A new website can make a business easier to understand and use. It can also change URLs, page content, and how enquiry activity is measured. Planning those changes before launch helps protect the work the current site is already doing.

This checklist is a starting point for a redesign. A larger site or a complex platform change may need a more detailed migration plan.

1. Record what the current site does well

Before changing layouts, collect the pages that receive search visits, bring in enquiries, or support important services. Review available analytics and search performance reports. Note the URLs, page titles, search themes, and conversion actions that should carry over.

The exact traffic history depends on which tools are installed and how far back their data goes. Record the date range and source so later comparisons use the same basis.

2. Keep a list of every current URL

Use a crawl or a current sitemap to list the site’s pages. Add any important landing pages or campaign URLs that are not in the sitemap. Mark pages to keep, combine, update, or retire.

Do not assume the homepage is the only page that matters. A service page or local landing page may be the entry point that introduces a new customer to the business.

3. Map old pages to new pages

If a URL changes, decide where its visitors should go. A permanent redirect should point to the closest relevant replacement page. Avoid sending every retired URL to the homepage; that can leave customers and search engines without the answer they expected.

Keep a redirect list that pairs each old address with its destination. Test those paths after launch and update internal links to point directly to the new pages.

4. Preserve useful content and page meaning

Rewrite unclear copy where it helps, but do not remove important service details just to make a page shorter. Keep the core topic, customer intent, and useful evidence visible. Give every page one clear main heading, followed by headings that help people scan the content.

Review page titles and descriptions individually. They should accurately describe that page and give a searcher a reason to choose it.

5. Check the site on a phone

Test navigation, text, buttons, images, and forms on a narrow screen. Make sure the page remains readable when zoomed and that important actions are easy to tap. Use images sized for the space where they appear and reserve their dimensions so the page does not jump as they load.

6. Keep measurement connected

Confirm that analytics and lead tracking still load after the change. Send a test enquiry through each real form and verify the expected confirmation and follow-up. If a form is replaced, make sure the correct service or campaign context is still recorded.

7. Check crawl and index signals

Before launch, review the production site settings for accidental noindex tags, blocked paths, broken canonicals, and incomplete internal links. After launch, check that the XML sitemap lists the intended live pages and that search tools can access it.

Use structured data only where it matches information visitors can see on the page. Keep business identity, contact details, and service descriptions accurate.

8. Watch the first few weeks

After launch, check important redirects, crawl reports, search visits, and enquiries. Compare results with the same period and sources captured before the redesign. A redesign is not finished when the new homepage appears; a measured follow-up helps catch issues while they are still straightforward to fix.

Good design and search readiness belong in the same plan. When page structure, redirects, content, and measurement are considered together, the new site has a much better chance of looking fresh without losing its way in search.