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Strategy
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The Ultimate Website Redesign Project Plan
We speak with businesses daily who feel their website is outdated, underperforming, and embarrassing.
If your website no longer reflects your business—or worse, is quietly killing your leads—you’re not alone.
It’s frustrating to pour time, money, and effort into driving traffic only to watch visitors bounce like it’s a trampoline park. Whether it’s clunky navigation, confusing messaging, or design that screams “2014 called…”, a bad website isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a growth killer.
The good news? You can fix it.
Developing a solid redesign strategy that aligns with your business goals is crucial when planning a website overhaul to ensure the process is smooth and effective.
This guide will walk you through the strategic updates that actually move the needle—no fluff, no jargon, just clear steps and actionable advice to turn your website from a liability into your top-performing sales rep.
PS. This article is written assuming you already know what a website redesign is, why it's important, and that your team is bought into doing one. If that's not the case, we recommend taking a quick pause to read the following articles:
- Website Refresh vs Redesign: What's the right choice?
- In-house vs Agency: Which is the right fit for your redesign?
- How to Get Leadership Onboard for a Redesign
Section 1
The 7 Essential Elements of an Effective Web Design
After building hundreds of websites across dozens of industries, we’ve noticed something: the most effective ones all have the same seven ingredients.
Nail these, and you're already ahead of the game. Miss them, and your redesign risks falling flat.
Let’s break it down.
1. Clear Messaging
What do you do? Who is your business for? What products and services do you offer? What’s the benefit/result you get people? Your messaging should answer those questions at a glance for your target audience.
Your target customer should be able to land on your home page and immediately know what you do and whether they are or aren’t the perfect fit for your brand.
Remember: your new site is supposed to convert website visitors into customers. Your messaging can make or break that goal.
…this means you should invest in a digital marketer or copywriter to help you nail your messaging. This is one of the most important changes you’ll make during your website redesign. Don’t skip it.
2. Structure
A website with a good site structure is easy to navigate.
Put yourself in your visitor’s shoes: if you were landing on your site for the first time, would you want to stay? Click around? Read a blog?
Your site structure should encourage people to view your pages and click “Contact Us”
If your traffic numbers are high but you aren’t converting them to leads, your websites structure could be the problem.
3. A Unique Visual identity
It’s easy for most of us to spot bad website design. Great website design does more than look good-it also tells your prospective customers about you.
User experience is paramount to your success.
If your web site is difficult to navigate, confusing, or disorganized, then that’s how you’ll appear to potential customers: difficult, confusing, and disorganized.
(Probably not what you’re aiming for.)
Here’s an example:
Your site’s design gives prospective customers a key insight into your brand personality.
…What’s a brand personality?
Your brand personality is your ‘it’ factor. It’s the thing that will tell someone, with no more than a glance, that your brand is a fit for them.
It’s kind of like your messaging…except it’s visual instead of verbal.
Check out this website redesign we did for a client-we focused on clarifying their brand personality to appeal to their target market.
Spoiler: Their sales tripled.
4. Clearly Defined Funnels
A funnel is a sequence of steps designed to turn a prospect into a customer. Funnels are the reason many online businesses work today.
Funnels rely on strategic messaging and customer touchpoints. A typical funnel looks like this:
Funnels remove a lot of uncertainty from your business.
For example, say that 1 in 10 people in your funnel makes a purchase of about $50. If it costs $2 to get 1 person in your funnel…that’s a $30 profit for every $20 you spend. We’d do that all day.
You can (and should) automate your entire funnel. Once someone finds you from your website content or your ads, you don’t need to make any more manual actions. That liberates a lot of time to focus on your business.
If you don’t already have any funnels-or if this talk of funnels makes your head spin-check out this post we think does a good job of explaining funnels.
5. Trust Signals
You have to earn your customers’ trust before they’ll buy from you. A strong design makes you look legitimate, but there’s more to it.
You need third-party validation as well. This can take a ton of different forms, such as...
- Awards
- Case Studies
- Customer Logos
- Original Research
- Press Logos
- Video Testimonials
- Written Testimonials
...to name a few
Protip: On average, visitors who react with third-party proof convert 58% more often than those who don't.
6. A Call To Action
A call to action tells visitors exactly what you want them to do next. CTAS like...
