Website Redesign Checklist

Are you considering a website redesign?

Here are checklists to help you. You can also read our Website Redesign Tips.

Website Redesign Checklist

A. Evaluate the Current Website

  1. Assess the need for redesign
  2. Evaluate the website's current functionality and performance
  3. Check if the site looks cluttered or outdated
  4. Analyse website speed and responsiveness
  5. Review imagery and branding alignment
  6. Assess SEO performance

B. Define Redesign Objectives

  1. Identify goals for the redesign
  2. Determine necessary changes
  3. Set a budget
  4. Identify important aspects of the redesign
  5. Set a deadline

C. Planning the Redesign

  1. Ensure consistent branding
  2. Develop an effective content strategy
  3. Ensure quality code
  4. Plan for SEO improvements
  5. Organize site architecture
  6. Integrate social media engagement
  7. Plan for ongoing maintenance

Website Rebuild Checklist

A rebuild involves more than a new look and feel. A website rebuild is necessary when the site's technology is outdated, hindering desired features or performance; there are serious security issues; the current structure or functionality doesn't meet business needs; or significant changes are required that cannot be fulfilled with a mere redesign.

A. Assess the Need for Rebuild

  1. Determine if tweaks or a complete rebuild is necessary
  2. Assess the current website's limitations
  3. Identify new objectives that the current website can't meet

B. Define Rebuild Objectives

  1. Establish goals for the new website
  2. Determine functionalities needed
  3. Define target audience
  4. Set budget
  5. Set a deadline

C. Planning the Rebuild

  1. Select the right platform and technology
  2. Develop a new site architecture
  3. Design new branding elements if needed
  4. Create content strategy
  5. Ensure SEO best practices from the ground up
  6. Plan for mobile responsiveness
  7. Integrate social media and other third-party tools
  8. Plan for regular updates and ongoing maintenance

D. Transition Planning

  1. Prepare for data migration if needed
  2. Ensure proper redirection of old URLs
  3. Test the new site thoroughly before the launch

By following these checklists, you can approach a website redesign or rebuild with clarity and organization, ensuring you cover all the process's essential aspects.

Protecting your existing SEO

Whether you do a Website Redesign or a Website Rebuild, if there are changes in the site architecture, you need to take some steps to protect your existing search engine ranking that we will undertake with you:

  • Copy the live site to a development server
  • Set the website to no follow, no index, so Google does not index the development website.

Review of existing website

  • Diagram the existing structure and content of the website
  • Collect your top-ranking landing pages
  • Do keyword research and document keyword phrases against existing content
  • Highlight content gaps and create a content creation schedule
  • Review site architecture

Implement changes to the new website

  • Set up a new theme and design
  • Create a new homepage and internal templates
  • Create a new structure, including required redirects
  • Update internal links
  • Add new content
  • Optimise images and check alt text
  • Review page speed
  • Check responsive design
  • Testing

Move to Live

  • The new website is copied to live
  • Remove no-index
  • Update new sitemap to Google
  • More testing
  • Track keyword ranking
  • Check the Google Search console for errors
  • Track ranking for several months

If you’re considering a website redesign or rebuild, I would love to help. I offer website redesign services and will undertake the redesign with a view to preserving and improving your SEO.

 

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