The verdict in three sentences
A well-managed website migration costs, in 2026, between 8,000 and 25,000 EUR excl. VAT and takes 4 to 8 weeks, with a 301 redirect plan, an exhaustive URL mapping and post-migration monitoring. A botched migration can lose up to 30 % of organic traffic, recoverable in 2 to 4 months only if redirects are fixed fast. The most critical item is not the design but preserving the SEO equity of the old URLs.
What makes up the migration cost
The budget splits across the upfront audit, mapping, technical implementation and monitoring. Skipping the mapping or the monitoring is the number-one cause of traffic loss.
| Item | Content | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Audit + crawl of existing | URL inventory, backlinks, traffic | 1,000-3,000 EUR |
| URL mapping | Old/new correspondence | 1,500-5,000 EUR |
| 301 redirects | Rules, tests, edge cases | 1,500-4,000 EUR |
| Technical migration | Content, templates, data | 3,000-10,000 EUR |
| Post-migration monitoring | 4-8 weeks monitoring | 1,000-3,000 EUR |
For a medium site (500 to 2,000 URLs), the realistic envelope is 12,000 to 18,000 EUR excl. VAT.
The quantified risk of a botched migration
A migration with no redirect plan sends visitors and Google to 404s, destroying accumulated SEO equity. The shortfall is measured in traffic and revenue.
| Scenario | Traffic lost | Recovery time | Revenue impact (site at 50k visits/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed migration | 0-5 % temporary | 2-4 weeks | Negligible |
| Partial redirects | 10-20 % | 2-3 months | Significant loss |
| No redirects | 25-30 % | 4-6 months | Major loss |
| Undetected broken URLs | 30 %+ | 6 months+ | Critical |
A 20 % traffic loss on a site generating 200,000 EUR/year online is a 40,000 EUR shortfall, far more than the cost of a serious migration.
Mini case study
Thomas, e-marketing manager in Nantes, migrates a 1,400-URL site to a new platform. He invests 15,000 EUR excl. VAT in a managed migration: audit, full mapping, 1,400 tested 301 redirects and 6 weeks of monitoring. Result: 3 % traffic lost in the first week, revenue back to normal within 3 weeks. The alternative scenario (migration with no plan) would have cost up to 25 % of his traffic, i.e. 35,000 EUR in lost yearly revenue. The migration investment paid off by avoiding a loss 2.3 times larger.
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FAQ
Why are 301 redirects so important?
They transfer the SEO equity ("link juice") from old URLs to new ones and avoid 404s. Without them, Google deindexes and traffic drops.
How long does a migration take?
Plan 4 to 8 weeks depending on size: audit and mapping upfront, switch over a quiet weekend, then 4 to 6 weeks of monitoring and fixes.
Can you migrate without losing anything at all?
A slight fluctuation (0-5 %) is normal while Google recrawls. A well-run migration returns to its initial level within 2 to 4 weeks.
Which budget item should never be cut?
The URL mapping and post-migration monitoring. That is where traffic preservation is decided; saving here costs more in lost revenue.
Should content and design be migrated at the same time?
Not advised. Migrate the platform first while preserving URLs, stabilize, then evolve the design. Stacking changes complicates diagnosis if traffic drops.
Let's scope your project. Send us your URL count and target platform; we will price a migration plan with full mapping and 6 weeks of monitoring, from 8,000 EUR excl. VAT. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