- Book A Strategy Session
- Download The Free Blueprint
- Join Our Newsletter
Drive visitors to an action that either turns them into a lead or helps get them closer to becoming one.
Using these strategically can increase the website's overall conversion rate and generate better quality opportunities.
7. Great Performance
You can have the best-looking website that aligns perfectly with your target customer and still struggle if you don't control your website's page speed.
According to Google, 53% of visitors will abandon a website if it takes 3 or more seconds to load.
In most cases, accomplishing this is not rocket science, but it's imperative to ensure that code is minified, images are compressed, and video is used sparingly.
Section 2
Website Redesign Mistakes to avoid at all costs
Here's the harsh truth: The biggest reason a website redesign doesn’t take off is because of poor planning.
In this section, you’ll learn the 3 biggest reasons behind redesign failure…and how you can avoid them throughout the website redesign process with a strong project plan.
Mistake #1: Focusing on Technology before Website Strategy
Your website exists to grow your business. Every choice you make should serve that goal.
We get a lot of questions from business owners who ask about the tech before they’ve considered their business goals. It’s absolutely the wrong approach for determining your current website needs.
Don’t start your process worrying about WordPress vs. Webflow vs. Hubspot.
Instead, focus on things like:
- What is this new website’s purpose?
- How can a redesigned website accelerate my business’s growth?
- How can we (the people at your organization) ensure the website stays successful?
Business goals and website strategy come first.
Then pick the best tech for the job.
Warning: If you talk to a company about a website redesign and they don’t focus on your business and project goals in the early conversations, run far, far away. It’s the most important part of your website redesign project plan – it can’t be marginalized.
Mistake #2: Vague Project Goals
A goal is a measurable outcome that defines success.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to approach a redesign with vague goals like “I want my site to look better” or “I want to get more leads”.
Those are fine goals to work towards…
But you need to examine what they mean and how you can measure them.
For example, when you say “I want my new website design to look better,” you mean:
- I want my brand to look appealing.
- I want my brand to be recognizable.
- I want to give my customers a positive experience.
Distilling your goal’s true meaning will tell you exactly what to measure.
Vague (weak) vs. Specific (strong) Goals
You have no way to measure your website redesign’s success if you lack clear business goals and your website redesign project plan won’t be effective.
Mistake #3: Inadequate Budget
If you're a mid-sized B2B company with a total budget of less than $50,000, you’re setting yourself up for a disappointing end result.
Why so much? Think about the costs associated with each of these services for a website redesign:
- Strategy
- Mobile-Friendly Design
- Full-stack Web Development
- A Content Management System
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Licenses
- Copywriting
- Visual asset creation
- Project management
- QA (quality assurance)
- Photography (spaces, models, props, editing, etc.)
- Video production
It’s rare to find a single agency that has all the expertise you need. Most of the time, you’ll need to find a few different partners.
If your budget is too low, you’ll make costly mistakes.
You’ll hire someone who isn’t the best fit for your brand…or you’ll run out of money and cut corners.
It might seem like you sank a lot of money into something you don’t want.
…You see how easy it is to land in that 75% of business owners who are unhappy with their redesign.
Protip: Here's an article on website redesign costs if you want a deeper dive. Check out our website cost calculator if you want an estimate tailored specifically to your needs.
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
Chapter 3
Build a Realistic Project Plan (With Flex Time Built In)
Your Ideal Timeline vs. Reality
We get it—you want it launched yesterday. But a great website isn’t an off-the-shelf product. When your site’s falling behind on functionality or feels like it’s stuck in a time warp, a full redesign isn’t just nice to have—it’s a must. A great redesign isn’t about following trends for the sake of it—it’s custom-built to solve real problems and set your business up for long-term success.
A full redesign involves significant changes to the site's structure and functionality.
Doing that right takes time. And it’s worth every second.
A typical website redesign—from kickoff to launch—usually takes 3 to 6 months. The timeline depends on how complex things get, how fast approvals come through, and how available your team is.
Rushing it is how corners get cut—and how you end up redoing it all a year later.
Smart planning builds in time for strategy, collaboration, and, let’s be honest—life happening. Manage the process right, and you’ll get a site that’s worth the wait.
