Will I lose SEO during a redesign?

Not if migrated properly. URL mapping, 301 redirects, schema parity, and content migration preserve 95%+ of existing equity when executed carefully.

How long should the QA phase be?

At least 1 week of cross-device, cross-browser QA before launch — longer for sites with complex integrations. Skipping QA is where most launches go sideways.

Should I launch all at once or in phases?

On larger sites, phased launches isolate risk. Ship homepage and core conversion pages first, then migrate sections over 2–3 months.

Will I lose SEO during a redesign?

Not if migrated properly. URL mapping, 301 redirects, schema parity, and content migration preserve 95%+ of existing equity when executed carefully.

How long should the QA phase be?

At least 1 week of cross-device, cross-browser QA before launch — longer for sites with complex integrations. Skipping QA is where most launches go sideways.

Should I launch all at once or in phases?

On larger sites, phased launches isolate risk. Ship homepage and core conversion pages first, then migrate sections over 2–3 months.

Strategy · 11 min read

The Website Redesign Checklist (Don't Skip Any of These)

Half of all website redesigns lose organic traffic, conversion rate, or both. The difference between winners and losers isn't talent — it's process. This is the 40-item checklist I run before every launch.

Pre-redesign audit (do these first)

Pull 12 months of Google Analytics, Search Console, and CRM data. Identify pages driving traffic, rankings, and revenue. List every existing URL. Map conversion paths. Identify pages to preserve, redesign, merge, or retire.

SEO migration plan

URL map (old → new) for every page. 301 redirect file before launch. Schema parity (Article, LocalBusiness, Product, FAQ — match or improve). Title and meta description plan per page. Internal link mapping.

Website Redesign Checklist — illustrative image

Performance budget

Target LCP under 2.0s on mobile, CLS under 0.05, INP under 200ms. Image budget set per template. Font subsetting and self-hosting. Defer third-party scripts. Test on real 4G, not just lab data.

Accessibility + analytics + QA

WCAG 2.2 AA pass via axe + manual keyboard test. Analytics events mapped to old site for continuity. Form submissions tested across browsers. 404 page, robots.txt, sitemap.xml verified. Cross-device QA before DNS cutover.

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