Drupal is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS). Many organizations and institutions, from airports to universities, use its open-source platform, which currently powers 6% of the top 10,000 websites.

Drupal’s CMS gives web developers fine-grain control over user permissions, the ability to handle complex queries, advanced configuration management, and a platform that can host large amounts of data storage.

However, not everyone needs the complex capabilities that Drupal offers. While it’s free to use and has a strong community of developers and users, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best CMS for you. That’s where WordPress, another popular open-source CMS, comes in. 

WordPress is considered one of the most user-friendly CMSs. Its intuitive editing experience makes it easy for non-developers to add content. It’s also the most popular CMS by far, used by 62.5% of all websites. Plus, it’s easy and fast to get a WordPress website up and running. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the steps required to smoothly migrate your Drupal website to WordPress. Here’s what we’ll cover: 

• Reasons to migrate from Drupal to WordPress
• Things to consider before a Drupal to WordPress migration
• 4 steps to migrate Drupal to WordPress
• Tips for optimizing your new WordPress website

Let’s begin by reviewing common situations that lead organizations to consider a Drupal to WordPress migration. 

Reasons to migrate from Drupal to WordPress

There are plenty of pros and cons for both Drupal and WordPress, but you might have recently begun to feel that Drupal’s drawbacks outweigh its advantages for your unique website. 

Here are some common reasons why some organizations might want to switch their CMS from Drupal to WordPress:

• Drupal doesn’t have all the capabilities you need.
• Drupal is too confusing to use.
• Drupal costs too much money to maintain.
• WordPress’s editorial process and media management are much easier than Drupal’s.
• WordPress is more user-friendly and doesn’t require as many custom configurations.

Essentially, Drupal tends to work better for more complex web projects and large amounts of data, whereas WordPress is often considered to be more user-friendly out of the box. 

Things to consider before a Drupal to WordPress migration

A Drupal to WordPress migration may require a decent amount of work. If your original Drupal site is more complicated than you thought, you might be looking at a lengthy and budget-pushing migration. So, you shouldn’t jump into the migration process without careful thought and consideration. 

Here are two initial considerations to remember when planning your Drupal to WordPress CMS migration:

Ensure you have appropriate hosting

If the host you use for your Drupal website doesn’t support WordPress installations, you’ll have to switch to a new provider. Here are some hosts that have managed WordPress offerings and support the WordPress community: 

• Pantheon
• WP Engine
• Dreamhost

Assess the complexity of your data

Not every site element will transfer smoothly during the migration process, especially since the code components that make up Drupal sites differ from WordPress sites. This will likely result in more custom code and alterations during the migration. For example, your Drupal site might: 

• Use paragraphs or panels, which you’ll need to convert to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) content in WordPress
• Feature a lot of metadata or redirects, which can make mapping your data more complex
• Require custom functions if you’re migrating your data into WordPress Gutenberg blocks
• Contain many different content or user types, which also have their own fieldsets and will affect your data mapping
• Have relationships between nodes, referencing, and related content, which you’ll need to map on the WordPress site

You might feel confident that you can handle this migration on your own, but it’s recommended to partner with a technology consultant professional for the best results. 

For instance, the Kanopi team features professionals in Drupal and WordPress development who have insight into the best ways to tackle complex data during the migration process. We can also help you determine whether the move from Drupal to WordPress is the best next step for your organization. Our philosophy isn’t that one CMS is better than the other—just that one might have capabilities that better fit your needs.

4 steps to migrate Drupal to WordPress

Every Drupal migration is unique based on the site’s structure, but there are a few standard steps that developers take throughout the process. Even if you’re a marketing professional, it’s helpful to be aware of these steps to understand how the migration process will affect elements like your site’s branding and content. 

Here are the steps that you or a developer will take throughout the migration process: 

1. Map your Drupal data.

Transitioning from Drupal to WordPress requires more than just a copy and paste of a simple title and body field. Given Drupal’s complexity, your site is bound to have some custom elements and fields that need to be pulled over and converted to WordPress.

Before you begin the migration process, you’ll want to map out all of your Drupal data. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Authoring information
• Publishing dates
• Images and attachments
• SEO metadata

As you map out your data, keep in mind that you’ll want to export this on a content-type or user-type basis. This way, you can also import them into your WordPress site using the same method for each type. This is an important step because each content or user type probably also has a different field type.

