Dotdigital blog

Switching ESP? Get ready with our one-stop migration checklist

Feeling ready for the challenge ahead but nervous about what you need to move over and how? Don't worry, we've got you covered!

No matter the scale of your business and the volume of data you handle, it’s always best practice to get your tech team involved early on. You can work with them to map out your current data flows and understand a feasible timescale for a smooth and sweet transition.

If you are looking to move to Dotdigital, one of our digital program managers will be in touch to guide you through the onboarding process.

When migrating, you should consider all of these aspects:

Email list(s)

Export your list(s) from your old ESP before they lock you out of your own account! This can be a unique list or separate lists and depends on how you used to manage your subscribers and/or how you’re looking to manage them with your new ESP. This might be a good time to look at your list hygiene; for example, by introducing an email preference center for existing subscribers or using services such as Kickbox.

Suppression list(s)

Don’t forget to migrate all suppressed contacts, the email addresses that hard bounce, and also those who’ve unsubscribed.

Google Analytics

If you use Google Analytics or any other tracking systems, don’t forget to set them up with your new ESP immediately so you’ll be able to compare the performance.

Sending ‘from address’

You probably won’t be able to carry over your current sending ‘from address’, so start thinking of a new one that doesn’t stray too far from the original. Consistency is important, after all.

Dedicated IP

If you are looking to move to a dedicated IP, please consider that the warm-up process will take an average of eight weeks.

IP certification

If you use an IP certification tool such as Return Path, don’t forget to let them know about the move.

Emails and email templates

Export your existing emails and email templates in case you need them for the future; it won’t hurt to save them for reference.

Reports/behavioral data

You’ll want to have access to as much data/as many reports as you can, so export all historical data/reports and store them safely for future reference. Once your existing provider switches you off, you might not have access to these assets ever again.

If you have any sign-up forms, remember to recreate those in your new ESP. Keep an eye on all the data entry points and re-map them in your new provider to ensure everything’s feeding into the correct places.

It’s a similar story with any automations that you have live: take notes of the flows so you can rebuild them easily.

Integrations

It’s essential to know exactly how you currently collect your data and how you expect this to flow to your new system. In this instance, it’s really important that you involve your tech team and your new provider. The sooner you start the conversation the better – you don’t want any unexpected delays or surprises!

If you’re moving over to Dotdigital, check out the ‘Getting started’ section of our Support Portal; it’s full of information on everything from creating an address book to choosing an email template.