The Complete Guide to Website Redesign Projects

At some point, every website needs more than maintenance—it needs a redesign. Perhaps it looks dated, performs poorly, doesn't work well on mobile, or no longer reflects your business. Whatever the trigger, a redesign is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning.

This guide walks through the redesign process from initial assessment through post-launch optimisation, helping you understand what's involved and how to approach it effectively.

Recognising When Redesign Is Necessary

Not every website problem requires a redesign. Sometimes targeted improvements address specific issues more efficiently. But certain signs indicate a more fundamental refresh is needed:

Visual obsolescence: Design trends evolve. If your site looks like it was built in a different era—heavy shadows, outdated typography, non-responsive layout—it affects credibility. Visitors make instant judgments about businesses based on their websites.

Technical limitations: The underlying platform can't support what you need. Adding features requires increasingly convoluted workarounds. Performance problems resist optimisation because the architecture is fundamentally limited.

Mobile failure: More than half of web traffic is mobile. If your site isn't fully responsive or provides a poor mobile experience, you're losing visitors daily.

Poor performance metrics: High bounce rates, low time on site, poor conversion rates, declining search rankings—when the numbers consistently underperform, something fundamental needs addressing.

Brand misalignment: Your business has evolved, but your website still reflects who you were three years ago. Messaging, visual identity, or positioning no longer matches your current reality.

Content management frustration: Updating content is so difficult that it doesn't happen. The site becomes stale because the CMS is impractical.

Discovery and Assessment

Before designing anything, understand the current situation and future requirements:

Audit the Current Site

Analytics review: What pages get traffic? Where do visitors drop off? Which content performs best?
Technical audit: Performance metrics, SEO issues, accessibility problems, mobile usability.
Content inventory: What content exists? What's valuable? What's outdated or redundant?
Competitive analysis: How do competitors' sites compare? What do they do well?

Define Objectives

Why are you redesigning? What will success look like? Common objectives include:

Increase conversion rates
Improve search rankings
Reduce bounce rates
Modernise brand presentation
Improve content management efficiency
Support new business offerings

Be specific. "A better website" isn't measurable. "Increase quote requests by 30%" is.

Understand Your Audience

Who visits your site? What are they trying to accomplish? What devices do they use? The redesign should serve their needs, not just your preferences.

If you have existing user data, analyse it. If not, create informed personas representing your key audience segments.

Planning and Strategy

With discovery complete, plan the redesign approach:

Scope Definition

What exactly is included? A redesign might involve:

Visual design refresh only (new styling on existing structure)
Structural reorganisation (new information architecture and navigation)
Platform migration (moving to a new CMS or framework)
Functionality additions (new features, integrations)
Content overhaul (rewriting and restructuring content)

Each element adds time and cost. Define scope clearly to set realistic expectations.

Platform Decisions

Will you stay on your current platform or migrate? Migration adds complexity but might be necessary if the current platform is the problem. Evaluate options based on your specific requirements rather than general popularity.

Content Strategy

Content is often the most underestimated element. Will you:

Migrate existing content as-is?
Edit and improve existing content?
Commission entirely new content?

Content creation takes time. If you're waiting on client-provided content, build that into your timeline.

SEO Preservation

A redesign can devastate search rankings if URLs change without proper redirects. Plan URL structure early. Map old URLs to new ones. Implement 301 redirects for everything that moves.

Budget and Timeline

Realistic budgeting requires understanding the scope. A visual refresh of a brochure site is very different from a platform migration with custom development.

Timelines vary enormously, but as rough guidance:

Simple brochure redesign: 4-8 weeks
eCommerce redesign: 8-16 weeks
Complex platform migration: 12-24+ weeks

These assume client feedback happens promptly. Delays in approvals or content provision extend timelines proportionally.

Design and Development

With planning complete, execution begins:

Information Architecture

Define the site structure: what pages exist, how they're organised, how users navigate between them. This should reflect how users think, not internal company structure.

Wireframing

Before visual design, create wireframes showing page layouts and content hierarchy. This separates structural decisions from aesthetic ones, allowing focused feedback at each stage.

Visual Design

Apply branding and visual treatment to the wireframes. This is where the site gets its personality—typography, colour, imagery, the feel of interactions.

Expect iteration. The first design concept is rarely perfect. Feedback and refinement are part of the process.

Development

Build the designed site. This includes:

Frontend development (what visitors see and interact with)
CMS implementation (how you'll manage content)
Backend development (custom functionality, integrations)
Responsive implementation (ensuring it works across devices)

Content Population

Add actual content to the built site. This often reveals issues—content that doesn't fit the design, missing pieces that need creation, edge cases that weren't anticipated.

Testing

Before launch, thorough testing across:

Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Devices (desktop, tablet, various phones)
Functionality (forms, search, any interactive elements)
Performance (load times, Core Web Vitals)
Accessibility (keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility)

Launch

Launch is a coordinated event, not just flipping a switch:

Pre-Launch Checklist

All content reviewed and approved
Redirects configured and tested
Analytics tracking verified
SSL certificate active
Backups of old site archived
Rollback plan prepared

Launch Timing

Launch during low-traffic periods when possible. Tuesday or Wednesday mornings often work well. Avoid launching before weekends or holidays when support availability is limited.

Immediate Monitoring

Watch closely after launch:

Are pages loading correctly?
Are forms submitting?
Are sales processing?
Any 404 errors from missed redirects?
Any console errors indicating JavaScript problems?

Post-Launch

Launch isn't the end—it's a new beginning:

Bug Fixes

Expect to find issues that testing missed. Users encounter edge cases and device combinations that weren't tested. Budget time for post-launch fixes.

Performance Monitoring

Track key metrics: traffic, conversion rates, bounce rates, search rankings. Compare against pre-redesign baselines. It's normal for SEO to fluctuate initially before stabilising.

Iterative Improvement

The launched site is version 1.0, not the final version. Use analytics and user feedback to identify improvements. Implement refinements over time.

Maintenance Plan

Establish ongoing maintenance to prevent the new site from degrading into the same problems that prompted the redesign. Regular updates, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Working With an Agency

If you're hiring an agency for your redesign, choose carefully:

Review their portfolio for relevant work
Ask about their process and what they'll need from you
Understand what's included and what's additional cost
Check references from past clients
Ensure good communication fit

If you're considering a website redesign and want to discuss your specific situation, get in touch. We're happy to help you assess whether redesign is the right approach and what it would involve for your project.