Website redesign for New Zealand businesses

Signs a New Zealand site needs a redesign

Common triggers are a site that looks dated next to competitors, pages that load slowly on phones, a theme the developer no longer supports, a rebrand, a new service line or a move from one platform to another. Sometimes the answer is a lighter refresh. We review analytics, Search Console and the content before recommending a full rebuild, and our website redesign checklist shows the questions we ask.

The risk with any redesign is losing traffic. New URLs, missing pages and thinner content can erase years of search work. That is why the audit comes before design.

We also ask what the current site does well. Some pages convert quietly for years, such as a service page that brings steady quote requests or a guide that draws links. Those pages are marked as protected before any design work starts, so the new look is built around them instead of replacing them by accident. A short list of what must not change is often the most valuable output of the audit.

What we protect during a redesign

The website migration checklist lists the steps in order. Our website redesign service page covers the full process, and the redesign cost guide shows what drives price.

Domains, hosting and the New Zealand audience

If the site uses a .nz or .co.nz domain, keep the registration in your own name and do not let it lapse during a project. The .nz space is overseen by the Domain Name Commission, and your registrar manages renewals. If you are moving from a .com to a .co.nz, or the reverse, the change needs careful redirects and Search Console notes, so we plan it separately.

Hosting location affects speed. We check where the old site is hosted and whether a New Zealand or Australian region, or a content delivery network, would help visitors in Auckland and beyond. Pages are tested on mid-range phones with normal mobile connections, since many visitors browse that way.

Email deserves a check too. If the domain sends form notifications and staff email, DNS records for SPF, DKIM and DMARC must carry over to the new setup, or messages may land in spam. We test this on a staging address before the switch and confirm that enquiries reach the right inbox afterwards.

Content, privacy and legal details

A redesign is a good time to fix wording. Prices should show NZ dollars with GST included for consumers, or clearly labelled excluding GST for trade customers. Claims about service, results or stock should be accurate under the Fair Trading Act 1986. Check the returns and terms pages too. The CGA, a 1993 consumer-rights statute, gives consumers automatic rights, and your lawyer should confirm the wording.

Forms collect personal information, so the Privacy Act 2020 applies. We add notices where data is collected, link your privacy statement and avoid sending form content to services you have not disclosed. Marketing signups need consent under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007. Information privacy principle 12 is relevant when form data passes to overseas tools, so list them. Accessibility improvements such as contrast, keyboard use and labelled fields are included.

Images need care in a redesign. We resize and compress photos, add descriptive alt text and keep file names meaningful, because image search and accessibility both depend on them. Photos of your real team and real work are worth keeping and should be given a prominent place.

How the project runs

1. AuditTraffic, rankings, conversions, content and technical health.
2. PlanNew sitemap, page templates, redirect map and success measures.
3. Design and buildKey pages first, reviewed on real devices.
4. Test on stagingRedirects, forms, speed, tracking and accessibility.
5. Launch and watchGo live at a quiet hour, then monitor indexing and errors for weeks.

New Zealand is 6.5 or 7.5 hours ahead of India, so a 2 pm call in Dunedin is early morning in Pune. We work remotely and have no New Zealand office. For the design side, see website design in New Zealand.

Cost

Projects start at $1,500 and our rate is $30 an hour, in US dollars. Page count, platform, custom features, content rewriting and migration complexity move the quote. Ask your accountant how GST applies to services from an overseas supplier.