Then, you’ll use Views and a Views Data Export module to output that content and create an XML, JSON, or CSV file. The type of file you use will depend on what version of Drupal you’re using.

2. Install the WP All Import Pro Plugin.

To prepare for the migration, you’ll also have to take some steps on the WordPress side. Specifically, we recommend downloading the WordPress plugin WP All Import Pro, with the ACF add-on. The add-on allows developers to map fields within Drupal to custom ACF blocks within WordPress.

After you download the WP All Import Pro plugin, you’ll then upload the XML, JSON, or CSV file you created when you mapped your Drupal data. This first step allows you to choose how you want to import your data:

Then, choose the data you want to import. Since you are migrating your whole site, you’ll likely import all of your data. This process can include posts, pages, taxonomies, users, or custom post types added by other themes and plugins.

3. Clean up the data with customized functions and sync media.

WP All Import Pro will process your import file and prepare the data you chose for import. This is the time when you can choose to configure your import data. You might need to write some custom fields to clean up, strip out, or map specific data.

This step will differ depending on your Drupal site and the data you mapped, so the exact nuances you should look for and the custom functions you might create will be unique to your situation. In some cases, you may not have to make any customizations at all (but you likely will). 

Here’s what the data will look like in the WordPress backend:

Additionally, sometimes images, PDFs, or other attachments don’t transfer or fail during the migration. This can lead to broken links, images that don’t load, and website issues.

The MediaSync plugin can help resolve this issue. You can initiate a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to transfer the files that didn’t initially move over to an uploads directory within WordPress. Then, you can use the MediaSync library to sync the data and files to resolve any broken assets. Here’s a look at this plugin in action:

4. Test your new WordPress site. 

Once the migration is completed, test out your WordPress site to ensure everything is functioning properly. Browse your website manually to replicate the user experience and test various elements such as your:

• Forms
• Links
• Content (images, videos, text, and other media)
• Search functionality
• Performance (for example, assess page load times)
• Mobile-responsiveness
• SEO elements (meta descriptions, titles, tags, headers, internal linking, etc.) 
• Accessibility (image alt text, color contrast, keyboard functionality, etc.) 

Testing these elements will allow you to catch errors that might have accidentally carried over or appeared during the migration process. 

Tips for optimizing your new WordPress website

After completing the migration, you can start to optimize your WordPress website to set it up for long-term success. Follow these steps to keep your website in tip-top shape: 

• Run performance tests regularly. Tests like PageSpeed Insights can help you identify elements that may slow down your website. Common reasons for website lag include images that are too large or unnecessarily messy or complex code. Test your site regularly to catch and correct these errors before they negatively affect your site’s usability. 
• Install any necessary plugins. Some of the most useful WordPress plugins include those for SEO, security, or caching. Make sure to carefully vet any potential plugins before using them to ensure that they won’t slow down your site. 
• Set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4). GA4 is the latest generation of Google Analytics. It’s an event-based tracking tool that can help you better understand your website visitors’ behaviors. Set up your GA4 configuration and Google Tag Manager as soon as possible to start tracking traffic on your new WordPress site. 

These steps will help you maintain a strong website foundation, allowing you to easily adapt to any WordPress trends or new innovations as they arise. 

For more information about how to manage your WordPress content effectively, check out Kanopi’s webinar on the subject.

Wrapping up

Even if you feel confident that you can handle the Drupal to WordPress migration on your own, it’s recommended to partner with a technology consultant professional for the best results.

Here at Kanopi, we typically recommend Drupal for clients with complex needs and large amounts of data. If you think you can do without the high-power capabilities of Drupal and would rather opt for something more user-friendly, then WordPress is the right move. But, if you think Drupal will serve your organization better in the long run, our Kanopi team can also assist with any version migrations or updates you need.

Looking for more tips to help determine the best path forward for your website? Start with these additional resources: 

Drupal 7 End of Life: A Guide to Next Steps. If you’re a Drupal 7 user, you might be weighing your options ahead of Drupal 7’s upcoming end-of-life. This guide offers tips to help determine your next steps. 

Drupal vs. WordPress: Which One is Right For You? Choosing between WordPress and Drupal comes down to weighing the pros and cons of your unique website. Assess the primary differences between the platforms with this guide. 

12 Business Benefits of Using WordPress for Enterprise. If your website needs to handle complex enterprise needs, WordPress can be a great fit. Learn about the primary benefits of WordPress for Enterprise.

