Multi-Million-Dollar Media Brand Achieves 2.1 Million Monthly Visitors with Chorus to WordPress Migration

About This Old House

This Old House is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a website. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television network and follows remodeling projects of houses over a series of weekly episodes.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has honored This Old House and Ask This Old House with 20 Emmy® Awards and 105 nominations. The latest accolade was received in July 2021, when This Old House won the award for “Outstanding Instructional and How-To Program” at the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards.

With an estimated revenue of over $22M and a team of around 150 employees, the brand continues to resonate with audiences across the world. Its impact is highlighted by mentions in The New York Times, Salon, and The Atlantic. It also continues to capture public attention with recent features on The Today Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Goal

• Improve content management efficiency by transitioning from the sluggish Chorus CMS to the more robust and responsive WordPress platform.
• Simplify content creation, editing, and management with a more intuitive interface, making it easier for the editorial team to work efficiently.
• Enhance SEO management capabilities by adopting WordPress, which offers comprehensive tools for updating and optimizing SEO details.
• Increase flexibility and ease of customization by implementing a platform like WordPress, which allows for quicker and more seamless integration of custom features and changes.

Solution

• Custom Gutenberg blocks were developed to replicate and enhance the functionality of the custom blocks used in Chorus, ensuring a smooth editorial transition.
• Advanced migration tools and custom scripts were employed to seamlessly transfer existing user data to WordPress, with full integration of third-party services.
• A secure video authentication system compatible with WordPress was implemented to protect premium content.
• Custom Gutenberg blocks were created for DIY product listings, allowing for real-time updates via Google Sheets, streamlining content management.
• Google Ads were strategically integrated within the content flow to optimize reader engagement and maximize ad revenue.
• Best practices in WordPress development were applied, including effective caching, optimized image handling, and streamlined code to significantly improve loading times.

Results

• Over 10,000 posts were successfully migrated with all features intact, ensuring a smooth user experience and maintaining SEO rankings.
• The new WordPress website offered a more dynamic, interactive experience, especially with real-time updateable DIY product blocks and improved video content access. Accessibility and UX improvements led to a 25-30% enhancement in user experience.
• The strategic placement of ads resulted in higher ad revenue without detracting from the user experience.
• Post-migration analysis showed a 15-20% improvement in website speed for mobile users, leading to greater reliability, increased user satisfaction, and higher engagement.

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