Website redesign checklist

Businesses redesign their websites for good reasons: the site looks dated, it is slow, it does not work well on phones, it is hard to update or it simply does not bring in enough leads. A redesign can fix all of these. It can also, if done carelessly, lose search rankings built over years and break the forms that bring in business.

This checklist walks through a redesign in order, from goals to the weeks after launch. It works whether you are moving to a new platform or refreshing the design on the same one. For platform choices, see WordPress vs a custom website.

1. Set goals and measure the current site

Write down what the redesign should achieve, in measurable terms: more enquiries, better conversion on mobile, faster pages, easier updates for the team. Then record where you are today:

• Monthly visitors, leads and conversion rate, by device.
• Top pages by traffic and by leads.
• Search queries and pages that bring organic traffic.
• Page speed scores for key pages.
• Backlinks: which pages other sites link to.

Without this baseline, you cannot tell whether the redesign worked.

2. Audit your content

List every page and decide what happens to it:

• Keep: pages that bring traffic, leads or links. Keep their content and topic, even if the design changes.
• Improve: pages with potential but weak content.
• Merge: several thin pages on the same topic combined into one strong page.
• Remove: pages with no traffic, no links and no purpose. Redirect them to the closest relevant page.

3. Plan the structure

Decide the new navigation and page structure based on what visitors look for and what you want them to do. Group services logically, keep important pages within one or two clicks of the home page and make the next step clear on every page. Sketch key pages as wireframes before design starts, so structure decisions are made before visual ones.

4. Map old URLs to new ones

Create a spreadsheet with every old URL and its new address. Where URLs stay the same, great. Where they change, plan a permanent (301) redirect from old to new. Include pages that are being removed, redirecting each to the most relevant remaining page, not simply to the home page. Also include old URLs that other sites link to, even if they already redirect today.

5. Design for mobile and for action

Most visitors to business sites now arrive on phones. Design mobile layouts first, then expand for larger screens. On every page, make the main action obvious: call, book, request a quote or contact. Use real content in designs rather than placeholder text, so you see how pages actually read.

6. Write and move content

Content is usually the slowest part of a redesign. Start early. Keep what works, rewrite weak pages in plain language and make sure every important page has a clear title, a helpful description and headings that match what people search for. Keep existing page titles and main headings for pages that rank well unless there is a good reason to change them. See SEO basics for new websites.

7. Carry over technical SEO

• Unique page titles and meta descriptions for every page.
• Canonical tags pointing to the preferred version of each page.
• An XML sitemap listing the new URLs.
• Structured data where it applies, such as organization, articles and FAQs.
• Image alt text and descriptive file names.
• Internal links updated to the new URLs, not relying on redirects.

8. Build for speed

A redesign is the best moment to make a site fast. Use modern image formats with proper sizes, limit fonts and scripts, and choose good hosting. Set a speed target for key pages and test against it before launch. See how to improve website speed.

9. Rebuild and test forms

Forms are where leads come from. List every form on the old site, where its submissions go and who receives them. Rebuild each one, test that submissions arrive, check spam protection and confirm that auto-replies and CRM connections work. Test from a phone as well as a desktop.

10. Set up analytics and tracking

Make sure analytics works on the new site from the first minute, with conversions tracked for forms, calls and bookings. Set up consent handling where required. Check that search console access is in place so you can watch search performance and submit the new sitemap.

11. Check accessibility

Good accessibility helps everyone: clear contrast, readable text sizes, keyboard navigation, descriptive links and labels on form fields. It also reduces legal risk in many places and tends to help search. Test key pages with automated tools and by using the site with only a keyboard.

12. Test before launch

• Every page on phone, tablet and desktop.
• Every form, from submission to inbox.
• A sample of redirects, especially top pages.
• Page speed on key pages.
• Broken links across the site.
• Titles, descriptions and structured data.

13. Launch day

1. Launch early in the week with the team available.
2. Switch the site, then immediately test top pages, forms and redirects.
3. Make sure the site is not blocked from search engines. This is a common staging leftover.
4. Submit the new sitemap in search console.
5. Check analytics is recording visits and conversions.

14. The weeks after launch

Watch search console for crawl errors and pages that are not found, and add redirects where needed. Compare traffic, leads and conversion with the baseline weekly. Some ranking movement in the first weeks is normal; steady drops on specific pages usually point to a missing redirect or removed content. Ask a few customers for feedback on the new site.

Easy things to forget

• The favicon and social sharing images.
• Email links, phone links and maps on the contact page.
• Legal pages: privacy policy, cookies and terms.
• The 404 page, with links to popular pages.
• PDFs and downloads linked from other sites.

Who should be involved

A redesign touches marketing, sales and whoever updates the site. Name one decision maker to avoid endless rounds of feedback. Involve sales early, since they know which questions prospects ask. If you work with a partner, agree on who writes content, who approves designs and who owns redirects. See how to choose a development partner.

Budget and timeline

Costs depend on the number of page types, how much content is rewritten, integrations such as CRMs or booking systems and whether you change platform. Leave room in the timeline for content, which usually takes longer than design and build. See pricing and estimates.

Quick checklist

• Goals set and baseline recorded.
• Content audited: keep, improve, merge, remove.
• Every old URL mapped and redirected.
• Mobile-first design with clear actions.
• Technical SEO carried over.
• Speed targets met.
• Forms and tracking tested.
• Launch-day checks done, results watched for weeks.

Keep this checklist with the project plan and tick items off as you go. Most of the traffic and lead losses we see after redesigns come from skipping just one or two of these steps, usually redirects, forms or the search engine block left over from development.