If you are still using Drupal 7 to run your business website, you are not alone. More than 50% of Drupal websites continue to be supported by Drupal 7. Drupal 8 introduced a change in the codebase which made switching to it or other higher versions far from being a simple upgrade. The entire website required rebuilding which is primarily why a majority of companies avoided availing Drupal migration services and continued sticking to Drupal 7. This hasn’t changed even today. Those relying on Drupal 7 are extremely delighted about the extension in its lifespan.
However, there are several reasons why you should undertake the taxing journey of migration from Drupal 7 without waiting any longer.
Why You Should Migrate From Drupal 7
1. Drupal 7 won’t get as much attention as higher versions
No doubt, Drupal 7’s end-of-life has been extended but that doesn’t mean it’ll be prioritized over Drupal 8 and other higher versions. What it means for your Drupal 7 business website is that its security and performance will likely be compromised. Only high-risk security issues will be resolved as a priority but those with low to medium risk are likely to be neglected unless they are not mass-exploitable.
Besides, numerous Drupal 7 modules such as Oracle’s AddThis Social Share have already reached the end of their lives. Google Analytics has also declared the end-of-life for one of its supported technologies which means that it is uncertain how long Drupal 7’s version of Google Analytics will continue functioning in fine fettle.
So, it is better to avail Drupal migration services from a reputed company like LN Webworks and migrate from Drupal 7 rather than compromise your site’s performance.
2. Migrating From Drupal 7 may be more time-consuming than you expect
Drupal migration isn’t a piece of cake. In a majority of cases, you have to remodel architecture, rebuild custom modules, rewrite themes, and engage in many other taxing tasks. Given that, you may require more time than you expect to migrate your site from Drupal 7. Even simple sites require around four to eight weeks for effective Drupal migration.
If your site is complex, it is obvious that it’ll take way longer. There are cases where sites possess over 25 gigabytes of data and take around three years for the migration process to complete. This implies that if your site is complex, you cannot keep postponing the migration process till Drupal 7’s end-of-life approaches.
3. Investing in an outdated content management system (CMS) isn’t a good idea
Consistent maintenance is the key to maintaining an up-to-date website and ensuring that everything continues to run smoothly. You need to upgrade your custom Drupal modules, get rid of content redundancies, clean up your libraries, and so on. All this requires you to expend your time as well as money. Making these investments in an outdated content management system such as Drupal 7 isn’t very beneficial.
On the other hand, if you invest the same amount of time and money in availing Drupal migration services, you can reap benefits galore. You’ll get access to cutting-edge site features, security tools, modern designs, and top-notch website performance. To be precise, availing Drupal migration services is a better choice as compared to investing in an outdated CMS.
4. Migrations are simpler beyond Drupal 7
Till Drupal 7, migration was a daunting task due to the lack of backward compatibility between the latest and older versions. Sensing the challenges faced by Drupal developers in ensuring effective migration, Drupal has made migrations simpler beyond Drupal 7. The seamless architectural compatibility between Drupal 8, 9, and 10 has simplified the process of upgrading.
Given that, once you upgrade to a higher version beyond Drupal 7, you’ll bid adieu to the old and complicated migration process forever. So, why not take the leap and avail Drupal migration services to get rid of the daunting migration process for good?
5. Sticking to Drupal 7 means lagging behind your competitors
If you have chosen to stick to Drupal 7, it doesn’t mean that your competitors must have made the same choice too. Some of them might have already migrated to higher versions of the CMS such as Drupal 10.
As higher Drupal versions are loaded with incredible cutting-edge features, by postponing migration from Drupal 7 you may be lagging behind your competitors. To elaborate, given below are some exciting features you will miss by continuing your association with Drupal 7.
a) Better security and performance
The Drupal community works day in and day out to ensure top-notch security of Drupal 9 and higher versions. By migrating from Drupal 7 you can rest assured that your website will be cyber attack-proof.
b) Better and smoother editorial experience
Drupal 9 onward a new layout builder has been introduced that enables you to create customized and flexible pages effortlessly. It is supported by drag-and-drop capabilities which make everything simpler.
Besides, the media module is also available to help make media management hassle-free for you. If you upgrade to Drupal 10, you’ll get access to the latest CKEditor 5 which is loaded with advanced features such as autoformatting.
c) API-first approach
Versions beyond Drupal 8 follow an API-first approach. This gives you the flexibility to integrate with any third-party system of your choice.
d) Support for embedded videos
Higher Drupal versions are supported by Vimeo which enables YouTube integration and allows you to add embedded videos seamlessly.
e) Content accessibility for people with disabilities
Versions beyond Drupal 7 are supported with numerous features that make your content accessible to people with disabilities. Speech-to-text conversion and screen magnification features are some examples.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, availing Drupal migration services to upgrade from Drupal 7 at the earliest is imperative despite the fact that its end-of-life has been extended to January 2025. This is primarily because Drupal 7 won’t get as much attention from the Drupal community in terms of security and performance as the higher versions. Besides, several Drupal 7 modules have already reached their end-of-life which makes it wise to upgrade to Drupal 9 or Drupal 10 as soon as possible.
If you are convinced to upgrade from Drupal 7, availing LN Webworks’ Drupal migration services can be the best choice you make. We have a proficient team of Drupal developers with a history of performing effective Drupal migrations seamlessly. So, without any second thoughts, contact us today.
Author Information
Pankaj Kumar
Co-Founder & Managing DirectorPankaj is a Senior UI/UX specialist with more than ten years of industry experience who focuses on usability, user experience, and user research in his designs. He has worked with small and large teams, including management of LN Webworks Organization.