Who Does What, When
Website projects move fastest when everyone knows their role.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
Internal Team Responsibilities:
- Marketing: Messaging, goals, internal coordination
- Sales/Product: Input on content accuracy and user journeys
- Leadership: Approvals and strategic direction
- IT (if needed): Hosting, compliance, CMS support
External Partner Responsibilities (that’s us):
- Strategy
- Design
- Development
- QA and launch
The handoff points between your team and ours? That’s where clarity matters most. (And where things often stall.)
The Bottlenecks No One Tells You About
Here’s what tends to throw timelines off course—and how to plan for it:
- Content delays: Someone’s gotta write it (or approve it), and that someone is usually swamped.
- Legal reviews: Surprise! That footer language you copy-pasted might need sign-off from three departments.
- Executive approvals: Nothing slows a sprint like a VP going dark for two weeks.
The fix? Identify potential slowdowns early and build in “flex time.” Think of it as padding, not procrastination. It keeps momentum going even when life (and inboxes) get in the way.
Section 4
Set Goals That Actually Mean Something
When you’re redesigning your website, flying blind isn’t an option. You need clear goals that keep everyone on track and give you something real to measure success against—like boosting traffic or lowering bounce rates (because, let’s face it, nobody likes watching visitors bounce).
Creating a comprehensive website redesign plan that outlines specific goals and measurable outcomes is crucial. This plan should ensure that the new website aligns with business objectives and enhances user experience.
But don’t just set generic goals from a list on Google. Make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (yep, SMART goals). These should tie directly to what your business needs and what your audience cares about. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about ticking boxes—it’s about making sure your website works harder for your business.
When your redesign is tied directly to your big-picture goals, every decision has a purpose—and your new site becomes a tool that gets real results, not just a fresh coat of paint.
Establishing Your Business Goals
Knowing your business goals lets you set expectations for your website redesign project plan.
A redesign should do more than make your site look better-it should help grow your business and make your entire operation more efficient.
It will take a team effort to ensure you align around the right goals. Make sure key members of the executive team are included in these conversations up-front, otherwise, you open yourself up to last minute headaches down the line.
At the end of it, you should have goals like...
Defining Your Marketing Goals
Your website should be your marketing team's biggest asset (even if it's not currently).
Think about goals that aren't just vanity metrics, but goals that could really add considerable value to the bottom line.
Goals like…
Again, the objective here isn't to just have a website that looks nice, we want a true marketing and business asset.
Solidifying Your Technology Goals
A redesign is the opportunity to get an entirely new site, not just a facelift.
And while in a previous section we encouraged you to avoid starting with the tech, it's time we focus on it for a bit.
Your goal should be technology that enables your company to succeed.
…that means changing any of the tech problems on the backend that make you want to pull your hair out.
(And we know you have a few in mind.)
Some of our clients’ technology goals…
If you’re struggling to come up with some ideas, think about all the marketing you want to do but haven’t done because of technical restrictions.
(Like setting up conversion events and tracking snippets. Or creating landing pages for lead generation campaigns.)
Now is the time to set those up.
Aligning Your Goals
Now you have some goals-great! But a smörgåsbord of unrelated objectives means your redesign might feel like it’s being run by a multitasking alien with one too many tentacles.
In other words: stuff is bound to get messy if your objectives aren’t aligned.
Your goals should flow into each other.
Business Goals → Marketing Goals → Technology Goals
Here's an example:
Technology
I want to create + customize user-friendly landing pages with ease.
Marketing
I want to increase the conversion rate from Google Ads by 25%.
Business
I want to expand my customer base by 13% year-over-year
Last (But not least) Make Them S.M.A.R.T.
Before you touch a single pixel, you need clarity on what success looks like. That’s where S.M.A.R.T. goals come in—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
They’re the difference between “I want more conversions” and “I want to increase strategy call requests by 20% in the next 3 months.”
See the difference?
Your redesign should align with goals you can track.
Not guesses. Not gut feelings.
Real data—like click-through rates, time on site, or form submissions—that give you a clear signal on what’s working (and what’s not).
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
Section 5
Analyze the Current Website & Your Ideal Customer
The Numbers Behind Your Website’s Performance
In our previous section we set the stage for what we want to accomplish which is great. Now, we need to figure out where we currently stand.
You’ve got to understand your website's metrics to pinpoint what needs fixing.
