A redesign replaces a site that is already live, so it needs more care than a first build. This guide sets out the steps in order, who decides at each one and where projects slip.
The website redesign process runs in order: set the goal, audit the current site, plan the structure and content, design, build and test on a private copy, then launch with redirects and check search afterwards. The old site stays live until the new one is ready. Timing depends on page count, content readiness and how fast feedback comes back.
The website redesign process at a glance
The website redesign process has nine steps, and they run in a fixed order because each one feeds the next. A redesign differs from a first build in one respect: a live site already exists, with visitors, search history and content. Much of the extra work goes into deciding what to keep and what to carry across. If you are building a first site rather than replacing one, the website development process sets out the stages and who does what.
| Step | What happens | What you provide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goal | Name the problem the redesign must solve and how you will check it | A short written goal and one decision-maker |
| 2. Audit | Record what the current site does well, what it does badly and what brings visits | Access to analytics, Search Console and the content system |
| 3. Brief and scope | Agree pages, features, platform and budget position | Decisions on must-have and later features |
| 4. Structure and content plan | Decide which pages stay, merge, go or are new | Text, photographs and approval of the page list |
| 5. Design | Wireframes, then visual design for desktop and phone | One consolidated list of feedback per round |
| 6. Build | The new site is built on a private test copy | Content on time and answers to questions |
| 7. Testing | Faults fixed; devices, forms and redirects checked | Checks on facts and the main tasks |
| 8. Launch | The live address switches to the new site | Domain and hosting access |
| 9. After launch | Monitoring, fixes and routine maintenance | A named owner for updates |
What to decide before the redesign starts
Redesigns go wrong most often because decisions were left until the work had begun. Settle these before a designer opens a file.
- The problem. "The site looks old" is a feeling. A goal is something you can check later: more enquiries from the contact page, fewer visitors leaving the service pages, a menu that fits a new product line, or pages your staff can edit without a developer.
- One decision-maker, with authority to approve designs and settle disagreements.
- The size of the job. A new look and layout on the current platform is a redesign. If the platform itself is the problem, the job is nearer a rebuild, and website redesign vs rebuild explains how to tell.
- Ownership. The domain, hosting and every login should be in your name, with the developer added as a user.
- Content. Who writes the text and supplies the photographs, and the date it is due.
- Budget position: a ceiling if you have one, and which features are must-have, should-have or for later.
- A deadline, only if a real event drives it, such as a campaign or a shop opening.
- Care after launch. Who updates, backs up and fixes the site once it is live.
Put the answers in a written brief and send the same brief to every developer you talk to. The guide to writing a website brief for a developer shows the headings to use.
Audit the current site and plan what stays
Before design starts, take stock of the site you have. List every page with its visits, the searches it appears for and whether it leads to an enquiry or a sale. This inventory also protects your search traffic, because it shows which pages must not be lost. Then give each page one outcome.
| Outcome | Typical pages | What it means for the new site |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | Pages that bring visits or enquiries and are still accurate | Same address, wording carried over, design refreshed |
| Improve | Pages that matter but read badly or are out of date | Rewrite or restructure, and keep the address |
| Merge or remove | Thin, duplicate or outdated pages | Combine into one stronger page, or retire it |
| Add | Services, products or questions with no page today | A new page in the structure |
Every address that changes needs a redirect from the old one to the new one. The website redesign SEO checklist covers the inventory, the redirect map and the checks after launch. Raise it at the start. Left to the last week, the redirect map gets rushed.
The output of this step is a sitemap: the list of pages in the new site, how they connect and what each page is for. Name pages as visitors would, not as the business is organised inside. Approve the sitemap before design starts, because changing the structure later means redrawing every layout.
Design and build: wireframes, visuals and a private test copy
Design normally runs in two rounds. Wireframes show the layout and order of content on each page without colour or images. Visual design then applies your brand for desktop and for phones. Approving a wireframe means agreeing to the layout, so raise concerns about structure then, not at the visual stage.
Check each design against the goal from step 1. A page can look good and still bury the one thing a visitor came to do. Look at the main task on a phone first, because many visitors will arrive on one.
The build happens on a private test copy that only the project team and you can open. Real content goes in as soon as it is ready. Pages built around placeholder text often break when the real text turns out longer or shorter. Send feedback in one batch, not as separate messages, and try the editing screens as well as the pages, since you will use them after launch.
