Considering a New Website? The Critical Checks Before You Engage a Designer
A website redesign can improve your brand and customer experience. It can also disrupt years of search visibility, marketing data, integrations and digital credibility if the wider ecosystem is not understood first.
Search | Marketing | Integrations | Security | Customer Journey
A design or branding agency presents a polished new website. The homepage looks modern. The imagery feels stronger. The navigation appears cleaner. Senior leaders are enthusiastic. The project is approved. The site is built, tested and placed live. Everything appears to work.
Then, during the following weeks: search traffic falls, important keywords lose visibility, paid advertising becomes more expensive, forms stop recording conversions correctly, external links lead to missing pages, remarketing audiences stop growing, CRM records are incomplete, customers cannot find familiar content, and inbound leads begin to decline.
"A new website can look better, perform correctly and still damage the business."
The existing website may contain years of accumulated value that is not visible in a design presentation: search visibility built page by page, advertising relationships developed over months, conversion data that informs campaign decisions, integrations that feed business systems, and external links from clients, partners and directories that point to specific pages.
This article is for CEOs, CFOs, marketing directors, commercial leaders and project sponsors who are considering a website replacement. It explains what to check before appointing a designer, what to protect during the migration, and how to treat the project as the business-system change it actually is.
Your website is connected to far more than your brand
Leadership teams typically see the visible layer of a website: the homepage, the branding, the navigation, the images, the copy and the calls to action. That visible layer is important, but it represents only a fraction of what the website actually does.
What leadership teams tend to see
- Homepage design and branding
- Navigation structure
- Images and visual identity
- Copy and messaging
- Calls to action
- Overall appearance and feel
What may sit behind the site
What the design presentation may not show
The Website Is a Business System
Every connection below can be affected by a website migration. Understanding these dependencies before the project begins is the foundation of a controlled change.
Website
The most dangerous website problems appear gradually
The most dangerous website migration is often not one that visibly fails at launch. It is one that appears successful while traffic, enquiries and marketing efficiency deteriorate over the following weeks and months.
- New site is live
- Pages load correctly
- Forms appear to work
- Leadership approves the design
- Some old links return errors
- Tracking discrepancies appear
- Search engines begin recrawling
- Advertising destinations change
- Important landing pages lose traffic
- Conversion rates change
- Unmapped URLs disappear from search
- Paid advertising efficiency deteriorates
- Inbound lead volumes may be lower
- Historic comparisons become difficult
- Lost search visibility is harder to diagnose
- Teams debate whether the issue is seasonal or technical
"A successful launch is not the same as a successful migration."
Understand the existing website before deciding what should replace it
The goal is not to preserve every page. The goal is to decide deliberately what should be retained, improved, consolidated, redirected, rewritten or removed. That decision requires evidence, not design preference alone. Much like a cloud migration, a website migration requires discovery, dependency mapping, testing and a controlled cutover.
Establish the current position
Review traffic, enquiries, rankings, conversions and customer journeys. Record the current state at site and page level before any changes are made.
Identify dependencies
Document links, advertising, forms, tags, CRM connections, domains, DNS records and external references. This is the dependency map for the migration.
Understand value at page level
Determine which individual URLs attract visitors, backlinks or conversions. Pages that look unimportant may carry significant search or referral value.
Design the future structure
Create the new navigation and content architecture using evidence from the audit. Design decisions should be informed by what currently works, not only by visual preference.
Build the migration plan
Map redirects, tags, integrations, testing activities, launch tasks and rollback procedures. The plan should be agreed by marketing, IT and business stakeholders before design begins.
Agree governance and ownership
Confirm who owns the domain, hosting, analytics, advertising accounts and CRM. Ensure the business holds credentials for all critical systems, not only the agency.
Do not discard years of search performance without understanding it
Search engines understand and rank individual pages, not simply the company brand or homepage. A page that has accumulated relevance, backlinks and recognition for a specific subject over several years may be one of the most commercially valuable assets on the site, even if it looks unremarkable. Tools including Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, analytics platforms, website crawlers and backlink reports should be reviewed before any structural decisions are made.
Pages that may look unimportant
- Older insights and blog posts
- Long-form guides and resources
- Sector or industry pages
- Location pages
- Frequently asked questions
- Historic campaign pages
Value they may still create
- Search visibility for specific queries
- Referral traffic from external links
- Backlinks from credible sources
- Early-stage discovery by prospective customers
- Commercial-intent visits
- Credibility and authority signals
Do not assume the homepage carries all the authority
Individual pages may have accumulated relevance, links and recognition for specific subjects over many years. Removing or significantly changing these pages without a deliberate plan can affect search visibility in ways that are difficult to diagnose and slow to recover.