Start by benchmarking these items:
- Total website traffic
- Total organic traffic
- Average pages visited by a new visitor
- Average pages visited by a returning visitor
- Conversion rate % on all form submissions
- Conversion rate volume on all form submissions
- Volume of leads by traffic source
Metrics like traffic, engagement, conversions, and search rankings tell you where you’re crushing it—and where you’re falling flat. Tools like Google Analytics are your go-to for these insights, but numbers only tell part of the story.
Talk to the sales team
A website redesign isn't "a marketing team only problem". What starts on the website eventually makes its way back to the sales team.
Here are some things we should be focused on:
- What % of marketing qualified leads are sales qualified leads?
- How long, on average, does it take to close a website generated lead?
- What's the average deal value of a website generated lead?
Expanding on our insights
By now you should have a benchmark of key data as it relates to your website visitors. That's great!
But data alone isn't going to get us where we need to be. We need to take a few more steps first.
Interview your customer
Seems obvious, right?
You'd be shocked how many companies skip this step.
This, in our opinion, is the most important part of the foundational strategy you lay for your website redesign.
Do. not. skip. this. step.
Depending on the size and sophistication of your business, there are two main ways you can approach this process.
A form based survey
Let's quickly breakdown the pro's and con's of using a survey.
Pros
- Can gather a lot of insights fast
- Easy to distribute at scale
- Lots of low/no-code options to make creating the survey easy
- Can easily generate quantitative data
Cons
- Motivation to fill out a survey is generally low
- In turn, depth of response may be lower because people don't want to invest a ton of time in the survey responses
- You lose qualitative data and nuance
For our customers, we typically recommend a survey if they have hundreds of customers that need to be interviewed and they sell a relatively low-price, straight forward product or service.
1 to 1 Customer Interviews
Let's quickly breakdown the pro's and con's of a customer interview.
Pros
- Can go in-depth and gain a lot of qualitative data
- Creates an excuse for more face time with your customers
Cons
- More time intensive
- Harder to scale
- Harder to draw quantitative data from
For our customers, we typically recommend 1 to 1 interviews if they have a smaller customer base, or sell a higher price, more complex product or service.
We also recommend that they limit these interviews to those they perceive as their best fit customers.
Protip: Not sure what to ask your customer? Download our Website Redesign Blueprint for starter questions you can include in either a questionnaire or 1 on 1 interviews.
Making use of your customer insights
With the customer interviews complete you should now have a ton of amazing first hand insights at your disposal.
Take a step back and review the survey responses or conversations, and pay close attention to:
- What are the biggest common challenges customers are facing
- What are the biggest common ways customers communicated your success in the business relationship
- What are the biggest common ways customers communicated concerns or negative feedback in the business relationship
This should become your building blocks for messaging and positioning.
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
Section 6
Define Your Ideal Customer
Create your customer persona
If you want your sales and marketing efforts to actually work, you need to know exactly who you’re talking to. That’s where defining your ideal customer persona comes in.
Demographics: The Basics That Still Matter
Think of this as the framework. Before you build anything else, answer:
- What industries do they work in?
- How big are they (employees, revenue)?
- Where are they located?
- Are they commercial, residential, government, or a mix?
Why this matters: Not every job is a good fit. If you’re an industrial manufacturer, a 5-person landscaping crew probably isn’t your target. The more specific, the better your outreach, messaging, and close rate.
Trigger Events: What Gets Them Searching
Ask yourself: What gets them to start looking for someone like you?
- A new facility being built or expanded
- Aging equipment that needs replacing
- Regulatory changes requiring upgrades
- Safety concerns or failed inspections
Why this matters: These events are golden opportunities. Catching them at the right time makes all the difference between a warm lead and a cold shoulder.
Pain Points: The Stuff That Keeps Them Up at Night
This is the heart of your persona. What are they struggling with?
- Delays and downtime that impact production
- Inconsistent subcontractors or unreliable partners
- Rising costs and budget pressure
- Old systems that are inefficient or hard to maintain
Why this matters: People don’t just buy equipment or services—they buy solutions to their headaches. Talk to their pain, and they’ll listen.
