Web Development

Website Redesign Checklist: Everything You Need to Update

March 25, 2026

A website redesign has a lot of moving parts – and the ones that get missed tend to be the ones that hurt most. Skipping a redirect can drop your Google rankings. Missing a broken form means lost leads. Forgetting to reconnect your analytics means flying blind for months.

This website redesign checklist gives you a complete reference for every phase of the redesign process. Use it as an ongoing reference whether you’re managing the project yourself or working with an agency. The goal is simple: launch a site that works correctly from day one, preserves what was already working, and improves what wasn’t.

Before You Start: Pre-Redesign Audit

Before building anything new, document what you already have. This baseline prevents you from accidentally discarding things that were working.

Traffic and Performance Audit

[ ] Export Google Analytics data for the past 12 months – identify your top 20 highest-traffic pages
[ ] Export Google Search Console data – which keywords and pages are driving impressions and clicks?
[ ] Note your current bounce rate, average session duration, and conversion rate
[ ] Identify your highest-converting pages (these need the most careful preservation)
[ ] Record your current Core Web Vitals scores (LCP, CLS, FID) using Google PageSpeed Insights

Content Inventory

[ ] Create a spreadsheet listing every page on your current site, its URL, and its traffic
[ ] Mark each page: Keep as-is / Update / Merge / Remove
[ ] Identify all blog posts and decide which to migrate, update, or retire
[ ] Catalog all downloadable assets (PDFs, guides, whitepapers) and their current URLs
[ ] List all forms on the site and which integrations they connect to (CRM, email marketing, etc.)

Technical Inventory

[ ] Document all third-party integrations (Google Analytics, CRM, payment gateways, booking tools)
[ ] Note your current hosting provider and any performance constraints
[ ] Record your domain registrar and DNS settings
[ ] Check for any existing structured data markup (schema.org) that needs to be preserved
[ ] Note your current SSL certificate and expiry date

Not sure what to look for during your audit? Read our guide on signs your website is costing you customers – it covers the performance signals most worth investigating before a redesign.

Phase 1: Strategy and Planning Checklist

Goals and Success Metrics

[ ] Define the primary goal of the redesign (more leads, better rankings, mobile experience, rebranding)
[ ] Set specific, measurable success metrics (e.g., “increase conversion rate from 1.2% to 2.5%”)
[ ] Identify the three most important pages for your business (usually: Home, main Service page, Contact)
[ ] Define your target audience with specificity – who are they, what do they need, and what’s their buying process?

Competitor Research

[ ] Audit the top three competitor websites – what are they doing better?
[ ] Note competitor site speed, mobile experience, content depth, and CTA strategy
[ ] Identify design patterns in your industry that visitors will expect to see
[ ] Find gaps – what are competitors not doing well that you can do better?

Technology Decisions

[ ] Confirm the platform for the new site (WordPress, custom build, e-commerce platform)
[ ] Decide which existing content management tools to keep or replace
[ ] Confirm hosting provider and server requirements for the new build
[ ] Plan for any third-party integrations that need to carry over

Phase 2: SEO Preservation Checklist

This is the phase most often rushed. Skipping SEO preservation can tank your Google rankings within weeks of launch – sometimes significantly. A thorough approach here protects the organic traffic your business has earned. For a deeper look at the costs of getting this wrong, see our website redesign cost guide.

URL Mapping and Redirects

[ ] Create a complete URL map: every current page URL mapped to its new URL equivalent
[ ] Set up 301 redirects for every URL that changes (301 = permanent redirect, passes link equity)
[ ] Ensure no old URLs return 404 errors after launch – every live page should redirect somewhere
[ ] Test all redirects before launch using a redirect checker tool
[ ] Redirect the old sitemap URL to the new one

Metadata Preservation and Optimization

[ ] Migrate all existing meta titles and descriptions to the new site as a baseline
[ ] Review and update meta titles to 50–60 characters with primary keyword near the start
[ ] Review and update meta descriptions to 150–160 characters with a clear CTA
[ ] Preserve canonical tags and update to reflect new URL structure
[ ] Verify Open Graph tags (Facebook/social sharing) are set correctly on all key pages

Structured Data

[ ] Migrate any existing schema markup (LocalBusiness, Article, FAQ, Product) to the new site
[ ] Add schema markup where it’s missing but applicable
[ ] Test all structured data using Google’s Rich Results Test after launch

On-Page SEO

[ ] Confirm primary keyword appears in H1, first 100 words, at least two H2s, and the conclusion of key pages
[ ] Verify heading hierarchy is correct (H1 → H2 → H3, no skipping levels)
[ ] Check internal link structure – does the new site maintain or improve the linking between key pages?
[ ] Add alt text to all images (descriptive, keyword-relevant where natural, 125 characters max)
[ ] Verify keyword-rich URL slugs on all pages (lowercase, hyphens, no stop words where unnecessary)

