Website Redesign Checklist: What to Fix Before Changing the Design

A redesign is a chance to improve how your website works for customers. Changing colours and layouts alone will not solve confusing navigation, weak service information, or a broken enquiry process. Start by identifying what the business and its visitors actually need.

Review the current customer journey

Choose a few common tasks: finding a service, comparing options, requesting a quotation, or buying a product. Complete them on desktop and mobile. Note where information is missing, where controls are unclear, and where the process fails.

Use available enquiry records and customer questions to add context. A frequently visited page may need improvement, but it may also be doing important work that should be preserved.

Audit content before designing layouts

List pages and decide which to keep, improve, merge, or retire. Check service details, contact information, examples, and calls to action. Write a purpose for every important page so the new structure is based on information rather than the shape of an old template.

Prepare real copy and approved images early. Placeholder content makes it difficult to judge whether a layout accommodates the information customers need.

Protect important paths into the site

Document existing URLs, internal links, and campaign destinations. When a URL must change, map it to the closest relevant new page and include redirects in the implementation plan. Avoid sending every retired page to the homepage without considering what the visitor expected.

Agree on measurable acceptance checks

• Navigation works on phone and desktop.
• Key service pages explain scope and next steps.
• Forms reach the right person and show confirmation.
• Existing marketing links have suitable destinations.
• The team can edit routine content after handover.

Ask someone unfamiliar with the site to attempt a task without instructions. Their hesitation can reveal problems the project team no longer notices.

Review the result after launch

Watch for broken journeys, customer questions, and changes in enquiry quality. Keep a short improvement list and compare results with your earlier baseline. A redesign benefits from continued review rather than a single launch-day approval.

OrbisRank’s company website and WordPress development services can support a redesign focused on clearer content and customer action.