Goals & Aspirations: Who They Want to Be
It’s not just about finishing the job—it’s about what happens next:
- Improved safety ratings
- Higher output or faster timelines
- Lower maintenance costs
- Fewer complaints from leadership or clients
Why this matters: When you speak to outcomes—not just deliverables—you prove you understand what they’re really after.
Fears & Risks: What’s at Stake if They Get It Wrong
No one wants to be the reason a project goes sideways. What are they afraid of?
- Choosing the wrong vendor and having to redo work
- Wasting budget on ineffective solutions
- Falling behind on deadlines
- Hurting their reputation (or job security)
Why this matters: Showing you understand their risks makes you a safer bet. It builds trust before the first handshake.
Buying Triggers & Values: Why They’ll Choose You
Different industries, different priorities. But generally speaking, these matter:
- Dependability
- Efficiency
- Safety and compliance
- Long-term ROI (not just quick wins)
Why this matters: Your persona should reflect not just what your customer needs, but how they like to work. Shared values lead to stronger relationships—and repeat business.
Protip: Not sure how to present this customer persona? Download our Website Redesign Blueprint for our customer persona template.
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
Section 7
Developing a Content Strategy
Align your website with customer expectations
You have a crystal clear idea of who your customer is, and what they want. It's time to connect the dots.
A strong content strategy is essential to a successful website redesign. It’s how you attract the right people, speak to their challenges, and guide them toward action. Without a clear plan, your content risks missing the mark—and your results will show it.
Start by auditing what you already have. Look at each page and ask:
- Is this helping us meet our goals?
- Is this addressing customer pain?
- Is this speaking to our customers aspirations?
In addition to your contextual look at content, use tools like Google Analytics to assess performance—track metrics like...
- Page views
- Rime on page
- Conversions
This will show you what’s working, what needs improvement, and what should be removed. It may also bust some of the assumptions you have and broaden what you understand about your customer.
Once you've assessed what you have, you then have to ask: what’s missing?
- What questions may your customer still have?
- What objectives might they pose?
- Is it crystal clear how we make things better for them?
Build a plan to create content that fills those gaps and supports your business objectives—whether that’s increasing traffic, generating leads, or improving conversion rates.
This might include blog posts, case studies, videos, or downloadable resources.
But whatever the format, every piece should serve a clear purpose and be built with your audience in mind. Use SEO best practices to increase visibility, but keep it natural. Keywords should support the message—not drive it.
Design your content to be clear, helpful, and easy to navigate. Make sure it answers real questions, reflects your brand’s expertise, and shows visitors exactly why they should trust you.
When your content is backed by data and aligned with your goals, it drives more qualified traffic, increases engagement, and helps turn visitors into customers.
Before You Touch Design, Fix Your Messaging
The hard truth: Design can't save a broken story.
You can have the slickest layout, the coolest animations, and the trendiest fonts—but if your message is a mess, none of it matters. Integrating a content writer into the design process from the beginning ensures that your messaging is impactful and compelling.
Design is a delivery vehicle for the site's content. If the core story is off, the packaging won’t help. People don’t convert because your buttons are blue—they convert because they get what you do and believe you can help them.
What Do You Actually Do and Why Should Anyone Care?
Sounds obvious, right? But you’d be shocked by how many websites bury the lead.
If a visitor lands on your homepage and still doesn’t know what you offer, who it’s for, or why it’s better than the other five tabs they’ve got open—you’ve lost them.
Start with this:
- What problem do we solve?
- Who do we solve it for?
- What makes us the right partner?
Strip out the fluff, skip the buzzwords, and get to the point. Your customers don’t have time for a guessing game.
Protip: Want a quick test to see if your messaging holds up?
- What is it? — What do you actually offer?
- Who’s it for? — Is it clear who should care about this?
- Why does it matter? — What outcome or benefit will they get?
If your homepage doesn’t answer all three within the first few seconds, your visitors are already moving on.
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
Section 8
The prep needed for a memorable design
In this section, we'll be covering the things necessary to do before you embark on your redesign.
If you want a website that actually works (and looks good doing it), you need a solid foundation.
That means dusting off your brand guidelines, rounding up your assets, and finding inspiration that doesn’t scream “stock template.”
Here's how to set your creative team up for success—before the first mockup hits the screen.
What Are Brand Guidelines (And Why Should You Care)?
