A redesign is a chance to fix foundations, not just visuals. Use this checklist before you rebuild.
1. Define what success means
Before touching design, agree on the outcomes: more qualified leads, easier content updates, better performance, or clearer messaging. A redesign without goals tends to become a repaint that changes little.
2. Audit existing content and pages
Inventory your current pages and their performance. Keep what works, consolidate thin pages, and plan redirects for anything whose URL will change. This protects the search visibility you've already earned.
3. Preserve SEO during the move
Redesigns commonly lose traffic when redirects and metadata are handled carelessly. Map old URLs to new ones, preserve titles and structured data where relevant, and keep an eye on Search Console after launch.
- Map 1:1 redirects for changed URLs.
- Preserve or improve titles and meta descriptions.
- Re-implement structured data.
- Submit an updated sitemap after launch.
4. Bake in performance and accessibility
Set performance and accessibility as requirements, not extras. Optimize images, define image dimensions to avoid layout shift, and design with contrast, focus states and keyboard navigation in mind from the start.
5. Plan measurement before launch
Decide how you'll know the redesign worked: analytics events, conversion tracking, Core Web Vitals and search performance. Establish a baseline before launch so you can compare honestly afterwards.
Talk to OjarisLabs about applying this to your project — start a conversation.