1. Name the change you need
“Make it modern” leaves too much undecided. Write down the customer action you want to make easier: understanding a service, requesting an estimate or booking through an existing tool.
If the site explains the business well and one form or mobile layout is broken, a focused repair may be enough. A redesign makes more sense when the content, navigation and presentation need to change together. The platform matters when editing or integration needs have changed.
2. List the pages worth keeping
Record each public page and useful download, including pages linked from old emails or printed materials. Note its purpose, useful content and next action. Where available, review search traffic, inquiries and incoming links. A page with few visits can still answer an important customer question.
Give each item a decision: keep, improve, combine or retire. Keep useful addresses where possible. If a URL must change, agree its closest relevant destination; do not send every old page to the homepage.
3. Inventory the tools behind the pages
A page list will not capture everything a site does. Record the owner and expected result for contact forms, receiving inboxes, booking calendars, maps, analytics and other connected tools. Note who controls the domain, hosting and website accounts. Share access through an agreed secure method, never in this worksheet.
For a form, record where entries are saved, who receives notifications and whether another workflow starts. Our contact-form test guide explains why “message sent” and actual inbox receipt are separate checks. A website move must also preserve the business email setup.
A small example
This fictional landscape business illustrates three planning decisions. It is not client work or a claim of improved results.
| Existing item | Decision and launch check |
|---|---|
| /garden-care A current service page | Keep the URL. Update the service details and confirm its inquiry link. |
| /projects A useful photo gallery | Improve the layout. Retain approved photographs and check image descriptions on mobile. |
| /contact An estimate form | Keep the URL and intended recipient. Coordinate one labeled test and verify the entry and actual notification receipt. |
Download the CSV inventory worksheet ↗ It includes these sample rows and one blank row to start your own list. Replace the examples, add your pages and save your copy. The download does not submit information to us.
4. Gather content and agree the scope
Choose one approval contact. Gather accurate service details, service areas, contact information, approved photographs and any required legal text. Record what you need to edit yourself after launch; a self-service editor is a platform decision, not an automatic feature of every website package.
Ask for named pages, deliverables, revision limits, ongoing bills and handover details in writing. Confirm what is excluded and which inputs determine the start date. A smaller package should not silently remove useful content or integrations.
5. Check the new site before and after launch
- Customer paths: read key pages on a phone, use the keyboard, and check navigation, phone links, forms and supported booking tools.
- Search continuity: check page titles, descriptions, final URLs, redirects, canonical addresses, sitemap and public indexing settings.
- Recovery and ownership: confirm the backup or rollback route, who can make changes and who handles inquiries during launch.
When addresses change, follow Google’s site-move guidance. Relevant redirects and monitoring help manage a move; they do not guarantee unchanged rankings.
6. Compare real outcomes
Before launch, save a dated baseline of the information you have: relevant search queries and landing pages, genuine inquiries and completed bookings. After launch, compare equivalent periods and record any gaps. A quieter week or a higher scanner score alone cannot establish whether the redesign helped.
Search Console’s performance report shows search clicks, impressions and query/page trends. Keep internal tests separate from real customer inquiries.
Start with one small design direction
For a relevant service-business website, we can prepare a free small private homepage concept or two key sections after you ask. Review it by email, phone or optional Google Meet. It is a design preview, not a complete free build, and there is no obligation to buy.