How-to guide
Website redesign checklist: prepare before the pixels.
Prepare for a redesign by writing goals, inventorying content, naming must-never-break features, gathering assets, and deciding who publishes after launch. Structure first—then visual design.
Most redesigns fail before color gets a turn. They hide the offer, bury proof, and treat content as someone else’s problem. Use this checklist before you request proposals.
What happens after you are ready
A good proposal maps discovery, structure, design, build, and launch to your checklist—not a generic template. If a vendor cannot talk about content and constraints, keep looking.
Checklist
- Goals and audience Primary audience, primary action, and one metric you care about after launch.
- Content inventory Pages to keep, merge, or kill. Legal pages, forms, and seasonal content called out.
- Technical constraints Domains, redirects, analytics, CRM, payments, booking, accessibility requirements.
- Assets Logo, type, photos, video, and who owns final copy approval.
- Handoff plan Who edits after launch, and what training or documentation you need.
Steps
- 01 Write the job of the site
In one paragraph, say who it is for, what they need first, and what success looks like in six months.
- 02 Inventory what exists
List pages, forms, integrations, analytics, and redirects. Note what must never break on day one.
- 03 Gather content and proof
Collect offers, FAQs, testimonials, photos, and brand assets—or name what will be rewritten during the project.
- 04 Name editors and stack constraints
Who publishes after launch? Any required CMS, CRM, or booking tools? When does visual editing win vs custom code?
- 05 Set timeline and decision owners
Pick a primary contact, review cadence, and a realistic launch window. Document decisions as you go.
Questions
01How long does a website redesign take?
Most projects run a few weeks to a few months depending on content readiness, integrations, and scope. Prepared clients move faster because decisions and assets are ready.
02Should I redesign or fix the current site?
If the structure is wrong—hidden offer, buried next step, unmaintainable CMS—a redesign usually wins. If the structure is sound and visuals are dated, a focused refresh may be enough.
Next step
Ready to start?
Share what you are trying to fix, your timeline, and where the site needs to be in six months.
Start a project