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Cloudflare Pages Guide

Decision Guide: Which Sites Should You Migrate?

Not every WordPress site should be migrated to Cloudflare Pages. This guide provides a scoring framework to evaluate which sites are the best candidates, which should wait, and which should stay on WordPress.

Quick Decision Flowchart

Section titled “Quick Decision Flowchart”
graph TD
    A["Does the site need e-commerce<br/>(WooCommerce)?"] -->|YES| B["Stay on WordPress<br/>or move to Shopify"]
    A -->|NO| C["Does the site require<br/>user login/membership?"]
    C -->|YES| D["Stay on WordPress<br/>or evaluate Cloudflare Access"]
    C -->|NO| E["Is the site updated more than<br/>once/day by non-technical staff?"]
    E -->|YES| F["Consider Astro + CMS,<br/>or stay on WordPress"]
    E -->|NO| G["Does the site have > 5 complex<br/>forms with conditional logic?"]
    G -->|YES| H["Evaluate effort.<br/>May still be worth migrating."]
    G -->|NO| I["Is the site primarily<br/>static marketing content?"]
    I -->|YES| J["STRONG CANDIDATE<br/>for migration"]
    I -->|NO| H

    style J fill:#2e7d32,color:#fff,stroke:#1b5e20
    style B fill:#d32f2f,color:#fff,stroke:#b71c1c
    style D fill:#d32f2f,color:#fff,stroke:#b71c1c
    style F fill:#f57f17,color:#fff,stroke:#e65100
    style H fill:#f57f17,color:#fff,stroke:#e65100

Site Scoring Matrix

Section titled “Site Scoring Matrix”

Score each site on a 1-5 scale for each criteria. Sites scoring 30+ are strong migration candidates.

Scoring Sheet

Section titled “Scoring Sheet”
#CriteriaScore (1-5)WeightWeighted Score
1Static content ratio__x3__
2Current hosting cost__x3__
3Plugin count__x2__
4Security incident history__x2__
5Performance issues__x2__
6Update frequency__x1__
7Form complexity__x1__
8Dynamic feature dependency__x1__
9Team readiness__x1__
10Business criticality__x1__
TOTAL__/85

Scoring Definitions

Section titled “Scoring Definitions”

1. Static Content Ratio (weight: x3)

Section titled “1. Static Content Ratio (weight: x3)”

How much of the site is static marketing content vs dynamic functionality?

ScoreDescription
5100% static — brochure site, no dynamic features
490%+ static — 1-2 contact forms, otherwise static
370-90% static — blog, forms, some dynamic widgets
250-70% static — significant dynamic features
1<50% static — e-commerce, membership, web app

2. Current Hosting Cost (weight: x3)

Section titled “2. Current Hosting Cost (weight: x3)”

What is the total monthly cost (hosting + plugins + maintenance)?

ScoreDescription
5>$200/month — premium hosting, many paid plugins
4$100-200/month — managed hosting, several paid plugins
3$50-100/month — shared hosting, some paid plugins
2$20-50/month — cheap hosting, few paid plugins
1<$20/month — minimal cost (less savings to gain)

Score Interpretation

Section titled “Score Interpretation”
Total ScoreRecommendationAction
60-85Ideal candidateMigrate first. Maximum ROI, minimal risk.
45-59Good candidateMigrate in Phase 2. Some challenges to address.
30-44Possible candidateEvaluate trade-offs. May need Astro CMS approach.
15-29Poor candidateKeep on WordPress or evaluate alternatives.
0-14Not suitableStay on WordPress or move to specialized platform.

Site Type Profiles

Section titled “Site Type Profiles”

Example: 5-page medical practice website on managed WordPress hosting

8-16 hrsMigration effort
$1,400+Annual savings
Very LowRisk
  • Brochure site with service pages, about, contact
  • 1 contact form
  • Divi theme with 15 plugins
  • $120/month (hosting + plugins)
  • Updated quarterly
  • Lighthouse score: 55/100
  • No security incidents (but running outdated plugins)

