Migrations: Not just for developers any more

Abstract

Editor's Summary Migrating content between sites is a complex process requiring the carefully timed and coordinated work of a multidisciplinary team. Not just the work of IT specialists, site migration is best handled by developers, a project manager, business analyst, information architect and content strategist working together. Planning starts with a current site inventory and audit, when the content strategist assesses content, types, metadata and functions served. The information architect focuses on site structure, taxonomy, navigation and usability. The taxonomy should be implemented with an eye to serving organization, tagging and templates for author submissions and presentation. The migration process presents an opportunity to update and enhance the site. Best results depend on good decisions made early in the process by information specialists working with others for a site that serves users as well as the sponsor's goals.