Changing agency website: domain, old pages and data
A redesign should not start by closing the old website. Before cutover, gather access and content your agency controls, then define what will move. This guide offers preparation steps; it does not guarantee preservation of search rankings.
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Take an inventory before changing anything
Identify the domain registrant, management account, expiry date and authorised people. List website hosting and email separately. Changing a website should not be treated as an automatic change to agency email addresses.
Gather usable copy, photos, logos, publication rights and exports. List important pages: services, agency, areas and active properties. Ask what your former contract allows you to retrieve and when, without assuming all code or history will be supplied.
Map old pages to new ones
If page addresses change, map each important old URL to a new page serving the same need. A service page should lead to its equivalent; avoid sending every old address to the homepage.
Google recommends preparing URL mappings and redirects, checking the new website and monitoring the move. Search visibility can fluctuate as the change is processed. Check both French and English versions where they exist.
Scope the data migration precisely
Separate the public catalogue, CRM contacts and private documents. Importing properties does not include rental documents or old correspondence by implication. Define format, fields, volume, access rights and checks for each data set.
For sample properties, compare prices, areas, photos, status and contact after import. Look for duplicates and withdrawn listings. Limit contact migration to necessary, authorised data. Cleansing and complex history need their own scope.
Agree cutover checks
Test the website on mobile, useful links, forms and their destinations. Also check agency email with the people managing it. Keep a rollback option and agree who decides when to switch.
After launch, monitor errors, redirects and enquiries actually received. If you have Search Console, follow pages and searches over comparable periods. A demo screenshot does not replace checks on your domain.
- Domain registrant, access and renewal identified
- Email identified separately from the website
- Authorised content and exports retrieved
- Important old URLs mapped to new pages
- Import checked by totals and samples
- Forms, email and rollback tested
Migration proposed by VITRIMO
The foundation proposes agreed initial migration and a structured import of up to 100 properties. Compatible CRM data migration is reviewed separately from private documents. Extended import, complex cleansing or bespoke connections are detailed in your proposal.
Your domain, content and data remain yours; the platform code remains VITRIMO’s. The planned principle is an export available for 30 days after service ends. Final terms and schedule are confirmed before commitment; paid reservations remain closed.
Sources for technical points
The practical scenarios and VITRIMO scope are original guidance; the linked documentation supports the search and migration principles.