Every existing page needs a deliberate decision
A URL inventory is a structured record of every page on the existing site. It becomes the foundation of the migration plan, ensuring that no page is accidentally removed, incorrectly redirected or forgotten. The inventory should be agreed by marketing, IT and commercial stakeholders before the new site structure is finalised.
| Current URL | Page Title | Purpose | Search Traffic | Conversions | Backlinks | Proposed Destination | Decision | Test Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /services/it-support | IT Support Services | Commercial | High | High | Yes | /managed-it-support | Retain + redirect | Pending |
| /blog/2019/cloud-guide | Cloud Guide 2019 | Educational | Medium | Low | Yes | /insights/cloud-guide | Redirect | Pending |
| /old-pricing | Pricing 2021 | Commercial | Low | None | No | N/A | Remove (410) | Pending |
| /sector/finance | Finance IT | Sector | Medium | Medium | Yes | /finance-sector-it | Retain + redirect | Pending |
Changing a page means managing what happens to the old address
A permanent 301 redirect is a server-side instruction that sends visitors and search engines from an old URL to a new location. A well-implemented redirect should be server-side, point directly to the closest equivalent page, avoid unnecessary chains, be tested before launch, remain in place long term, preserve query parameters where needed, and work correctly on mobile and desktop. If no suitable replacement exists, a correct 404 or 410 response may be more honest than an irrelevant redirect.
Poor redirect approach
Every removed page points to the homepage.
- Poor user experience
- Lost context for the visitor
- Confusing signals for search engines
- Broken external customer journeys
- Harder to diagnose problems later
Better redirect approach
Each valuable old URL maps to the closest equivalent new page.
- More relevant user journeys
- Better continuity for returning visitors
- Easier testing and verification
- Stronger migration control
- Clearer post-launch diagnosis
Protect how prospects discover, evaluate and choose your business
Simplifying the website should not mean removing the content that supports earlier buying stages. A prospect researching a problem needs different content from one ready to request a consultation. Both journeys need to work after the migration.
Typical search queries
- What causes this issue?
- What options exist?
- What should we consider?
- What risks are involved?
Likely page destinations
- Insights and guides
- Educational pages
- Reports
- FAQ content
A new landing page can change the economics of your advertising
Advertising platforms including Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Meta and LinkedIn may have accumulated data around keywords, audiences, ads, landing pages, conversion history and engagement. Changing destination URLs, page content, loading speed, tracking configuration or consent controls can affect how campaigns perform. Changing a landing page is not a neutral action.
Advertising pre-launch checklist
- Export all active campaign destination URLs
- Identify hidden or unlisted landing pages
- Review sitelinks and ad extensions
- Preserve UTM parameters across all URLs
- Recheck page relevance to ad copy
- Test mobile performance on all landing pages
- Validate conversion events before and after launch
- Test remarketing audience membership
- Monitor advertising costs after launch
- Compare against pre-launch benchmarks
"A page can look better and still convert worse."
Visual improvements do not automatically translate to better campaign performance. Conversion rate, page speed, form usability and tracking accuracy all affect the commercial return from paid advertising. These should be tested against pre-launch benchmarks, not assumed to have improved.
Copying a tag container does not guarantee that measurement still works
The new site may change button names, form structures, page URLs, thank-you pages, event names, single-page application behaviour, consent configuration and embedded tools. Each of these changes can break tracking that previously worked. A tag register should document every tag on the site, its purpose, the platform it belongs to, the consent category it falls under and the trigger that fires it.
Analytics
Page views, journeys, engagement and attribution. Verify that sessions, events and goals are recording correctly after launch.
Advertising
Conversions, audiences and campaign optimisation. Confirm that conversion events are firing and remarketing lists are populating.
Behaviour Tools
Session recordings, heatmaps and user behaviour. Confirm that tools are loading under the correct consent category.
Consent Management
Controls which optional technologies can load. Verify that the consent banner is correctly configured for the new site's actual technologies.
A working form is only the beginning of a conversion
A form that displays a confirmation message is not necessarily working. Each step in the conversion journey needs to be tested independently. This applies to contact forms, consultation bookings, telephone calls, live chat, downloads, event registrations, newsletter sign-ups, job applications and portal registrations.
Visitor submits
Form accepts and validates the information correctly.
Website confirms
Visitor receives a clear confirmation message or page.
Analytics records
The correct event is captured in the analytics platform.
Advertising receives
The platform receives the conversion where consent allows.
CRM creates
The lead or contact record is created with correct data mapping.
Sales is notified
The correct person or team receives the enquiry promptly.
Visitor receives follow-up
Any confirmation email or next step is sent correctly.
Attribution intact
Source, campaign and landing page are retained in the record.