Migration Priority Matrix

Section titled “Migration Priority Matrix”
quadrantChart
    title Migration Priority Matrix
    x-axis Easy Migration --> Hard Migration
    y-axis Low Savings --> High Savings
    quadrant-1 Phase 1 - Best ROI, easy
    quadrant-2 Phase 2 - Good ROI, more work
    quadrant-3 Phase 3 - Low ROI, skip or last
    quadrant-4 Phase 2 - Decent ROI, easy
    Simple brochure sites: [0.2, 0.85]
    Landing pages: [0.15, 0.7]
    Sites with blogs: [0.55, 0.65]
    Multiple forms: [0.6, 0.55]
    Complex integrations: [0.85, 0.7]
    Cheap hosting: [0.25, 0.25]

Phase 1: Easy + High Savings

  • Simple brochure sites
  • Expensive hosting plans
  • Few/no forms
  • Rarely updated

Phase 2: Mixed

  • Sites with blogs
  • Multiple forms
  • Moderate hosting costs
  • Weekly updates

Phase 3: Hard or Low ROI

  • Sites with complex integrations
  • Cheap hosting (less savings)
  • Frequent updates by non-technical staff

Batch Migration Strategy

Section titled “Batch Migration Strategy”

For Large Portfolios (50+ sites)

Section titled “For Large Portfolios (50+ sites)”
Sprint 1 (Week 1-2): 3 Pilot Sites
  • Pick 3 ideal candidates (Score 60+)
  • Different sizes (3-page, 10-page, 20-page)
  • Complete end-to-end migration
  • Document process and timing
  • Measure results
Sprint 2 (Week 3-6): Next 10 Sites
  • Apply lessons from pilot
  • Batch similar sites together
  • Build reusable templates
  • Start training team
Sprint 3-6 (Month 2-4): Next 50-100 Sites
  • Established process
  • Parallel migrations (3-5 at a time)
  • Team fully trained
  • Canceling old hosting as sites migrate
Sprint 7+ (Month 5+): Remaining Sites
  • Routine process
  • AI-assisted migrations
  • Focus on complex sites last

Batch Grouping Strategy

Section titled “Batch Grouping Strategy”

Group sites by similarity for efficiency:

GroupCharacteristicsApproach
Template ASimple brochure (5-10 pages, 1 form)Fastest. Template-based migration.
Template BBrochure + blog (10-30 pages, 2-3 forms)Medium. Need blog migration strategy.
Template CComplex sites (30+ pages, integrations)Custom migration per site.
Template DLanding pages onlyPlaywright capture (Riverside model).

Pre-Migration Audit Checklist

Section titled “Pre-Migration Audit Checklist”

Before migrating any site, answer these questions:

  • Total page count
  • Total blog post count
  • Total media files (images, PDFs, videos)
  • Number of forms and their complexity
  • Third-party embeds (maps, calendars, booking widgets)
  • Custom functionality (search, filtering, calculators)

Red Flags: Don’t Migrate These

Section titled “Red Flags: Don’t Migrate These”
Red FlagWhyAlternative
WooCommerce storeNeeds dynamic cart, checkout, inventoryShopify
Membership siteNeeds user accounts, gated contentKeep WordPress or use dedicated platform
LMS (LearnDash, etc.)Needs course progress, quizzes, certificatesKeep WordPress or use Teachable/Thinkific
Multi-author publishing>5 authors publishing dailyKeep WordPress or use Ghost
HIPAA-compliant formsNeeds encrypted submission handlingSpecialized platform
Complex CRM integrationDeep WordPress/CRM hooksEvaluate case-by-case
Client demands WordPress”I want to edit in WordPress”Keep on WordPress

Example Scoring: Real Portfolio

Section titled “Example Scoring: Real Portfolio”

Here’s how you might score a sample portfolio of 10 sites:

SiteTypeScorePriorityEst. Hours
Dr. Smith Dermatology5-page brochure72Phase 18
Glow Med Spa10-page + blog58Phase 116
Bay Area Plastic Surgery20-page + gallery51Phase 224
Laser Center of CALanding page (PPC)78Phase 14
Dr. Chen Aesthetics15-page + booking44Phase 220
Vitality Wellness8-page brochure68Phase 110
Silicon Valley Derm30-page + patient portal22Skip-
Coastal Beauty Med Spa12-page + 3 forms55Phase 216
Dr. Patel Facial Plastic7-page brochure70Phase 18
Rejuvenate Medical Spa25-page + shop18Skip-
5 sitesPhase 1 (46 hours)
3 sitesPhase 2 (60 hours)
2 sitesSkip (portal + e-commerce)
$12,600+Est. annual savings (8 sites)