Common Challenges of Combining Multiple Enterprise Websites Into a Single Platform.

1. User Experience Consistency

First off, you’ve got the whole user experience issue. These websites are often built for different brands, different audiences, maybe even different countries. Imagine you’ve got a website for corporate clients and another for individual consumers—slamming them together without a plan is a recipe for disaster. Users expect a certain vibe, a certain feel when they visit. If you suddenly go from a tailored experience to a one-size-fits-all solution, you risk alienating the very people you’re trying to impress. People want to feel like the website gets them, not like they’re being funneled through some generic digital maze.

2. Governance and Permissions

Next up is governance. You’ve got multiple teams, each managing their own slice of the website pie. Now, you throw all those folks into a single system and tell them to play nice. Without clear rules—who can do what, who’s in charge of what—things can get out of hand real quick. Before you know it, sensitive content is showing up where it shouldn’t, or someone’s updating pages they’ve got no business messing with. A lack of governance here is like putting a bull in a china shop. You need structure, or things are going to get broken.

3. Overloading a Single CMS

Then there’s the issue of cramming everything into one content management system (CMS). A CMS is like a tool—it’s great when it’s used properly, but overstuff it with too many features, too many content types, too many users, and suddenly it starts groaning under the weight. It gets slow, it crashes, and you’re left wondering why the whole thing’s about as reliable as a house of cards in a windstorm. If your CMS isn’t built to handle the complexity of multiple enterprise sites, you’re in for a world of trouble.

4. Training and Adoption

Oh, and let’s not forget about the people using the system. You’ve got departments who’ve been managing their little corner of the internet for years, and now you’re telling them, "Hey, learn this new CMS." Let me tell you, there’s going to be pushback. If folks don’t understand how to use the new platform or just flat-out refuse to adopt it, your shiny new CMS is going to collect dust while the old way of doing things stubbornly lives on. Training is key here, but even with the best training, you’re going to have growing pains.

5. Security Risks

Now, let’s talk security. By combining all these sites into one system, you’re basically putting all your eggs in one basket. If someone finds a vulnerability in one part of the system, guess what? They’ve got access to everything. It’s like having one key for all the locks in your house—convenient, sure, but risky. You’ve got to be on top of security from day one. Regular audits, tight protocols, and more passwords than you can count—without these, you’re flirting with disaster.

6. Managing Multiple Stakeholders

Finally, there’s the people factor. When you’re dealing with multiple websites, you’re also dealing with multiple stakeholders. And these folks? They’ve all got their own opinions, branding preferences, and priorities. Trying to make everyone happy is like trying to herd cats. You need to find a balance between everyone’s needs, or someone’s going to feel left out in the cold—and that someone could be a key part of the business.

Mitigation Strategies

So, how do you handle this without it all going up in flames? Simple: Plan. Test. Govern.

1. Careful Planning and Phased Rollout: Don’t try to do it all at once. Map out your content, systems, and integrations, then roll them out in phases to avoid overload.
2. Testing and SEO Safeguards: Before you go live, test the heck out of everything. And when you’re merging websites, use 301 redirects to preserve your SEO rankings, so Google doesn’t throw you under the bus.
3. Governance Models: Set clear roles and permissions for content management. Give people the access they need, but nothing more.
4. Flexible CMS Selection: Pick a CMS that’s up to the task. Something like Umbraco or another enterprise-level system that can grow with your business but won’t collapse under the weight of complexity.

There you have it. Merging multiple enterprise sites into one might sound like a headache—and believe me, it is—but with the right game plan, you can pull it off. Just make sure your ducks are in a row before you get started, or you’re gonna have one heck of a mess on your hands.