Data Migration from .NET to WordPress for Online Content Publisher

Before contacting Capital Numbers, the client used to run this website on the .NET framework. However, he soon found that the .NET setup was not offering him the SEO benefits. Unhappy with poor site traffic, the client wanted to migrate all data from the existing .NET framework to WordPress.

He was aiming to make provisions for:

• On-page/off-page SEO activities
• Metadata work
• Hyperlinking
• Tags and titles
• Article listings
• Image optimizations
• Ad placements
• Page redesigns, etc.

In addition, the client also wanted to make the website content more accessible to those who are color blind or low on vision. He was looking for a way to add good contrast ratios to website fonts and colors so that even the visually challenged could consume content without trouble.

Moreover, the existing website had multiple URLs, and ‘mini’ directories merged. So, the client wanted to add a Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication. An SSO would help all users access every independent URL with a single set of credentials.

The volume of work was enormous. So, the client wanted a tech partner who could do the heavy lifting and handle the associated challenges well. Looking at Capital Numbers’ past work, the client sought our help to achieve the goals.

At the onset of the project we clearly defined all the milestones, deliverables and timelines.

Our expert engineers started by analyzing the .NET environment’s source code before planning the migration work. But, while assessing the existing source code, we found that the datasets had vast character-set problems.

For instance, the ISO-based character-set issues in the .NET setup abnormally displayed special characters (e.g., $,%, #, %, etc.) between sentences. It was highly frustrating for the users. So, in place of ISO encoding, we implemented the UTF-8 encoding method to render all characters correctly without letting any special characters pop up.

It took immense brainstorming to properly remove all character-set problems from around 3500+ articles using the UTF-8 encoding method. Although we used custom scripts to automate the encoding work, we depended on six data entry specialists to manually take care of a few tasks.

Once done with the data migration and encoding work, we took care of areas like the Home page, site structures, mega menus, admin areas, etc. Adding the WooCommerce plugin helped us take care of these.

Next, we used the Restrict Content Pro plugin to control who can and cannot view certain content. We integrated it to restrict action hooks and search filters and lock away exclusive content from unpaid users.

As for the frontend, we fine-tuned everything using jQuery, HTML, and CSS codes. Here, we strictly adhered to WCAG 2 guidelines to make content readable to all, even those with visual disabilities.

As per the project’s needs, we added four dashboards for guests, editors, students, and the super admin. While creating the login dashboards, we also worked on Single Sign-On (SSO) to help users sign in with just a single set of usernames and passwords to access all product features. We did a lot of customization around the SSO to ease content accessibility. We added Stripe, as well, to help paid subscribers make recurring payments safely.

In only six months, Capital Numbers completed the project. In around three months, we completed the data migration and UI work. We spent about two months on SSO work and around a month on issue-fixing. The results have benefited the client, who now maintains his new WordPress website at a lower cost.

Here’s more on the successes that the client congratulated us for: