Drupal 7 will reach its final end of life (EOL) on January 5, 2025, marking the official conclusion of support and security updates for this version. This means it’s time for site owners to seriously consider their options for keeping their sites secure and up-to-date.
What does that mean for your Drupal 7 site?
While your site won’t immediately experience issues or crash, as time goes by, it will become increasingly vulnerable to security risks and compatibility problems. This makes upgrading essential to protect your site and users. Let’s explore the next steps.
Upgrading from Drupal 7
There is no direct pathway to upgrade from Drupal 7 to the latest versions which will result in functionality being preserved. Instead, a rebuild and migration is required. Though it may sound daunting, this is a perfect opportunity to rethink your website’s structure, optimise the content, and improve the user experience. The chances are that your ageing Drupal 7 site is in need of an uplift.
Choosing your CMS platform
With the need to rebuild, you might consider alternative CMS options to determine what best meets your current and future needs. Website owners will need to review the available options for the next platform. Simpler sites may choose a platform such as WordPress or perhaps a hosted site builder. Sites which have more demanding needs for content management or integrations will still find Drupal a good option. Morpht remains a strong advocate of Drupal in the areas of government, publishing, education and enterprise where these requirements are most commonly found.
Morpht offers two Drupal-based starter site products, Convivial CXP and Convivial for GovCMS, which provide a feature-rich, personalisation-ready, customisable, and accessible starting point for modern site builds. These products enable faster builds while keeping content management and user experience top of mind. Starting a project on one of these builds will smooth the way for development and content migration.
Data migration
Migrating your data from Drupal 7 to a new site can be complex, but Morpht’s data migration services make it manageable. For intricate cases, we utilise custom processors and advanced tools to map, transform, and migrate data, ensuring a seamless transition. The move to a new platform allows for content to be uplifted, simplified and strengthened, providing you with the change to future proof your site, based on your experience of the past.
Information architecture
Building an effective information architecture is essential for a site’s usability and content discovery. Morpht uses Discovery Workshops to identify user personas, priority tasks, and needs, allowing us to structure your site in a way that supports user flows and makes information easy to find.
User experience design
User experience (UX) design considers every element that shapes a user’s interaction with a site, aiming to create both functional and pleasant experiences. Morpht’s UX approach is human-centred, ensuring that user needs are at the forefront. Our UX design process involves several phases, from discovery to prototyping and visual design, creating solutions that are both user-friendly and effective.
Conclusion
The end of life for Drupal 7 is a pivotal moment for site owners still on Drupal 7. While upgrading may seem challenging, it’s also a valuable opportunity to enhance your site’s functionality, user experience, and security. Morpht’s expertise in Drupal rebuilds, information architecture, data migration, and UX design ensures a smooth transition, empowering you to create a modern, high-performing site that meets both user expectations and business goals.
If you are ready to discuss your Drupal 7 upgrade, please contact us.