Think of brand guidelines as your brand’s playbook. They explain how your brand should look, sound, and act—so whether someone’s designing your website, writing an ad, or posting on social, everything feels like it came from the same place.
Here’s why they matter:
- They keep your brand consistent. That means no weird logo tweaks or off-brand colors popping up.
- They save time. Decisions are faster when rules are already set.
- They make onboarding easier. New team member? New agency? Hand them the guide and go.
What to Include in Your Brand Guidelines (and Why It Matters)
Logo
What to include: Full logo, icon-only version, what not to do with it (like stretching it or slapping it on neon green).
Why: So your logo always looks sharp and stays on-brand.
Colors
What to include: Primary and secondary brand colors, with usage rules.
Why: Keeps your brand recognizable at a glance.
Typography (Fonts)
What to include: Primary and fallback fonts, font sizes, and weights.
Why: Makes everything easier to read and feel cohesive.
Imagery + Graphics
What to include: Photo styles, icons, illustrations, and what kinds of visuals are on-brand (and off).
Why: Sets the mood and reinforces the brand personality.
Voice + Tone
What to include: How your brand talks (funny? formal? somewhere in between?), plus dos and don’ts.
Why: So whether it’s a tweet or a product page, your brand always sounds like you.
Protip: Want an already optimized brand guideline template you can easily use for your website redesign? Download our Website Redesign Blueprint for a free copy now.
Collect and organize images for the website
Gathering and organizing your images might not sound exciting—but it’s a game changer. Why?
Because the right visuals tell your story faster than any headline can. They help designers hit the ground running, keep your brand consistent, and speed up decision-making down the line.
Prepping your visuals upfront = less stress, better results, and a smoother project all around.
Some things to keep in mind to make this step more effective...
1. Know What You Need
- Hero images (big banners)
- Product or service photos
- Team or culture photos
- Icons or illustrations
- Backgrounds or patterns
2. Match the Brand Style
Only collect images that match your brand’s:
- Color tone (e.g., bright, muted, black & white)
- Mood (e.g., playful, serious, modern)
- Audience (e.g., young adults, professionals)
3. Use High-Quality Images
- Images should be clear and high-res (at least 1920px wide for banners).
- Avoid pixelated or over-edited images.
Protip: Use original photos when possible, but if you use stock photos, combine them other graphic elements to give them a visual bump.
Section 9
Before Development Begins, Consider Your Business Needs and Budget Constraints
Jumping into website development without a clear plan is like building a house without a blueprint—or a budget. Best case? You overspend. Worst case? You end up with something that looks nice but doesn’t actually work for your business.
Before a single line of code is written, take a step back. What does your website really need to do? What tools does it need to connect to? And how much are you actually willing to invest in doing it right?
Getting crystal clear on your business goals and budget upfront saves time, money, and a whole lot of backtracking later.
Let’s get into the questions you should be asking yourself.
Do you plan on updating the website frequently?
If the answer is yes (and it probably should be), your development approach needs to reflect that. Too often, companies launch a shiny new site… and then avoid touching it like it’s a house of cards.
That’s a problem.
Websites should evolve with new content, pages, and features. But without the right backend setup, even small updates can turn into big headaches.
When prepping for a redesign, think beyond launch. Choose a CMS (Content Management System) that’s flexible, user-friendly, and doesn’t require a developer every time you want to swap out a photo or update a blog post.
Ask your development team:
- How easy will it be for my team to make updates?
- Can we build reusable components for common pages?
- Will this scale as we grow?
Spoiler alert: A future-proof site saves you time, money, and late-night Slack messages. Build with change in mind.
Are you willing to pay licensing fees for the content management system?
Here’s the deal: not all CMS platforms are free, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Paid platforms like Webflow or Craft CMS often come with better performance, enhanced security, and more flexibility out of the box. You’re not just paying for software—you’re paying to avoid constant plugin updates, surprise bugs, and clunky user interfaces.
But if you don’t want to deal with another monthly fee, or your needs are straightforward, open-source platforms like WordPress can still do the job, as long as they’re implemented the right way. (Translation: no bloated themes or mystery plugins from 2014.)
Before you choose, ask yourself:
- Do we need advanced functionality that a free CMS can’t handle?
- Do we value ease-of-use and built-in support?
- Are we OK with ongoing license costs if they make our lives easier long-term?
