Record the baseline before changing anything
List the existing URLs, page titles, internal links and downloadable files. Identify the pages that attract relevant searches or enquiries. Record how contact forms, booking links and tracking currently work. Save a recoverable copy of the existing site and note domain, hosting and account ownership. A new layout should not erase content that already answers customer questions.
Map changes one page at a time
Keep a useful URL when the page still serves the same purpose. If it must change, map the old address to the most relevant replacement and use an appropriate permanent redirect. Avoid sending every retired page to the homepage. Update internal links, canonical references, language alternatives and the sitemap to the intended final addresses.
- Old page and its intended replacement.
- Content that must survive the redesign.
- Redirect or removal decision and its owner.
- Linked files, forms and language equivalents.
Test what visitors actually do
Open the site on a phone and use the menu, search, enquiry form and external links. Check keyboard focus, text contrast and reduced-motion behaviour. Test a missing page and a failed form submission. If the form only opens an email app, say so clearly; that is a different experience from receiving a confirmed submission in a CRM.
Check the release, then the search response
After launch, verify important pages and assets on the public domain, including old addresses that should redirect. Inspect Search Console for crawl and indexing changes. Search systems can take time to process a redesign, and a successful deployment is not evidence that rankings have transferred. Keep a change record so a new issue can be linked to a specific release.