In North America, language translation on websites isn’t terribly common; most websites are in a single language representative of the large demographic of English speakers. But around the world, there is a much larger demand for website translation, and even within North America, there are regulations that businesses and organizations must follow which require translation options. Canada, for example, requires French in many cases due to its status as an official language. Fun fact: every single Canadian has spent breakfast reading both the English and French sides of the cereal box.

Up until 2019, a common method for adding easy translations to a website was to use the Google Translate Widget. It was easy, free, and automatically translated the page on the fly. But if you follow that link, you’ll notice this widget has been discontinued. But you do have other options!

Where to Get Free Website Translation

Hopefully, your primary website visitors use Chrome, Edge, or Safari as their main browsers. These browsers include native translation and will prompt the user to select their chosen language without any extra effort on your part as the website owner. Google does offer a translation extension that can be used on other browsers, such as Brave or Firefox. This means you do not need to make changes to your site to offer native translation.

At the moment, if your demographic primarily speaks a single language, this is probably the route you want to take, unless you have to meet government regulations due to the nature of your organization and the country you live in. In which case, then you want a more robust solution and a budget to match.

Where to Get Paid Website Translation

If your translation needs are greater, you will be looking at a paid service. And the cost will vary depending on the size of your site, the amount of content, and the service you use. The following are the solutions Kanopi has the most direct experience with.

Cloud Translation API

Google’s recommended alternative to their former Google Translate Widget is their cloud translation service, Cloud Translation API. It’s affordable and supported by both WordPress and Drupal with the appropriate extensions. There are a few plan options to choose from, letting you decide what’s best for your site. While a developer can help integrate this solution into your site, you will also need to create your own account for your company and work with the Cloud Translation API sales team to estimate your monthly costs.

Using a Translation Service and/or Premium Extensions

Short of having employees who can do all your translation, a translation service allows you to submit your source content with language requirements and receive translated copies in return. If you need to alter the content of your pages based on language, for example switching from imperial measurements to metric, this is likely something you want to consider. 

The modules (Drupal) and plugins (WordPress) needed to make this work can help automate some of the actual translation. Yet depending on how many languages are supported, some organizations find they need at least one dedicated role to help manage and review these translation processes.

There’s a huge array of services to choose from, and the right solution will depend on your organization’s needs. Meanwhile, here are the premium extensions Kanopi recommends for adding language translation to your website.

WordPress:

Use WPML with their Automatic Translation. This plugin will also work with various translation services if needed. Cost-wise, you are looking at $99 per year, plus the optional translation service you might use.

Drupal:

TMGT allows you to work with a variety of translation services depending on what Drupal version your site is on. Price will vary with your choice of service.

Lingotek is another integration that Kanopi has used frequently. It’s a combination of an extension and translation service. Price will vary according to your needs.

Get website translation and go global!

If language translation is right for your site, start scouting your translation service options. Start with looking at the Cloud Translation API, then move on to researching the premium plugins if you need something a little more hands-on. And as always, Kanopi would love to hear from you if you’re looking for a développeuse (that’s French for developer).

While many can get by with the help of their passionate team members and volunteer base, often the expertise of a consultant is invaluable.

One of the largest areas of consulting that nonprofits seek is in technology. With the abundance of fundraising software, constituent relationship management (CRM) platforms, content management systems (CMS), and all of their capabilities, it can get overwhelming setting up the best solution and tech strategy for your nonprofit’s unique needs. 

Nonprofit technology consultants can provide a wide range of benefits for your organization, especially if you align your goals and flesh out an actionable plan. However, if you’ve never worked with a consultant before, or you’re considering finding a new one, navigating this relationship and setting realistic expectations can be challenging.

This guide will walk you through the basic offerings of a nonprofit technology consultant, explore the process of hiring the right firm, and share how our own services at Kanopi can help your nonprofit organization.

 Table of Contents

• Nonprofit Technology Consulting: The Basics
• Nonprofit Technology Consulting Services
• Choosing a Nonprofit Technology Consultant
• How Kanopi Can Help

Contact us for a helping hand with your nonprofit technology strategy and boost your web presence today.

Nonprofit Technology Consulting: The Basics

Let’s imagine you are the leader of a growing nonprofit organization. You have a basic system with an online donation tool, CRM, and CMS platform— however, these solutions are not integrated. Your online fundraising has grown in the past year, and while you’re happy about the upsurge of donors, it’s getting harder to organize and manage all of the new data you have. 