"A form that displays 'Thank you' but never reaches the CRM is not working."
Other websites may still point to pages you are planning to remove
Review platforms and industry directories are credibility sources, not merely referral links. A broken link from a trade body, a client case study or a professional directory creates a poor impression and may affect search visibility. Before removing or changing any URL, check whether it receives external links and plan accordingly.
Sources to review
Recommended actions
- Update the external link where possible
- Preserve the old URL where sensible
- Add a relevant permanent redirect
- Test the destination after launch
- Monitor referral traffic in analytics
- Avoid sending every link to the homepage
Your website address exists in more places than your marketing team may realise
A domain change requires a structured external-update plan. The website address may appear in Google Business Profile, Bing Places, trade directories, professional registers, partner directories, supplier marketplaces, social profiles, recruitment sites, event listings, award entries, press articles, company databases and historic email campaigns. Each of these sources should be identified and updated as part of the migration plan.
AI assistants need clear, accessible and authoritative content
Organisations cannot guarantee whether or how AI assistants will reference or recommend their business. No platform publishes a reliable ranking algorithm for AI-generated responses, and the landscape is changing rapidly. However, there are useful principles that apply to both traditional search and AI-powered discovery.
Replacing detailed educational content with visual slogans may make the site less useful to both people and automated systems. AI assistants tend to draw on content that is clear, authoritative, accessible and consistent. Stable URLs, strong headings, substantial content, consistent company information, accessible HTML, structured data, evidenced expertise and useful answers to customer questions are all reasonable foundations.
Help search engines find changes, but do not rely on submission alone
XML sitemaps, Google Search Console submission, Bing Webmaster Tools, IndexNow, updated internal links, crawlable navigation, correct status codes and redirects all assist search engine discovery. IndexNow is a mechanism used by participating search engines to receive notifications about URLs that have been added, changed or removed. It can assist discovery but does not guarantee indexing or rankings. Submission is one useful step within a broader migration process.
Discovery flow
A production website can accidentally remain invisible
Staging sites commonly use noindex instructions to prevent search engines from indexing unfinished content. That instruction must not accidentally remain on the production website. Similarly, canonical tags pointing to the staging domain should be corrected before launch. These are among the most common and damaging technical errors in a website migration.
Indexing Controls
- robots.txt configuration
- noindex directives
- Canonical URLs
- XML sitemap
URL Consistency
- HTTPS enforcement
- www versus non-www
- Trailing slash consistency
- Uppercase and lowercase
- Duplicate pages
Site Structure
- Internal links
- Breadcrumbs
- Navigation
- Pagination
Structured Content
- Schema markup
- Title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Heading hierarchy
- Image alt text
Staging noindex warning
Staging sites often use noindex. That instruction must not accidentally remain on the production website. Also check that canonical tags do not point to the staging domain.
The website should be tested under real working conditions
Large imagery and animation can make a website impressive in a presentation but frustrating for real users on slower connections or older hardware. Testing should cover mobile devices, tablets, desktop sizes, different browsers, slower connections, older hardware, forms, menus, cookie banners, embedded video, interactive components and long-form content. Passing a performance test does not guarantee stronger search rankings, but a slow or unstable site creates a poor experience for users and may affect advertising quality signals.
Accessibility should be part of the design brief
Accessibility benefits users with permanent, temporary and situational impairments. It also supports compliance obligations and improves the experience for all users. Accessibility requirements should be defined in the brief, not added as a final automated scan. The following areas should be addressed during design, development and testing.
Accessibility is not a final automated scan
- Design decisions
- Content structure
- Development practices
- Manual testing
- User testing
- Ongoing content governance
A redesign changes the data being collected and how it is collected
Old consent wording should not be reused without checking the new site's actual technologies. The new site may introduce different analytics tools, advertising tags, chat tools, embedded media, form notices, newsletter consent mechanisms and third-party processors. Each of these may require updated privacy and cookie policies.
Legal compliance should be reviewed by an appropriately qualified privacy professional. The following areas should be considered during the project: cookie categories and consent banners, analytics and advertising tags, chat tools, embedded media, form notices, data retention, newsletter consent, third-party processors, international transfers, preference withdrawal, and privacy and cookie policies.
The business should own its website accounts and critical credentials
Company-controlled accounts should be used rather than credentials owned solely by an individual at an agency. When an agency relationship ends, the business should retain full access to every system and account associated with the website.
Ownership checklist
Security checklist
Changing the website can accidentally affect email and other services
DNS may support far more than the website. The same zone may contain records for Microsoft 365, email delivery, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SaaS platform verification, customer portals, remote access services, subdomains and SSL certificates. Website-related DNS changes should be coordinated with whoever manages the wider IT environment.