This isn’t just a tech decision, it’s a business one. Invest where it actually saves you pain later.
Are you ok with updates?
We’re not talking about content updates, we’re talking about software updates.
Every CMS and plugin eventually needs updates to stay secure, fast, and functioning. If that idea makes you cringe, we get it. Updates can be annoying. But skipping them? That’s like refusing oil changes for your car because the engine still runs... until it doesn’t.
Here’s what to consider during your redesign:
- Will your platform require frequent updates? (Spoiler: most do.)
- Is there a process in place to handle them without breaking stuff?
- Will your team handle it, or will your agency partner take the lead?
Updates aren’t optional. But they can be stress-free, with the right setup.
Pro Tip: Pick a CMS and development stack that makes updates as painless as possible. Some modern platforms handle them in the background. Others need a more hands-on approach (read: dev hours).
What software is essential to your business?
Think of your website as the front door to your entire tech stack. If it doesn’t connect to the tools your team already uses, you’re setting yourself up for manual headaches and missed opportunities.
Start by identifying the platforms that are mission-critical to your day-to-day. These might include:
- CRM tools like HubSpot or Salesforce to track leads and sales
- Marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Marketo, or Pardot to run campaigns
- Analytics tools like GA4 or Hotjar to track behavior and performance
- Support software like Zendesk or Intercom to help current customers
- Job boards like Greenhouse or Workable if hiring is part of your growth plan
The key question: What should your website be doing with these tools? Should it send data back and forth? Display content pulled from them? Trigger automated workflows?
Share that vision early with your developers. It’ll help them architect a site that isn’t just a digital brochure, it’s a growth engine that works smarter, not harder.
What data need to make it over to the new website?
Make note of what data or content needs to make its way to your website
Before you dive headfirst into design or development, hit pause. What actually needs to live on your new site?
This step is all about taking inventory—what content you’re keeping, what’s getting the boot, and what needs to be created from scratch. That includes:
- Core pages (About, Services, Contact, etc.)
- Blog posts, case studies, or whitepapers
- Product or service listings
- Team bios
- Legal content (privacy policies, terms, etc.)
If it lives somewhere else—like a database, another app, or your current CMS—you’ll want to figure out how to get from Point A to Point “Live on your new site.”
A clear content plan helps your dev team prep for things like data migrations, API integrations, and custom templates. It also helps you avoid the dreaded “Oh no, we forgot to move the blog” moment two days before launch.
Don’t wait on this step. Future-you will thank you.
Opt to convert that data into common formats, like XLS or Json if possible
Want to make your developer’s life easier—and your project run smoother? Standardize your data.
Whether you’re moving over blog posts, product info, team bios, or customer reviews, get that content out of its current hiding place and into a format that plays nice with your new site. Think:
- XLS/CSV for spreadsheets and structured content
- JSON for more complex or nested data
- Plain text files for longer-form content like case studies or blog drafts
Why it matters:
- It speeds up development by making imports and integrations easier
- It reduces the chance of copy/paste errors or missing content
- It helps identify any gaps or inconsistencies before they become problems
If your current site is held together with duct tape and outdated plugins, this might take a little effort, but it’s effort well spent. Clean data = clean launch.
Section 10
How to Keep Your SEO From Tanking During a Redesign
Redesigning your website is exciting. Watching your hard-earned search rankings disappear? Not so much.
If you want to keep the traffic flowing while you upgrade your site, here are three steps you don’t want to skip.
1. Know Which Pages Are Pulling Their Weight
Before making any changes, you need to know which pages are performing well. These are the pages that bring in organic traffic, earn backlinks, and contribute to conversions.
If you don’t protect them, you risk losing rankings and leads.
What to do:
- Use Google Analytics to find pages with high traffic and conversions.
- Use Google Search Console to identify top-ranking pages.
- Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to see which pages have the most backlinks.
2. Map Them Out Before You Touch Anything
Once you know which pages matter most, document your current site structure. Then map those URLs to the new ones, making sure every important page has a clear destination.
If a page is being updated or consolidated, decide where that content will live moving forward.
How to do it:
- Create a spreadsheet with current URLs in one column and planned URLs in the next.
- Match one-to-one wherever possible to minimize disruption.
- Flag any major changes for your SEO team to review.