While investing in the best tools can certainly make a difference, if you don’t know how to use those tools to drive your mission forward, you’re likely missing out on a couple of key opportunities. 

Nonprofit technology consultants are experts in the software solutions that power an organization’s mission. They work closely with nonprofits to review their operations and develop strategic tech improvements that can boost the organization’s efforts.

Whether your current nonprofit software no longer supports your growing operations or you want to optimize your nonprofit website, turning to a tech consultant can focus your efforts and ensure that the tools you use advance your mission.

Depending on their specialty, nonprofit tech consultants can provide guidance for the following tools:

• Fundraising software like online donation tools, matching gift databases, prospect research tools, and more.
• Event registration software to promote fundraising opportunities, create landing pages, and regulate supporter participation.
• Communication and marketing software like email tools and text messaging tools.
• CRM systems to organize donor profiles, track fundraising metrics, and compile comprehensive reports.
• Volunteer management software to better recruit, retain, and engage volunteers.
• CMS systems to create a beautifully branded nonprofit website and effectively market upcoming opportunities.

Nonprofit Technology Consulting Services

Nonprofit tech consultants can assist with a number of different services. For example, some of the common ones are:

• Technology solution building. When it comes to leading a nonprofit, there are a number of engagements and processes that need to be considered, as well as what tools will facilitate them. Nonprofit tech consultants can be a guide when it comes to building the best solution for the organization. They’ll work closely with the client to gauge the current system and then make a plan for recommendations. 
• Technology strategy development. Once a comprehensive and dependable tech solution is in place, consultants can come in to aid in strategy development. This is best done by working closely with the client and becoming familiar with their unique goals and needs. 
• Research on nonprofit’s goals, audience, and mission. The best consultant for any sector and industry will be one that truly makes the effort to align with their client’s goals, audience, and mission. This way, the suggestions and changes they implement are working towards the common goal(s).
• Web design, development, and support. A nonprofit’s website is the virtual face of their organization. It’s where donors can give online, where supporters can learn about the mission, and volunteers can sign up for events. Nonprofit tech consultants can help fundraising leaders determine the best CMS for their needs, as well as assist in web design, development, and support. 
• Staff augmentation. Sometimes your nonprofit could use the help of extra hands, but can’t necessarily afford to hire new staff. Some nonprofit tech consultants can step in and provide the needed help with their own team, whether it’s in tech development or other support.

Choosing a Nonprofit Technology Consultant

So how do you find the best nonprofit tech consultant for your organization? You might be asking questions like, should the team be local? What type of experience should you look for? How can you find an agency that aligns with your organization’s values and goals?

Well, there’s more to it than just picking the first one on Google search.

In order to find the perfect technology consultant for your nonprofit, here are the common steps you might take:

1. Review your nonprofit needs. 

What are the areas in your tech solution where you need the most help? Is it in data storage or integration? 

Divide your needs into two categories, “immediate” and “long-term”. This can help you prioritize the tasks that you’d want the consultant to tackle first!

2. Meet with your nonprofit’s board and discuss guidelines. 

Of course, the rest of the nonprofit leadership team should be on the same page about hiring outside help and what the help is for. This prevents any confusion or pushback later on.

Additionally, this ensures that your team understands the exact gaps that the nonprofit tech consultant is filling. This helps you and your team better advocate for the type of consulting you’ll need to drive your mission.

From there, consider guidelines for a general budget, a target start date for the consulting service, and a general timeframe for the partnership. Remember, these guidelines are just there to do just that— guide you. It’s important to remain flexible, as not everything can be predicted before the partnership even begins.

3. Compile a list of consultants you might want to work with.

It’s now time to start researching potential nonprofit technology consultants. Here are some of the methods that organizations use to find potential partners:

• Recommendations from colleagues at similar nonprofit organizations
• Online lists or directories of top nonprofit technology consulting firms

From here, consider what is most important to you. If you prefer to meet in-person with a team, then look for an agency that is local. If you know that you need consulting in website development and support, make sure to review the agency’s specialties to see if they align with your goals. 

One of the most important things to consider in your nonprofit tech consultant is their experience. If their client history includes nonprofits and other organizations similar in size and mission to yours, that’s a good indication that they have the necessary skills to help with your own technology solution and strategy.

