Replacing an old website is not simply uploading new pages. You need to decide how to handle old content, set up redirects for old URLs, and ensure all critical pages are ready before going live. Without proper preparation, you risk missing pages, losing traffic, or even disrupting access. Below is a step-by-step guide to what you should prepare before a website redesign launch, organized by preparation, execution, and review.
1. Audit Your Current Website Content
The first and most important step is to understand what content currently exists on your old site. Export all URLs from your CMS or use a crawling tool into a spreadsheet, including page URL, page title, section, and last update date. Then, evaluate each page to decide its fate:
- Pages that still have value and traffic should be kept and migrated to the new site's corresponding sections.
- Outdated but still useful content should be updated and retained.
- Obsolete or duplicate pages should be merged into relevant pages or deleted.
Use criteria such as whether the page still receives visitors or serves a business purpose. For example, product pages and contact pages must be kept, while temporary campaign pages or discontinued product pages can be removed. Also, create a mapping table of old URLs to new URLs for later 301 redirects.
2. Plan the New Site Structure and Prepare Section Content
Design the new site's structure based on the audit results. List the sections you need and the pages under each, then compare with old content to determine what can be copied, rewritten, or added. For instance, if your old product categories are outdated, plan new categories and write new category introduction pages.
For each page, prepare titles, keywords, descriptions, and body content in advance. Core pages like the homepage, product pages, about us, and contact pages must be fully ready before launch. Create a content preparation spreadsheet with columns for page name, section, content status (draft, in progress, completed), owner, and due date to track progress.
3. Gather Images, Files, and Functional Assets
Images and files are often overlooked during a redesign. Review all images on the old site, select those to keep, and resize or rename them appropriately. Use lowercase filenames with hyphens (e.g., product-intro.jpg) for better SEO and team recognition. Store all new assets like logos, banners, and product images in a centralized folder, organized by section or purpose.
If the new site includes downloads, forms, or live chat, prepare the necessary files or backend settings in advance. For example, product manuals in PDF, form field configurations, and customer service contact details. Test these features in a staging environment to ensure they work after launch.
4. Create a Pre-Launch Checklist
Before going live, compile a checklist of items to verify. This may include:
- All page links work without 404 errors.
- Old URLs correctly redirect to new URLs via 301.
- Each page has a unique, correct title and meta description.
- All images display properly without broken images.
- Forms, comments, search, and other features are functional.
- Mobile display is correct and navigation is clear.
- Analytics code is installed and tracking traffic correctly.
Manually click through key pages and use online tools to scan the entire site for broken links. However, tool results should be treated as a reference; final verification of critical pages requires human review.
5. Plan the Launch Day Execution Steps
On launch day, follow this sequence:
- Back up the old website's data and files.
- Upload the new site files to the server and configure the database.
- Set up 301 redirects from old URLs to new URLs.
- Update DNS or server settings to make the new site live.
- Open key pages one by one to check display and functionality.
- After confirming everything works, verify traffic in analytics tools.
If issues arise during launch, you can quickly roll back to the old site to avoid prolonged downtime. Therefore, keep the old site backup for a period until the new site is stable.
6. Post-Launch Follow-Up
Launch is not the end; continue monitoring. Check analytics for 404 errors and fix any missed redirects. Pay attention to user feedback and resolve any usability issues. Also, update the sitemap and submit it to search engines, but note that the specific submission method and its effectiveness depend on current search engine mechanisms, which are beyond the scope of this article.
A website redesign launch requires careful preparation. By organizing content, assets, and checklists in advance, you can minimize last-minute problems. If you're planning a redesign, start compiling your old site content inventory today.