3. Changing URLs or Content? Redirect Like a Pro
Sometimes URLs or content do need to change. That’s fine—but don’t leave Google guessing.
Use 301 redirects to point old URLs to their new homes. This tells search engines, “Hey, we moved—but we’re still open for business.”
What else to watch out for:
- Don’t redirect everything to the homepage. That’s lazy and confusing. Instead, map links to their closest page match wherever possible
- Example: old: /structural-engineering → new: /services/structural-engineering
- Update your internal links and XML sitemap so everything’s pointing to the right places.
- Re-submit your sitemap in Google Search Console post-launch.
Section 11
What to Track Post-Launch (And How to Know If It Worked)
A shiny new website is nice—but the real question is: did it move the needle?
Looks can only take you so far. To know if your redesign really delivered, you’ve got to dig into the numbers. Tracking key metrics is how you separate “looks better” from performs better.
Analyzing key metrics such as user engagement, traffic sources, conversion rates, and SEO performance is crucial to understand how the redesign impacts overall business objectives and user satisfaction.
That’s where tools like Google Analytics and Search Console come in. They give you a clear view of traffic patterns, user behavior, and whether your visitors are actually doing what you want them to do.
Because at the end of the day, success isn’t about the new look—it’s about results. And these five metrics tell the real story.
- Conversion Rate – Are more visitors taking action (filling out forms, starting trials, booking demos)?
- Engagement – Are users spending time on key pages, exploring more content, or just bouncing?
- Bounce Rate – Did the redesign keep more people on the site, or are they still leaving right away?
- Form Submissions – Are you seeing more qualified inquiries? Are they easier to close?
- Traffic Quality – Are the right people coming to the site—and sticking around?
If these aren’t trending in the right direction, it’s time to dig in.
What to Watch in the First 30, 60, and 90 Days
First 30 Days:
- Make sure tracking tools (GA4, Hotjar, etc.) are properly configured.
- Monitor site speed, mobile performance, and any bugs users report.
- Look for obvious drop-offs in key flows (think: homepage → contact form).
Next 60 Days:
- Review conversion paths—are people following the journey you designed?
- Analyze heatmaps and scroll depth on core pages.
- Watch for unexpected trends in bounce rate or traffic sources.
By Day 90:
- Compare lead quality and volume to your old site.
- Check which content or pages are performing best—and which aren’t.
- Start optimizing based on real user behavior, not assumptions.
Websites aren’t “set it and forget it.”
The best ones keep getting better with time and insights.
How to Spot Search Engine Optimization Problems Before They Become Expensive
Here’s your early-warning system:
- Analytics: Sudden drops in traffic or conversions are smoke—find the fire.
- Behavior tools: Heatmaps, recordings, and form analytics show what users are doing (or not doing).
- Customer feedback: Pay attention to what sales reps, support teams, and even prospects say. Confusion and friction usually surface fast.
Catching issues early means quicker fixes, happier visitors, and more value from your investment.
Bonus Section
Resources & Bonus Tools
You’ve got the insights. Now let’s make sure you’ve got the tools to back them up.
Whether you're just getting started or already mid-redesign, these resources will help you move faster, stay aligned, and make smarter decisions.
Audit Your Site Like a Pro
Not sure where your current site stands? Analyzing your old website is crucial to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Use our [Website Audit Checklist] to evaluate:
- User experience (UX)
- Messaging clarity
- SEO fundamentals
- Accessibility compliance
- Technical performance (speed, mobile-friendliness, etc.)
It’s a quick way to identify what’s working—and what’s quietly costing you leads.
Align Your Team, Faster
Getting internal buy-in doesn’t have to be a battle. Use our plug-and-play templates to get everyone on the same page:
- Internal pitch email script
- Website project kickoff slide deck
- Project brief outline for stakeholder alignment
Less back-and-forth. More moving forward.
Plan, Launch, Measure
Redesigns can be chaotic—unless you’ve got the right systems.
These tools keep things on track:
- [Editable Gantt chart] for realistic timeline planning
- Redesign ROI calculator to build the business case
- [KPI tracking dashboard] to measure success post-launch
- [Agency scorecard] to evaluate potential partners side by side
All killer. No filler. Just real tools to help you get it right the first time.
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
FAQs