Remain Software – Migration from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 with Complete Redesign and SEO Retention
Remain Software, a leading technology company, required a dedicated support and maintenance service for their Drupal-based website.
Industry
Software Development
Technology
Drupal
Services
Drupal CMS Migration, Website Redesign, Multilingual Implementation, SEO Retention Strategy, Quality Assurance, Performance Optimization, Agile Project Management
Project Overview
Remain Software, a global provider of enterprise software solutions, was operating on an aging Drupal 7 platform that was approaching its end-of-life. This posed critical challenges not only in terms of security and performance but also in scalability, ease of content management, and compatibility with modern web standards.
The company sought to upgrade its platform to Drupal 9 to leverage improved flexibility, enhanced content workflows, and long-term community support. The project entailed a complete website redesign, ensuring seamless migration of all content and metadata, and implementing multilingual capabilities to cater to their global audience. Additionally, it was vital to retain existing SEO value, preserve all website features, and improve the internal team’s ability to manage content autonomously.
Project Objectives
- Upgrade from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 for improved security, scalability, and long-term support.
- Redesign the website for a modern, mobile-responsive user experience.
- Migrate all content, metadata, and features seamlessly without data loss.
- Enable multilingual support for 7 languages to reach a global audience.
- Preserve SEO rankings through careful URL mapping and metadata retention.
- Improve performance with faster load times and optimized assets.
- Empower internal teams with easier content management tools.
- Ensure smooth delivery using an agile, sprint-based approach.
Project Execution
1. Discovery and Audit Phase
The EbizON team initiated the project with a comprehensive site audit of the existing Drupal 7 website. This included:
- Cataloging all pages and content elements
- Identifying custom functionalities and integrations
- Mapping the website architecture
- Documenting SEO metadata and URL structure
- Noting the multilingual requirements for the 7 supported languages
This analysis laid the foundation for a detailed migration and redesign strategy.
2. Design and Theming
- A mobile-responsive, out-of-the-box Drupal 9 theme was chosen to ensure cross-device compatibility.
- The design was customized to align with Remain Software’s brand guidelines, focusing on enhancing the visual appeal, navigation structure, and content discoverability.
- Key UI/UX updates included improved CTAs, visual hierarchy, layout consistency, and optimized interaction elements.
3. Development
EbizON rebuilt and extended all essential features and integrations using Drupal 9, including:
- Reimplementation of custom modules from Drupal 7
- Integration with third-party systems for login/authentication, video playback, and scheduling
- Development of dynamic components such as language selector, demo scheduling, and user account tools
- Ensured cross-device and multilingual compatibility
- Followed Drupal 9 coding standards for security, scalability, and maintainability
4. Content Migration & Multilingual Implementation
- Migrated all content including pages under:
- Home
- Solutions (5 subpages)
- Products (13 subpages)
- Services & Support (4 subpages)
- Licensing (2 subpages)
- Resources (4 subpages)
- About Us (6 subpages)
- Preserved all metadata, media files, and structured content types.
- Implemented Drupal 9 multilingual modules, enabling seamless translation and content switching across 7 languages.
- Integrated functionality for:
- Watch Video
- Login & Register
- Language Selector
- Schedule a Demo CTA
- Search Functionality in the Header
5. SEO Retention Strategy
Preserving SEO equity during the migration was a top priority. Key measures included:
- Pre-launch SEO audit and metadata migration
- Replicating the URL structure of the existing website
- Configuring 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones to preserve link juice
- Retaining all meta titles, descriptions, alt tags, and page titles
- Conducting post-launch checks to identify and resolve any 404 errors or redirect issues
6. Performance Optimization
- Optimized for fast loading times across both desktop and mobile by compressing assets, optimizing image delivery, and leveraging caching strategies.
- Conducted performance stress tests to evaluate how the site handled high traffic volumes and slower internet connections.
7. Quality Assurance and Testing
Our QA team conducted rigorous testing across various dimensions:
- Functionality Testing: Verified menu behaviors, login flows, form submissions, video playback, language toggles, and CTAs.
- Usability Testing: Ensured intuitive user journeys, clean layout, and easy navigation across all pages and devices.
- Performance Testing: Simulated high user loads and different bandwidth conditions.
- Reliability Testing: Verified fault tolerance and automatic recovery in error scenarios.
- Portability Testing: Ensured smooth performance across multiple browsers and device types.
8. Agile Delivery Approach
- Followed a Scrum-based agile methodology using 2-week sprints.
- Conducted Sprint Planning Meetings to prioritize backlog items and set expectations.
- Maintained a staging website for regular reviews and UAT access by the Remain Software team.
- Incorporated iterative feedback into the next sprint cycle, ensuring alignment throughout.
Results & Feedback
- Successful Migration: All content and functionalities from the Drupal 7 platform were successfully migrated to Drupal 9 without data loss or disruption.
- Redesigned User Interface: The refreshed design improved navigation, readability, and overall engagement across desktop and mobile devices.
- Improved Content Management: Page builder tools enabled Remain Software’s internal teams to create and update content easily, reducing reliance on developers.
- Multilingual Reach: The website now supports 7 languages, expanding the company’s accessibility to international users.
- SEO Retention: There was no dip in organic visibility post-launch, thanks to the carefully executed SEO strategy. All rankings, backlinks, and search engine data were preserved.
- Higher Performance & Reliability: Users experienced faster page loads and seamless interactions, even under high traffic.
- Positive Stakeholder Feedback: Remain Software’s team appreciated the collaborative process, detailed documentation, and on-time delivery. Their internal marketing and content teams reported an improved workflow and better control over the platform.
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