What is Drupal?
Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) used to power everything from small blogs to large enterprise platforms. It offers developers a robust solution with loads of modules and themes to build highly customized sites. Many organizations choose Drupal for its ability to manage complex content structures and handle high traffic.
However, Drupal’s complexity and steep learning curve, combined with the need for technical expertise, makes it less accessible for non-technical users or smaller businesses without dedicated development teams. Maintaining and updating a Drupal site can be expensive and time consuming, especially when upgrading major versions, like migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 which often means rebuilding the site from scratch.
Why Migrate from Drupal to Webflow
- Drupal 7 End of Life (EOL): With Drupal 7 reaching end of life, businesses still running this version are at risk and need to migrate drupal websites to a modern platform. Webflow is a user-friendly, future-proof alternative that removes the need for manual patches and complex code updates, a hassle-free platform for digital growth.
- Ease of Use: Webflow makes content management simple for non-technical users with its drag and drop interface and visual development tools.
- Lower Maintenance: Webflow handles security updates and operational costs, no need for dedicated development teams to maintain the site.
- Faster Deployment: Webflow’s migration process and development tools enables faster site building and deployment, perfect for businesses that need to scale fast.
- Cost Effective: By reducing the need for development expertise and simplifying content management, Webflow is more cost effective than Drupal’s complexity.
- Advanced CMS Features: Webflow’s CMS collections are powerful yet easy to use, making content migration and ongoing management easier than Drupal’s complicated setup.
Migration: Drupal to Webflow
Convert your Drupal site into a powerful Webflow project with this quick migration guide.
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Common Challenges with Drupal to Webflow Migration
- Content Migration: Migrating complex content structures, including custom taxonomies and fields, requires careful planning and expert knowledge to manually migrate content without data loss.
- Data Loss Risks: Without proper export content strategies and mapping, there is a risk of losing metadata and SEO settings during the website migration.
- Simplifying Workflows: Drupal’s advanced user roles and permissions need to be adapted to Webflow’s more straightforward user management system.
- Custom Code and Integrations: Many Drupal sites have custom modules or third party integrations that don’t have direct equivalents in Webflow, so will need to be adjusted by webflow experts.
- SEO Considerations: To maintain high search visibility and SEO rankings you need to configure SEO properly, including meta titles, meta tags, SEO settings and 301 redirects.
How to Migrate from Drupal to Webflow
Migrating from Drupal to Webflow is a manual process that varies in complexity depending on the current site’s structure and content.
1. Audit Your Existing Drupal Site
Do a thorough audit of your drupal site, list all pages, media files, custom modules and content types. This planning helps you know what to migrate and what to leave behind for a smooth transition.
2. Plan Your New Site Structure
Design your new webflow site structure based on the audit. Plan navigation, content hierarchy and page organisation. Set up Webflow CMS collections with custom fields to replicate your Drupal content types for easier content management post-migration.
3. Design Your Website in Webflow
Use Webflow’s design tools to build your new site. You can replicate your Drupal site or refresh it with modern design. Webflow has tools to customise typography, colours, layout and add animations or interactions to increase user engagement.
4. Set up Webflow CMS Collections
Create collections in Webflow CMS that mirror your Drupal content types. Add custom fields to match your content structure so the new site can manage content properly.
5. Manually Migrate Your Content
Since there is no automated tool to migrate from Drupal to Webflow, you need to manually migrate content. Export content from your Drupal website and use Webflow’s CSV import tool for bulk uploads. Carefully map content to the correct fields and verify to avoid data loss.
6. Configure SEO and Integrations
Configure SEO on your new site by adding meta titles, meta tags, image alt text and other SEO optimization elements. Reintegrate marketing tools like Google Analytics, CRM systems and other third party integrations to maintain functionality and track performance.
7. Test Your New Site Thoroughly
Test all features, links and content display on your new webflow site. Verify responsiveness across devices and formatting consistency for a smooth user experience and to protect SEO rankings.
8. Go Live
Point your domain to Webflow and publish your new site. Monitor and gather feedback after launch and make adjustments to improve user engagement and maintain high search visibility.
Let WebbyCrown Migrate Your Drupal to Webflow Migration
Book a call with our webflow experts to find out how we can help you with your drupal to webflow migration and get rid of drupal’s complexity for a more streamlined new site.
