HubSpot Migration Service | Fast, Secure & SEO-Friendly Transition
HubSpot Migration Service: What It Is and Why It Matters
If your business is considering moving from another CRM or CMS to HubSpot, a HubSpot migration service is the strategic move you need. At Mpire Solutions, we deliver this service to clients who want to consolidate data, web content, and marketing automation into a single platform. (You can learn more about our offering here.)
But migration projects are complex, and many organizations underestimate what it takes. As a HubSpot consultant with 15 years’ experience, I’ve guided dozens of migrations—some smooth, some filled with hidden obstacles. In this article, I’ll walk you through what a migration involves, how to plan it, common challenges, and best practices you can use to ensure success.
Understanding HubSpot Migration Service
Types of Migrations
A solid migration engagement can cover several domains:
CRM / data migration — Contacts, companies, deals, activities, custom objects
CMS/website migration — Pages, blog posts, landing pages, templates
Marketing & automation migration — Workflows, email templates, forms, sequences
Integrations & assets — Third-party connectors, media libraries, dashboards
Sometimes clients need CRM migration (for example, moving from Salesforce or Zoho). Others need a full lift-and-shift of website + marketing assets. We scope based on what the client already has and what they want in HubSpot.
What HubSpot itself offers
HubSpot provides a migration service via its Replatforming (or “Migration”) team, which helps recreate website content and styling using its Migrations Base theme or Marketplace themes. HubSpot Knowledge Base+2HubSpot+2 Their internal service typically covers content, pages, and templates (but excludes graphic design, heavy customization, email templates, and database-driven systems). HubSpot Knowledge Base+1
For complex migrations (CRM + marketing assets + deep integrations), clients often engage specialist consultants or partner agencies.
Why Businesses Migrate to HubSpot
Here are some real-world scenarios and motivations:
A marketing manager at a SaaS startup suffers from fragmented tools: email in one system, forms in another, CRM separate. They want everything under one roof for reporting and automation.
A small business using WordPress + external CRM wants to integrate the site, contact data, and marketing workflows in one platform.
A company with legacy CRM and custom automations finds the maintenance burden heavy and wants to rebuild with a modern CRM.
Some benefits that drive these migrations:
Unified data and analytics
Access to built-in SEO, lead capture, and content tools
Better alignment between marketing and sales
Streamlined maintenance and updates
However, migrating also carries risks, especially around data integrity and SEO continuity (as many blog migrations have shown). blog.wurkhouse.com+2mojenta.com+2
The Migration Process — Step by Step
1. Discovery & Audit
Begin with a full audit of your existing system(s): data schemas, objects, asset inventory, website structure, automations, third-party integrations. You need to know:
Which data objects do you have
How many records, how many custom fields
Which workflows and automations are critical
The number of web pages, blog posts, landing pages
Any database-driven logic, membership areas, e-commerce, etc.
You also create a “migration blueprint” that maps existing objects/fields to HubSpot equivalents.
2. Clean & Prepare
Before migration, clean up your data: deduplicate, standardize field formats, and remove obsolete records. This avoids carrying over garbage data.
On the content side, decide which pages or posts need migrating and which can be retired. Prioritize the high-value ones first.
3. Mapping & Building
Set up your HubSpot portal: create custom objects, properties, pipelines, and association logic as needed. Build or select the theme or templates for your site in HubSpot CMS.
Then map everything: fields, relationships, automations. For workflows, often you’ll need to rebuild logic—not just import it.
4. Data Import & Testing
Import core objects (contacts, companies, deals, etc.). Then bring over associated activities: notes, calls, email logs. Run QA checks: record counts, relationships, and sample record inspections.
Simultaneously, migrate pages, blog posts, and landing pages. Apply redirects (301s), maintain URL consistency where possible, and reapply metadata and on-page SEO.
5. Automation Migration
Recreate workflows, sequences, export automation logic, and test them in a sandbox or dev environment. Email templates and forms will need to be configured.
Ensure that dependent automation steps (like list membership, scoring) are recreated correctly.
6. Go Live & Monitor
Once everything is tested, you switch DNS or go-live for the site, enable workflows, and ensure all tracking codes are active. Monitor key metrics: traffic, lead capture, record creation, equal counts vs. legacy.
Prepare a fallback plan if something crashes. Over the first 30–60 days, check for broken pages, incorrect redirects, or data inconsistencies.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
| Pitfall | Real-Life Scenario | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Losing search ranking | A blog gets moved, but URLs are changed without proper redirects, and organic traffic drops. | Maintain URL structure or apply 301 redirects; validate via analytics |
| Incomplete data | Historical call logs or custom activity fields are dropped | Map everything carefully; include custom objects |
| Broken automations | A workflow relies on an obscure legacy field not ported over | Audit every workflow logic line-by-line |
| Unexpected downtime | Clients change website content mid-migration, causing mismatches | Freeze content edits during final migration window |
| Missing integration dependencies | Third-party apps or embedded scripts don’t function post-migration | List all integrations and test them early |
For example, one client of mine had a client support ticketing system embedded in their site. We overlooked it in the audit, so post-migration, many tickets appeared broken until we proactively reimplemented the custom integration.
Another client migrated their blog but failed to reapply image metadata ALT tags and internal linking, causing a drop in SEO traffic. We recovered by re-indexing, fixing tags, and resubmitting the sitemap.
Best Practices & Tips
Migrate in phases — do a test subset first, especially for large sites
Use a freeze window — no content changes in final days
Use consistent naming and schema — keep field names logical and maintainable
Document everything — mapping tables, assumptions, transformations
Run side-by-side testing — compare legacy vs. new systems before cutover
Build fallback or rollback paths — always have a backup plan
Monitor post-launch daily — track traffic, record counts, page errors
By following these practices, you reduce surprises and increase the chance of a smooth transition.
Why Choose an Expert Migration Partner
Even though HubSpot offers internal migrations, many businesses still choose a consultant or agency for these reasons:
They can handle complex CRM + marketing + integrations together
They bring prior knowledge of migration pitfalls and recovery
They can deliver performance audits before/after, training, and change management
They act as your long-term HubSpot advisor
At Mpire Solutions, we’ve delivered many HubSpot migration service engagements, combining domain knowledge and deep platform expertise. Our clients rely on us to not just move their assets, but to optimize them for growth in HubSpot.
FAQs
Q1: What is a HubSpot migration service, and when do I need it?
A HubSpot migration service is a professional engagement to move your data, website, and marketing assets into HubSpot. You need it when your current systems are fragmented or you want to unify marketing, sales, and content operations under HubSpot.
Q2: How long does a HubSpot migration take?
Typical migrations (site + CRM + basic automations) take 2–4 weeks. Complex migrations with deep integration or large content volumes may take several months. (HubSpot’s in-house website migration often estimates 2–4 weeks for standard sites.) HubSpot Knowledge Base+2HubSpot+2
Q3: Does migration hurt my SEO?
It can—if you change URL structure or drop metadata. But with proper 301 redirects, metadata preservation, internal link maintenance, and sitemap submission, you can mitigate SEO loss and recover quickly.
Q4: What data can be migrated to HubSpot?
You can migrate contacts, companies, deals, tasks, emails, notes, calls, custom objects, form submissions, landing pages, blog posts, workflows, templates, and more — provided they map to HubSpot’s schema.
Q5: What are typical challenges in a migration?
Common issues include data inconsistencies, custom integrations breaking, incorrect automation logic, content formatting issues, misapplied redirects, and post-launch errors. A well-structured audit and testing phase helps avoid them.