Your site is live, but it no longer reflects your business, is awkward to use or makes it difficult to contact you. I analyse its structure, content and functionality to identify which changes should take priority.
Send me the site you want to update
Before the new design: identify the problem
A website may need clearer content, different navigation or a technical review. Changing its appearance alone will not fix a form that fails to send enquiries or a page that does not explain the service. A redesign therefore starts with how the website is actually used and the business’s goals.
During the assessment, I consider factors including:
- Message: is it clear what you offer, which customers you serve and which areas you cover?
- Paths: are services, important information and contact details easy to find?
- Smartphone use: do text, menus, buttons and forms work on small screens?
- How it works: are there broken links, oversized images, errors or dependencies that need updating?
- Visibility: which pages exist, how are they connected and what search data is available?
If you can share access to search data and analytics, I use them to distinguish observed problems from assumptions. Without them, I can analyse the public website and explain what still needs to be checked.
Targeted improvements or a complete rebuild?
Targeted changes may be enough when the technical foundations are manageable and the problem affects only a few pages, pieces of content or user journeys. A more extensive review may help if the architecture limits new services, the interface needs rethinking or the platform makes the website difficult to maintain.
The proposal sets out what to keep, update and replace. Photos, text and pages that are still useful can be retained. A new content management system makes sense if the improvements to usability and maintenance justify the migration costs.
For a website built from scratch, see the website development service. To understand the signs that a website is outdated, read the guide to updating your business website.
What the website refresh involves
- Initial analysis: an inventory of pages, objectives, identified issues and available materials.
- Action plan: priorities, content to review, proposed structure and features to verify.
- Design and development: new pages or components, a review of the mobile experience and technical improvements within the agreed scope.
- Pre-launch checks: checking user journeys, content, forms and links in a test environment.
- Transition to the new website: a publishing plan, any redirects and follow-up checks on the modified parts.
Responsibilities for content, access, approvals and support are clarified before work begins. The how I work page describes how reviews are organised; my portfolio presents my projects.
Redesigning your website with existing URLs in mind
Existing pages may be accessed through Google, an external link or a bookmark. Before changing addresses or removing content, it is necessary to establish which URLs are in use and where they should lead after the update.
When a URL changes, the plan maps it to the relevant page and sets out the corresponding redirect. I also check internal links, sitemaps, canonical tags and indexing rules. The new website should let people continue along useful paths, including those that start on an internal page.
A redesign can affect search visibility. Managing old URLs and checking the site after launch reduces avoidable errors, but does not guarantee that every ranking will be maintained. For more on the basics, read how to approach SEO for an SME.
A collaborative process with the people who use the website
Our discussion starts with the current website and the difficulties customers and your team encounter. We can work remotely, sharing observations and revisions to bring the website back into line with the business's services and objectives.
If the problem continues after a form is submitted, for example because requests are copied or routed manually, we can also consider workflow automation. The purpose of the update should be tied to what actually happens in your business.
Questions about refreshing a website
Does the site need to go offline during the work?
Development can take place in a test environment while the current site remains available. The transition arrangements depend on the platform, hosting and access, and are defined in the launch plan.
Will I be able to keep my domain and email accounts?
In many projects, this is possible. Before making changes, I check how the domain, hosting and email are managed so that any changes can be coordinated with existing services.
Does all the copy need rewriting?
No. Useful, up-to-date copy can stay. Content needs reviewing if it no longer reflects your offering, fails to answer customers' questions or makes it difficult to tell your services apart.
How is the cost of a redesign determined?
The site's condition, the pages involved, content to be produced, integrations and migration all matter. A targeted update and a complete rebuild have different scopes: the proposal should make this explicit.
Let's start with your current website
Send me the URL and describe what you are unhappy with: enquiries, content, speed, management or appearance. I will help you identify what to assess before deciding on the work needed. Let’s discuss your website redesign.