Framework · Custom Websites
Website Redesign Checklist: Planning, SEO Migration & Launch QA
A practical website redesign checklist covering goals, content, URL redirects, forms, mobile testing, and post-launch Search Console checks.
- Define the problem before choosing a new visual style.
- Give each high-value page one primary job.
- Treat redirects, metadata, forms, and measurement as part of design.
Start with the business problem
A redesign should have a reason that can be observed: qualified visitors cannot understand the offer, sales teams keep explaining the same thing, mobile users abandon the page, or the site is impossible to maintain.
Write down the current friction before changing the interface. Otherwise, a redesign can make the site look newer without making it more useful.
Audit the paths that create value
Map the journeys that matter: a new visitor deciding whether to trust you, a returning visitor comparing options, and a ready-to-buy visitor trying to contact you. Every important page should support one clear next step.
Review the language, proof, friction, and speed along each path. Treat analytics as evidence, not as a substitute for judgment.
Before design: inventory the pages worth preserving
Export Search Console page and query performance before changing URLs. Record pages with impressions, clicks, useful links, or active conversion paths. Keep useful URLs stable unless there is a clear reason to move them; zero clicks in a short reporting window is not enough evidence to delete a page.
- List each existing URL, purpose, and keep/merge/remove decision
- Record current titles, descriptions, and canonical destinations
- Identify working inquiry and booking paths
- Keep a copy of the old content and redirect plan
Before launch: test the migration and conversion paths
For each moved page, redirect the old URL directly to its closest replacement, not indiscriminately to the homepage. Update internal links to the final destination. Check that public pages remain indexable and that staging-only noindex directives do not reach production.
- Verify redirects, canonicals, sitemap URLs, and language alternates
- Submit a test inquiry and confirm actual storage or delivery
- Test navigation, focus visibility, and forms on mobile
- Review visible content and matching structured data
- Check missing pages and errors on the deployed host
After launch: separate launch QA from ranking conclusions
Inspect important URLs in your existing Search Console property and check that your sitemap is available. Compare the same pages and query groups over comparable reporting periods, separating brand from non-brand searches. Ranking changes can reflect crawling, seasonality, and normal variation; a redesign does not guarantee traffic gains. Investigate a broken redirect or blocked page immediately rather than waiting for a larger dataset.
Put the guide to work
Explore the Custom Website package
Starting at $397 USD per project. Review the scope, fit, and exclusions before requesting a quote. Final pricing depends on confirmed requirements; this is not a monthly fee or an all-features promise.
See Custom Website scope and starting price