livebooks blog

In our previous article we’ve covered the context in which we began migrating our websites from Flash to HTML5. But the website migration process doesn’t have to start from a Flash website. In fact, website migration is a common practice among businesses and individuals who feel that the current status of their website is drawing close to its inevitable end. There’s only so much “spring cleaning” a website can take before it’s time to switch to a better, improved and easy to manage version of it.

For the past two years liveBooks has migrated thousands of websites to our new HTML5 platform. Our dedicated migration team goes above and beyond when it comes to delivering a migrated website. From transferring your content, to revising the final result and following up on the delivery by the support staff, we’re making sure that every migration request is answered with the best results for you and your business.

Preparing for the big step

Moving to a new website platform is similar to changing your place of business, but with the help of a professional moving team that does all the hard work. What we ask from you is your vision and an update on your content.
Before starting the migration process check out our website templates and choose the one that best suits your business’ needs. We have dozens of layouts available for you to pick from. Each one is developed with distinct characteristics in functionality and design.
Once you find the new home for your content, it’s time to go through all the old one and decide what goes and what stays. Clean it up!
Choose which images are way too old to go on the new platform and make sure that the ones you want transferred are properly set up.
Go through your written content and update any texts that need editing.
Check all the links. Some of them might not be working anymore.
Delete empty pages.
We’ll take it from here.

The migration process

As soon as you give us the OK, the migration process begins:

1. We download your content and move it to the template you’ve chosen.
2. We add all existing SEO from your old website. This is a very important step that will ensure your website to be found on any search engine. (Note! If your old site had no SEO, please take a moment write down descriptions and keywords that will help your business grow. Here are some useful tips for you to consider.)
3. We add self canonical URLs for your pages. This step helps search engines index your pages as individual ones, removing any duplicates that might be otherwise wrongly identified and penalized.
4. We create redirects from all of your old links. This means that your visitors that bookmarked your pages or are accessing them from their browsing history will now get redirected to your new and improved website.
5. We make all the design changes you want, if you want them. This is where we put the finishing touches on your new site. It’s where we change colors, fonts or gallery layouts if that’s your vision. All action taken on this step is to assure the delivery of the online extension of your brand as you’ve established it on the market.
6. We revise your website before delivery. This means checking the website works and looks great on all devices: desktop, tablet and mobile. We check all the links and make sure they all work.
7. We deliver your website. Our support team will deliver your website and give you access to your account. This is the perfect time for you to browse through your new content and design editor. Our knowledge base is full of articles to answer any questions you might have.

The perks of liveBooks migration

• More time for you and your business and fewer headaches with your website maintenance
• Your work will be showcased on our modern and elegant liveBooks platform.
• You will have two dozen templates to choose from and the possibility to upgrade to a custom package which allows the integration of custom code to any of your pages.
• Your liveBooks site will be built based on your existing one, with improvements in design, functionality and SEO.
• The liveBooks Image Gallery will contain all your images, properly tagged and organized. This tool is great for all users with a large number of photographs and galleries.
• Get found with the SEO Everything™ feature that makes our existing clients Google superstars.
• Your new site will be optimized for all mobile devices.
• Our award-winning support specialists are ready to take all your questions and requests.
• All liveBooks websites are easy to update.
• The liveBooks migration process is free of charge.

We’ve seen many websites wither away and drag business along with them. The culprits are always the same: either the clients have a hard time accessing their content or they don’t have access at all to their content and updating the website is a difficult chore, or the platform they’ve used is no longer a reliable online standard. For us here at liveBooks, this is unacceptable.

Our theory is this: your business deserves a great website! You should always be able to access your website and update your content easily. You should have a team of support specialists to help you if things get tangled. You should never have to worry about your website.

If you want to migrate your website with our help, please get in touch with us by phone, email or chat with us from our website! We’re happy to help you build a better website for your business.

We’ll leave you with a quick before & after visual tour of one of our many migrated websites.

Before migration:

After migration:

 

Jerry Zolynsky of On Location Photography, professional business imaging, has been a photographer since 1980. He became interested in photography when he won a camera in a poker game! After that, he was hooked. After graduating from Central Michigan University with a degree in journalism with an emphasis on photography, Jerry wanted to expand his photography knowledge. He was hired by one of the largest in house production photo studios in the midwest where he learned studio lighting.

Jerry’s client list includes some European car companies as well as US fortune 500 businesses. He also does photography for local and smaller businesses. He like the challenge of different things to shoot because it “motivates me to learn new techniques.”

Q&A with Jerry Zolynsky

Q1:How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

JZ: The way I would describe my website in three words is…sleek, compelling and contemporary.

Q2 How often do you typically update your website?

JZ: I update my website whenever I feel I have a photo that I feel is strong enough to display. Typically once a month. Out with the old and in with the new.

Q3: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

JZ: Finding photos for my homepage is a twofold process. First I look for photos that I feel reflect the work that I do best and secondly I like to display work that I enjoy photographing most.

Q4: What is your favorite feature of liveBooks?

JZ: My favorite feature of liveBooks is the edit suite. I love the convenience and the layout of it. I also have to mention the tech support. It is so nice to be able to have a one-on-one support session over the phone. It makes a big difference in making the site look the way I want in a timely fashion. In this day and age where a website is the photographer’s portfolio and clients want to see work that pertains to their business right away, I have to be able to get photos displayed quickly. If there is ever an issue I can talk to a real human being instead of writing an email and waiting 24 to 48 hours for a response.

Q5: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

JZ: The one thing I would advise photographers designing their websites is to display your best work. If you don’t feel strongly about the image or you’re on the fence about it…don’t show it. Play-up what you feel are your strengths and what you enjoy photographing most.

Believe in yourself and never give up. When I just started out a friend of mine told me that I would never make a living as a professional photographer. He said it was too competitive and I would never make it. He is still at the same auto parts store he has been working at for the past 25 years. See more from Jerry Zolynsky here.