Web content migration—doomed to fail from the start

There is probably no worse strategy for an intranet or public Web site than content migration. Here’s why

Joe the manager picks up a jug. Inside that jug is milk that is curdled, sour and foul smelling. As Joe shakes the jug the solids and water separate and slosh about and the smell rises further, choking the air. Joe has a problem.

How is Joe going to solve this problem?

Here is the traditional Web management solution: Joe decides he needs a new jug. Joe gets a team together to decide what sort of jug is needed. They specify a really cool, all-dancing, all-singing, high-tech portal jug and they go out and spend a lot of money on it.

Then what happens? Another team is assembled to take the old jug and migrate its contents into the new portal jug. Once all the putrefied milk has been drained into the new portal jug there’s high-fives and lattes all around. Job well done, Joe! Project complete.

If you’ve been involved in the Web for a while then the above story will be all too familiar. It is nothing less than shocking how little attention and genuine strategic focus most managers give to their Web sites. Even in 2008, I come across stone age strategies that revolve around buying cool new technology.