4. Consider putting out a request for proposal (RFP)

Oftentimes, nonprofits will create a request for proposal for a technology consultant. An RFP’s purpose is to communicate your nonprofit’s exact needs, your mission, the current context of your organization, and any relevant goals when working with a consultant. Asking for a proposal from a potential consultant partner is a great way for you to determine which candidate is best for you.

Your official RFP will be unique to your organization and dependent on a number of factors. However, there are definitely fundamental components that you should include if you want the best results. Make sure your nonprofit’s RFP has:

• An overview of your organization, any relevant history, your mission, and a brief description of your donor base.
• A description of your nonprofit tech needs.
• The guidelines of the partnership, like the general budget and timeframe.
• Expected outcomes for the partnership. You can even include a list of tangible deliverables.
• Any questions or requests to the consultant team for additional information or background history.

Generally, your RFP should summarize your nonprofit’s needs in a concise way, giving the consultant the necessary information to propose a strategy to address them. The more focused your RFP is, the more effective the proposal will be!

Continue your research with our presentation on writing a winning RFP by Allison Manley:

5. Reach out to top candidates.

Next, it’s time to compile a list of top candidates based on your research. Have your team rank their favorite consultants and then compare the rankings. If there are any clear frontrunners, that’s a clear indication of who might be best.

Once you’ve narrowed down your top picks and finalized your RFP, it’s time to reach out to them. This is the perfect time to introduce your organization and provide the consultant with your RFP. Make sure they know how and when to get back in touch.

6. Ask for references and follow up

Hiring a consultant is a lot like hiring staff. You need to make sure this is someone with whom you can build a relationship and work effectively with.

You and your team should review each of the proposals that you receive from your request. Consider all of the points made in the above steps when determining the best technology consultant for your nonprofit.

Don’t be afraid to also ask for references. Having a good idea of their relationship with other clients can inform you if their approach is right for you.

Once you know who you want to work with, make sure to follow up and start discussing the next steps!

Kanopi: Top Nonprofit Technology Consultant

Now more than ever, a nonprofit website is necessary to drive your online fundraising, meaningfully engage with supporters, and push you towards your mission. As a top partner for nonprofits, we at Kanopi Studios have helped develop over 150 active sites thanks to our continuous improvement team.

Website development, maintenance, and support come naturally to us. With our wide range of website services, we aim to work with you to make the most of your organization’s online presence. Even when your site is officially launched, our work is not done. We also provide a full website growth plan to ensure that your site is sustainable for as long as possible.

This website growth plans often includes: 

1. how to increase conversions for your organization using your website;
2. CMS customization based on your unique situation;
3. a three to five-year breathing window (if operating on Drupal.) 

Your own plan will be focused on your nonprofit’s unique technological needs. One of our most attractive draws is our complete approach to web design and continuous improvement. We know that small, incremental changes are more beneficial to your website’s health than large structural and system updates every couple of months.

Kanopi Nonprofit Tech Consulting Services

Our specific technology consulting services for your nonprofit include:

• User-focused approach to strategy, design, and development.
• Continuous improvement approach to website maintenance.
• CMS development for Drupal, WordPress, or Mukurtu users with third-party integrations, key feature development, bug fixes, security patches, and more.
• Extensive research to ensure that Kanopi understands the nonprofit’s goals, missions, and audience, improving your overall website UX.
• Accessibility and compliance consulting to ensure that your website is accessible to people of all abilities and compliant with necessary laws.
• Technical SEO optimization to keep your website high in the rankings for popular keywords.
• Keeping up with relevant privacy laws and legislations, like whether California’s CPAA affects your organization.
• User persona creation based on the research collected to map your supporters’ journeys once they visit your site. This also helps you attract site visitors and guide them to your targeted action.
• Web design and content strategy development to align your website with your mission and your supporters’ needs.
• User testing to ensure that all of the new features and tech strategy work together.
• A full website growth plan to set your website up for success even once the partnership is over.
• Staff augmentation by some of our most talented team members. We can provide extra hands when it comes to design or development tasks.

With our flexible and completely customized approach to tech consulting for your nonprofit, we go above and beyond for our clients. We don’t aim to just be consultants, but extensions of your team to ensure that your nonprofit website and CMS solution are doing all they can for your mission.

All of our team members are experts at what they do, with an average of 11 years of experience for both the Drupal and WordPress platforms. Explore our portfolio of nonprofit clients to see how we work and the great results we’ve helped create.

Contact us to see if our nonprofit technology consulting services meet your needs.