Phase 3: Design and UX Checklist

Information Architecture

[ ] Navigation is clear and logical – a first-time visitor can find what they need in two clicks or fewer
[ ] The homepage communicates who you are, what you do, and who you serve – above the fold
[ ] Page hierarchy matches business priority (your most important service is not buried three levels deep)
[ ] Contact and CTA options are visible without scrolling on key pages

Visual Design

[ ] Design reflects current brand guidelines (colors, fonts, logo usage)
[ ] Typography is readable at all sizes – minimum 16px body copy
[ ] Color contrast meets accessibility standards (WCAG AA minimum)
[ ] Imagery is professional quality, not generic stock photos that signal “template site”
[ ] Design is reviewed on actual mobile devices, not just in browser resize mode

Conversion Optimization

[ ] Each key page has one clear primary CTA – not competing calls to action
[ ] Contact forms are visible without scrolling on key conversion pages
[ ] Trust signals are present on high-intent pages: reviews, client names, certifications, ratings
[ ] The value proposition is clear on the homepage within the first five seconds of reading

Phase 4: Development and Technical Checklist

Performance and Speed

[ ] Site loads in under three seconds on mobile (target under two seconds)
[ ] Images are compressed and served in WebP format
[ ] Lazy loading is implemented for images below the fold
[ ] JavaScript and CSS are minified
[ ] A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is configured for faster global delivery
[ ] Server response time is under 200ms (Time to First Byte)

Mobile Responsiveness

[ ] Every page is tested on iOS and Android at multiple screen sizes
[ ] Touch targets (buttons, links) are at least 44px × 44px on mobile
[ ] No content is cut off or requires horizontal scrolling on any device
[ ] Forms are easy to complete on mobile keyboards

Security

[ ] SSL certificate is installed and HTTPS is enforced site-wide
[ ] All HTTP URLs redirect to HTTPS with 301 redirects
[ ] WordPress (if applicable) has security hardening: strong passwords, limited login attempts, no default admin username
[ ] Contact forms include spam protection (reCAPTCHA or equivalent)

Functionality Testing

[ ] Every contact form tested – submissions route to the correct inbox
[ ] Every CTA button links to the correct destination
[ ] All third-party integrations tested: CRM sync, payment gateway, booking system, email marketing
[ ] All internal links verified – no broken links
[ ] All external links verified – no broken links

Phase 5: Content Checklist

Copy

[ ] All copy is updated to reflect your current messaging, services, and audience
[ ] No outdated pricing, discontinued services, or old team members appear anywhere
[ ] Copy is written for your audience – not overly technical, not vague
[ ] CTAs on every key page are clear, specific, and action-oriented

Blog and Resources

[ ] All migrated blog posts have preserved their original URLs (or proper 301 redirects)
[ ] Blog post metadata (title, description) is optimized in the new CMS
[ ] Author information and publish dates are accurate
[ ] Internal links within blog posts are updated to reflect new URL structure

Media

[ ] All images have descriptive file names (not IMG_4523.jpg)
[ ] All images have proper alt text
[ ] No broken images anywhere on the site
[ ] Video content is properly embedded and responsive

Phase 6: Pre-Launch Checklist

[ ] Complete QA testing on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge
[ ] Complete QA testing on iOS Safari and Android Chrome
[ ] Review site on a tablet-sized device
[ ] All redirects verified with a crawl tool
[ ] Google Analytics (GA4) tracking code installed and firing correctly
[ ] Google Search Console verified for the new site
[ ] Sitemap.xml submitted to Google Search Console
[ ] Robots.txt reviewed – staging environment is not blocking search engines
[ ] No noindex tags left on pages that should be indexed
[ ] 404 page is custom and helpful (links back to key pages)
[ ] Favicon is updated

Phase 7: Post-Launch Checklist

A redesign isn’t over at launch. The first two to four weeks after launch are critical for catching issues and confirming the site is performing as expected.

Week One After Launch

[ ] Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors, coverage issues, and manual penalties
[ ] Check Google Analytics for unexpected traffic drops on key pages
[ ] Test all forms again on the live site – sometimes things break in the production environment that worked in staging
[ ] Verify all redirects are working on the live domain
[ ] Monitor site speed – confirm Core Web Vitals have improved, not regressed

First Month After Launch

[ ] Track keyword rankings for your primary target keywords
[ ] Check conversion rate on key pages – is it improving?
[ ] Review bounce rate on traffic-driving pages for unusual spikes
[ ] Request re-crawl via Google Search Console if you see indexing delays
[ ] Gather client/user feedback on navigation and usability

For a complete view of the redesign process from strategy through launch, read our full website redesign guide for small businesses.

One Checklist Item That Covers a Lot: A Good Agency

If this list feels overwhelming, that’s understandable – there’s a lot to manage correctly in a redesign. Working with a qualified agency means most of these items are handled by professionals who do this every day.

Rated 4.8/5 by verified clients – including Dubai Fun Tour – DevVerx has guided dozens of small businesses through redesigns that improved both search rankings and conversion rates. Our process includes every phase above – strategy, SEO preservation, QA, and post-launch monitoring – as part of the standard engagement.