Website Redesign Checklist: 50 Steps for Success

Website redesigns are risky. Done well, they transform business. Done poorly, they destroy rankings. Here's your checklist.

Phase 1: Planning

• [ ] Define primary goal
• [ ] Set measurable targets
• [ ] Establish budget (include 15-20% contingency)
• [ ] Set realistic timeline (2-4 months typical)
• [ ] Export 24 months of analytics
• [ ] Document top-performing pages
• [ ] List all current URLs

Phase 2: SEO Preservation (Critical!)

• [ ] Map old URLs to new URLs
• [ ] Plan all 301 redirects
• [ ] Preserve meta titles/descriptions
• [ ] Maintain header structure
• [ ] Keep image alt tags
• [ ] Preserve internal links

See our SEO guide for details.

Phase 3: Design & UX

• [ ] Create site map
• [ ] Plan navigation (7±2 items)
• [ ] Design mobile-first
• [ ] Plan accessibility
• [ ] Define page templates

Phase 4: Development

• [ ] Set up staging environment
• [ ] Build responsive layouts
• [ ] Integrate analytics
• [ ] Optimize images
• [ ] Test Core Web Vitals

Phase 5: Testing

• [ ] Test all forms
• [ ] Test all links
• [ ] Cross-browser testing
• [ ] Verify redirects
• [ ] Validate structured data
• [ ] PageSpeed Insights (target 90+)

Phase 6: Launch

• [ ] Backup old site
• [ ] Point DNS
• [ ] Verify SSL
• [ ] Submit new sitemap
• [ ] Monitor for 404s

Common Disasters

Rankings Crash: Poor redirects - Map every URL

Conversion Drop: Changed what worked - Preserve high-converting elements

Speed Issues: Heavier design - Test throughout development

Contact us for redesign help.

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Related: Web Design Guide | SEO Guide