The project focused on migrating 11 high-traffic websites of a global Media & Publishing network from an outdated CMS, Arbotron, to WordPress on the WPVIP platform. With over 245 million unique visitors and 500 million page views monthly across the network, the migration was a high-stakes initiative requiring technical precision and innovation. The key objective was to establish a future-ready platform by leveraging the flexibility and scalability of WordPress. We implemented a WordPress Multisite network to enable centralized management of content and workflows while maintaining unique branding for each site. Over 50,000 posts, along with their associated media, were migrated using custom WP-CLI scripts that ensured data integrity and compatibility with WordPress.
To streamline content & publishing management, we developed a centralized content management system via a custom in-house plugin which enabled managing content from a central site. This enhanced oversight and efficiency in editorial workflows, reducing publishing time. For content design, we developed site-specific themes while using common Gutenberg blocks across all sites, ensuring flexibility and a consistent editorial experience.
Performance optimization was critical, with advanced caching strategies like object and query caching, WordPress VIP’s CDN, and a reverse proxy setup using Fastly. Additionally, For advertising, we built a custom plugin to manage ad codes and scripts in ad slots, simplifying ad placement and enhancing revenue generation.
The project was completed within 12 weeks, achieving zero downtime. We also reverse-engineered and enhanced key features and business logic to eliminate dependencies on the outdated CMS. This comprehensive migration modernized infrastructure, enhanced site performance, and created a future-proof platform ready to support global reach and growth.
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