the platform evolves.
Requirements may include:
- multiple websites or brands
- complex publishing workflows
- CRM or ERP integrations
- customer or partner data
- multilingual content
- eCommerce
- advanced search
- personalisation
- marketing automation
- role-based access
- structured content
- APIs
- high traffic volumes
- enterprise security requirements
Bright Labs works across platforms including Craft CMS, WordPress and headless architectures, with the technology selected around the requirements of the project.
For larger organisations, this often overlaps with our enterprise websites work, where governance, integrations and architecture can be as important as the front-end experience.
Plan the transition carefully
Replatforming affects more than technology. Content, URLs, data, integrations, analytics, permissions and publishing workflows may all need to move or change as part of the transition.
A replatforming project may therefore include a CMS migration, but the scope is broader. Alongside moving content, we may also be changing the frontend, integrations, infrastructure or underlying architecture.
Planning can include:
- content migration
- URL mapping
- redirects
- metadata
- structured data
- analytics and tracking
- forms
- integrations
- user accounts
- assets and documents
- search
- third-party services
- hosting and infrastructure
- deployment
- launch sequencing
SEO is particularly important for established websites.
Changes to templates, URLs, internal linking or technical architecture can affect organic visibility if they are not handled carefully. These requirements need to be considered before launch and validated during the transition.
Where content and site structure also need to change, website strategy and information architecture can help determine what should be retained, consolidated or reorganised rather than automatically reproducing the existing site on a new platform.
Create a stronger foundation for ongoing change
The replacement environment should make it easier to improve the website, introduce new functionality and connect with other systems without repeatedly working around limitations in the underlying technology.
Depending on the organisation, the new platform may make it easier to:
- launch new content
- build reusable page types
- introduce new functionality
- integrate additional systems
- improve performance
- support new digital services
- add brands or markets
- improve accessibility
- manage SEO more effectively
- reduce dependence on legacy technology
The technical foundation also needs to remain maintainable. We consider how components are structured, how deployments are managed, how the platform is hosted and monitored and how future development can be carried out without adding unnecessary complexity.
For some organisations, replatforming is a major one-off transition. For others, it establishes the foundation for a longer program of digital transformation.
Either way, the purpose is to replace technology that is limiting the organisation with a platform better equipped to support users, internal teams and future digital requirements.