A website redesign checklist that protects enquiries and useful existing content

Record what exists and why it needs to change

List the existing pages, services, forms and integrations. Where you have access, record which pages receive relevant visits and enquiries, with the source and date of the data. Ask the team which questions callers repeatedly cannot answer from the site. Separate observed problems from design preferences so the rebuild has a concrete purpose.

A service business might need clearer coverage information, a more usable quote form or a way to explain several distinct offers. Name those tasks in the brief. Define what a successful launch must preserve, including useful content, important links and the internal process that receives enquiries.

Decide the content and ownership before polishing screens

Build a page list around real customer needs. Assign each page a purpose, source material, owner and next step. Mark content to keep, improve, combine or retire. A redesign is an opportunity to remove contradictions and obsolete offers, not a reason to discard every existing page.

Prepare actual service descriptions, project images and process information early. Check permission for any client material and verify claims with the business. Placeholder testimonials or invented results should never become launch content. If a service varies by project, explain what needs assessment instead of presenting an unsupported fixed promise.

• Service scope and real geographic coverage are accurate.
• Contact details, operating expectations and enquiry owners are current.
• Project examples and claims have a clear source and permission where needed.
• Someone is responsible for updating content after launch.

Keep readingChoose useful service pages and guides

Plan URL changes before the launch day

Google’s site-move guidance recommends mapping old URLs to their new equivalents and implementing appropriate redirects when URLs change. Keep a spreadsheet of each important old address and its relevant destination. Avoid sending unrelated retired pages to the homepage simply to eliminate a visible error.

Check internal links, canonical URLs, sitemap entries and indexing settings on the finished public site. A private preview may intentionally block indexing; the appropriate public pages need the intended launch settings. Keep private customer areas and non-public previews protected. A correct migration setup supports discovery but does not guarantee unchanged search visibility.

Keep readingPlan a move to a new domain name

Test representative customer journeys on a phone

Open the site from a service page as well as the homepage. Find the relevant offer, read its scope and complete an authorised test enquiry. Check missing answers, an invalid contact entry and a submission failure. Verify that the customer receives a clear result and that the internal team can find the submitted request.

Inspect menu use, readable text, keyboard access and controls that remain usable at narrow widths. Measure performance rather than describing it as fast from appearance. Google’s Web Vitals guidance distinguishes loading, interaction and visual stability, and separates simulated testing from real-user measurements. Record the page, device and test conditions alongside any result.

Keep readingCheck what helps customers enquire

Keep readingCheck page speed and Core Web Vitals

Give launch and follow-up checks a named owner

Before release, identify who controls the domain, hosting, application access and recovery process. Agree on a rollback route if a material problem appears. Confirm the actual public URLs after deployment, not only the preview. Check important redirects, contact links and representative enquiry paths in the released version.

After launch, review delivery issues, broken links and the available enquiry and search data. Compare like periods and allow for changes in campaign activity or seasonality. Demandify can scope the redesign and ongoing work around these responsibilities. Bring your current site, known customer problems and access ownership details so the initial brief covers more than the visual treatment.

Keep readingCheck website ownership and handover access

Keep readingSet up ongoing website maintenance