Website redesign checklist

Confirm you need a redesign (not just a tune-up)

Redesign when structure, messaging, or technology is blocking growth: confusing navigation, weak mobile experience, outdated CMS, pages that cannot support SEO, or a brand that no longer matches what you sell. If the issue is a slow page or a bad form, fix that first—you may not need a full rebuild.

Document current baseline metrics before anyone touches design: form submissions, calls (if tracked), top landing pages, bounce on key pages, and Core Web Vitals where available. Without a baseline, you cannot tell whether the redesign worked.

• Business goal for the redesign in one sentence
• Pages that currently generate leads or revenue
• Known complaints from sales, staff, or customers
• Technical constraints: CMS, hosting, integrations that must stay

Inventory what must be preserved

List URLs that rank or convert. Note blog posts, service pages, PDFs, and landing pages tied to ads. Plan redirects early—URL changes without redirects are one of the most expensive redesign mistakes.

Also preserve brand assets that still work, proven headlines, testimonials with permission, and any compliance language your industry requires. Redesign the experience; do not casually discard trust.

Rebuild information architecture before visuals

Map the new sitemap: homepage, services, about/proof, contact, and any location or resource pages. Decide primary CTAs per template. Align stakeholders on this map before visual design so you are not rearranging rooms after the furniture arrives.

Write or assign content owners for each page. Empty pages at launch—or lorem ipsum that “we’ll fill later”—train both users and search engines that the site is unfinished.

• Approved sitemap and navigation labels
• Page-level purpose and primary CTA
• Content status: exists / needs rewrite / needs new
• Image and proof asset list (projects, team, certifications)

SEO and analytics migration checklist

Create a redirect map from old URLs to new ones. Preserve or thoughtfully update title tags and meta descriptions on important pages. Reinstall analytics, tag manager, call tracking, and conversion events—and verify them in a staging environment.

If you use Google Search Console and Google Business Profile, plan for the cutover week: monitor coverage errors, fix broken links, and update any GBP website URL or menu links that point to retired pages.

Conversion and launch QA

Test every form on mobile and desktop. Confirm thank-you pages, email notifications, spam protection, and CRM destinations. Check click-to-call, hours, service area statements, and schema if you rely on it. Review legal pages (privacy, terms) for accuracy under the new domain structure.

Soft-launch with a small audience or staff checklist before announcing. Keep the old site recoverable until redirects and tracking are verified. After launch, watch Search Console and conversion volume for two to four weeks and fix issues quickly.

• Forms, spam filtering, and notification emails
• Redirects and 404 monitoring
• Analytics and conversion events
• Mobile speed and tap targets on key templates
• Broken links, missing images, and placeholder content sweep