Who needs to approve the new design
Fewer people than you might expect. One person should hold the final say, and one person should collect comments from everyone else and send them as a single list. Several people giving feedback separately is a common cause of delay and rework, because their comments conflict.
| Stage | Who approves | What the approval means |
|---|---|---|
| Goal and brief | The owner or decision-maker | The project is solving the right problem |
| Sitemap | Decision-maker, with input from people who answer customers | The pages and their order are right |
| Wireframes | Decision-maker | The layout of each page type is agreed |
| Visual design | Decision-maker, plus whoever owns the brand | The look matches the brand on desktop and phone |
| Content | The people who know the facts | Details, prices and claims are accurate |
| Test site | Decision-maker, after the team has checked | The site is ready to replace the old one |
Ask for each approval in writing, even if it is only an email. Where a page carries tax, legal or safety wording, have the right specialist read that text instead of asking the whole group.
Testing and launch
Test on the private copy before anything goes live. Check pages on a recent phone and on a computer, in more than one browser. Submit every form and confirm the message arrives. Try the main task as a stranger would: find a service, ask for a quote, complete a checkout. Run the old addresses through the redirects. Check that analytics and Search Console work on the new site and that nothing on the test copy tells search engines to stay away. The website launch checklist has the full list.
Launch means switching the live address to the new site, turning on the redirects and checking the search settings. Do it at a quiet time and keep the backup of the old site. Have your domain and hosting logins to hand, because the developer will need them or will tell you what to change. Agree beforehand who is on hand for the first days to fix anything that real visitors find.
Can the site stay live during a redesign?
Yes, and it should. The new site is built on a separate copy, and the old one stays live until the new one replaces it. Visitors keep using the old site, forms keep working and orders keep arriving. Three things need handling.
- Changes made to the old site during the project. Keep a log, so each change can be repeated on the new site before launch.
- Updates and security. The old site still needs updates and backups while the new one is built. Do not pause maintenance until launch day.
- Orders and accounts at the switch. For a shop, choose a quiet period. Any customer accounts and orders created on the old site just before launch must be carried over.
Some projects show a short maintenance notice during the switch itself. A well-planned switch should not need more than that.
How long a website redesign usually takes
No fixed figure fits every project. The time depends on the number of pages, how much of the design is new, features such as bookings or payments, how many rounds of changes you want and how quickly you supply content and answer questions. A small brochure site and a large shop with a catalogue are different projects.
Most delays do not come from the build. They come from these.
- Content that arrives after design has begun.
- Feedback from several people who disagree.
- Changes to scope after designs are approved.
- Redirects and search checks left to the last week.
- No access to the domain, hosting or other accounts on launch day.
Ask the developer for a schedule that shows your tasks as well as theirs, with a date for each approval. Work backwards from any fixed date and add time for testing. If the date is fixed and the content is late, something has to give: the pages, the features or the date.
After launch
Launch is not the end. In the first weeks, watch the search reports, test the forms again and fix what real visitors find. Then keep the site updated and backed up. A redesign with no maintenance afterwards slides back into the state that made it necessary. The website development page describes the websites Liftup builds and how to get in touch.
Questions and answers
What are the steps in a website redesign?
The steps are goal, audit of the current site, brief and scope, structure and content plan, design, build, testing, launch and care after launch. Each step produces something you can review, such as a page inventory, a sitemap or a test site. Later steps depend on earlier ones, so skipping the early work usually causes rework.
How long does a redesign usually take?
There is no standard figure. It depends on the number of pages, how much of the design is new, any features such as payments, the rounds of changes and how quickly you supply content and feedback. Ask for a schedule that includes dates for your own tasks, because late content is the most common cause of delay.
What should I decide before the redesign starts?
Decide the problem the redesign must solve, who makes the final decision, how big the job is, who owns the domain and hosting, who writes the content and by when, and what the budget position is. Also decide who will maintain the site after launch. Write the answers in a brief.
Who needs to approve the new design?
One decision-maker should give final approval at each stage, and one person should collect everyone else's comments into a single list. People who know the facts should check the content. Ask for approvals in writing so the team knows which version was agreed.
Can the site stay live during a redesign?
Yes. The new site is built on a private copy while the old one stays live. Keep a log of changes made to the old site so they can be repeated on the new one, keep up maintenance, and choose a quiet time for the switch, especially for a shop.
Do I need to rewrite all my content for a redesign?
Not usually. Audit the current pages and decide which to keep, improve, merge, remove or add. Pages that already bring visits and are accurate should keep their wording. New text is mostly needed for pages you add and for pages that read badly or are out of date.