Acquisition Website Transfer Checklist

Here are the essential steps to guide you through the process:

1. Website Audit and Documentation:
   • Domain registrar details
   • Hosting provider information
   • SSL certificates
   • Content management system (CMS) credentials
   • Third-party integrations (payment gateways, analytics tools, etc.)
   • Inventory management systems
   • Product databases
   • SEO settings and analytics accounts
2. Legal and Policy Considerations:
   • Review the acquisition agreement to understand specific terms related to the website
   • Update any shipping terms and/or shipping rates, privacy policies, warranties, payment (accepted credit cards, paypal, etc.), and terms.
   • Review/Update any active discounts or promotional codes.
   • Transfer ownership of domain names and trademarks associated with the website.
3. Technical Migration:
   • Set up the new hosting environment (if applicable).
   • Migrate website files, databases, and configurations to the new server.
   • Test the website thoroughly after migration to ensure functionality.
   • Update DNS records to point to the new server.
4. Content and Data Transfer:
   • Export and import product data, customer information, and orders.
   • Migrate content (product descriptions, blog posts, images, etc.) to the new platform.
   • Redirect old URLs to new ones (301 redirects) to maintain SEO rankings.
   • Update internal links within the website.
5. User Access and Permissions:
   • Create new user accounts for the Advantus team.
   • Revoke access for previous owners and employees.
   • Set permissions based on roles (administrators, editors, etc.).
6. Testing and Quality Assurance:
   • Test all website functionalities, including checkout, payment processing, and forms.
   • Verify that tracking codes (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc.) are working correctly.
   • Check responsiveness across different devices (desktop, mobile, tablet).
7. SEO Transition:
   • Update meta tags (title, description, keywords) for SEO optimization.
   • Submit updated sitemaps to search engines.
   • Monitor SEO performance during the transition.
8. Marketing and Communication:
   • Notify existing customers about the ownership change (If applicable, this is up to the division).
   • Update social media profiles and email signatures.
   • Communicate any changes in policies, pricing, or services.
9. Security and Backups:
   • Check with IT to confirm if any security software or tools need to be implemented (firewalls, malware scanning, etc.).
10. Launch and Monitoring:
    • Coordinate the official website launch.
    • Monitor website performance, traffic, and user behavior post-launch.
    • Address any issues promptly.