During a website redesign, handling contact information (phone, email, address, online forms, etc.) is a critical step that directly impacts customer inquiries and business conversions. Poor handling can lead to users being unable to find contact points or even losing potential opportunities. Below are specific methods covering content migration, technical compatibility, data backup, and testing verification.
1. Ensure All Contact Information Is Accurately Migrated
The most basic yet error-prone step in a redesign is ensuring that contact information is fully and correctly transferred to the new site. Use the following checklist to verify each item:
- Phone numbers: Ensure landlines, mobile numbers, and 400 hotlines match the old site exactly.
- Email addresses: Pay special attention to different purpose emails like info@, sales@, and hr@.
- Company address: Update if there are branch offices or location changes.
- Online forms: Check that field names, submission URLs, and required fields are consistent with the old forms.
- Social media links: Verify accuracy for platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin.
Take screenshots of all areas on the old site containing contact information (footer, About Us, Contact page, bottom of each content page) and compare them one by one after migration to avoid omissions.
2. Handle URL Changes and 301 Redirects
If the contact page URL changes after redesign (e.g., from /contact.htm to /contact/), set up 301 permanent redirects from the old URL to the new one. This transfers search engine ranking weight from the old page and ensures users clicking old links (e.g., from search engine caches or other websites) automatically reach the new page without encountering a 404 error.
Additionally, if you have listed old contact links on other platforms (e.g., B2B sites, directories, map markers), update them promptly to new links or contact details after the redesign to prevent user confusion from external channels.
3. Ensure Form Script and Email Sending Component Compatibility
Online forms are a key contact method. If you change the CMS system or form plugin during redesign, ensure:
- The email sending function after form submission works correctly (test multiple submissions to check if notification emails are received).
- The form data storage method (database, email, third-party API) is consistent with the old system or more reliable.
- CAPTCHA and anti-spam mechanisms function properly to prevent users from being unable to submit or receiving no feedback after submission.
For complex forms (e.g., product inquiries, trial requests, appointment bookings), retain the old form's field logic and consult with technical staff to confirm data processing workflows if necessary.
4. Include Contact Information on the 404 Page
Even with redirects, some old links may not be fully covered during the early redesign phase. Therefore, designing the 404 page (page not found) is important:
- Place contact information (phone, email, FAQ links) on the 404 page.
- Add a search box or popular section navigation to help users continue browsing the site.
This way, even if users land on a broken page, they still have a chance to contact the company via phone or email instead of leaving immediately.
5. Comprehensive Testing and Verification
Before going live, test the usability of contact information across multiple browsers and devices:
- Check if phone links (tel:) work correctly on mobile devices for dialing.
- Verify that email links (mailto:) open the default email client.
- Test the complete flow from filling out to submitting online forms to ensure smoothness.
- Confirm that embedded maps (if any) have correct address coordinates and appropriate zoom levels.
It is recommended to have at least two people conduct independent tests: one to compare new site information with old site records, and another to simulate user inquiries. Fix any issues found promptly.
6. Monitor Contact Feedback After Redesign
During the first week after launch, pay close attention to backend form data, email receipts, and call volumes for any abnormal changes. If a sudden drop in inquiries is noticed for a specific channel, check whether the contact method for that channel is incorrect or unavailable. Also, monitor search results for queries like "company name + phone number" to ensure old information is no longer displayed and new information is properly indexed.
Summary and Recommendations
The core of handling contact information during a website redesign is "accuracy, usability, and consistency." Accuracy means the information itself is correct, usability means users can easily reach you, and consistency means uniformity between old and new sites as well as across internal and external channels. By preparing a checklist before the redesign, implementing redirects and script compatibility during the process, and conducting thorough testing and monitoring afterward, you can minimize business losses caused by contact information issues. If your in-house technical team is limited, consider making contact information migration a separate phase of the redesign project and seek assistance from professional web development or SEO service providers.