Do not replace the DNS zone without understanding it
A missing or incorrect DNS record can disrupt email delivery, authentication, portals or third-party services. This is one of the most damaging and least visible errors in a website migration.
Wavex is not a website design company. However, Wavex may help clients understand DNS, security, identity and integration dependencies as part of its managed IT services, even where the website project is managed by a separate agency.
The visible form may be the smallest part of the process
Website forms and interactions may connect to CRM systems, marketing automation, recruitment platforms, event management, payment systems, live chat, customer portals, support systems, call tracking, email delivery, APIs, webhooks, Power Automate and Zapier. Each integration should be tested for successful submissions, failed submissions, duplicate submissions, spam handling, downtime behaviour, data mapping, notifications, retention and access control.
Treat launch as a managed business-system change
Launch should not rely on one developer making changes without the relevant marketing, IT and business teams being available. A controlled launch follows a structured process with defined critical failure criteria and a tested rollback plan. This mirrors the approach used in any significant business-system migration, as described in our guide to business resilience and continuity planning.
Prepare
Backups, access, scripts, redirect map and test plan.
Validate
Staging review, forms, tags, integrations, performance and security.
Launch
DNS, redirects, sitemap, tags and production checks.
Monitor
Traffic, conversions, errors, indexing and enquiries.
Roll Back if Required
Define critical failure criteria and recovery actions in advance.
You cannot measure the impact if you do not record the current position
Benchmarks should be recorded at site and page level before any changes are made. Without a pre-launch baseline, it is difficult to determine whether post-launch changes in traffic, leads or conversions are caused by the migration, seasonal variation, market conditions or other factors.
Website migration does not finish when the homepage appears
Page-level monitoring is more useful than relying only on total traffic. A site can show stable overall traffic while individual high-value landing pages have lost visibility. Post-launch monitoring should be structured and sustained.
The Pre-Design Website Checklist
Review each category with your project team before appointing a website supplier or approving a new site structure.
Questions to Ask Before Appointing a Website Supplier
A capable website supplier should be able to answer these questions clearly. Where answers are vague, the project scope may need to be clarified before contracts are signed. This is the same principle that applies to any significant technology procurement, as explored in our guide to why software selection fails and how to get it right.
How will you audit the current site before redesigning it?
How will you identify important landing pages and their value?
Who will create and test the redirect map?
How will tags and analytics be preserved across the migration?
How will conversions be validated end-to-end?
How will CRM integrations be tested?
How will accessibility be incorporated into the design and build?
How will mobile performance be tested under real conditions?
How will staging content be kept out of search engines?
What security and backup controls are included?
Who will own the domain, hosting and all accounts after launch?
What is the rollback plan if critical issues arise at launch?
What monitoring happens in the weeks after launch?
How will success be measured against the pre-launch baseline?
Who investigates if traffic or leads decline after launch?
Why Wavex is writing about website change
Wavex is not a website design company. Wavex does not provide branding, copywriting, creative design or SEO consultancy as part of its managed IT services.
However, website changes frequently affect systems Wavex may help clients manage, including DNS, Microsoft 365, email security, identity, cybersecurity, SaaS integrations, CRM connections, data protection, supplier access and business continuity. A website project that is not coordinated with the wider IT environment can create problems that are difficult to diagnose and slow to resolve.
The wider lesson applies to any established business system: it should not be replaced without first understanding its users, data, integrations, dependencies, access controls, security requirements and operational processes. This is the same principle that applies to IT strategy and technology governance more broadly.
Planning a major business-system change?
Speak to your IT, marketing, security and data-protection stakeholders before the project structure is finalised. Ensure that DNS, integrations, security controls and account ownership are reviewed as part of the project scope, not as an afterthought.
Website redesign and migration FAQs
Related Insights
The value in the old website may not be visible in a design presentation
A company's current website may be visually dated or difficult to manage. That does not mean it has no value. It may contain years of accumulated search visibility, external links, customer journeys, advertising history, conversion data, integrations, credibility and business knowledge.
The objective should not be to discard the old website and start again. It should be to understand what already works, protect the value that has accumulated and improve the areas that genuinely need to change. That requires evidence, planning and coordination across marketing, IT, security and commercial teams.
A website redesign is a legitimate and often necessary business investment. Approached as a business-system migration rather than a design project, it can deliver lasting improvement. Approached without due diligence, it can damage the business in ways that take months to diagnose and longer to recover.
"Will the new website make the business easier to find, easier to trust and easier to engage with, without disrupting the ecosystem that already supports it?"
Is your IT environment ready for a major system change?
Speak to Wavex about DNS, security, integrations and account ownership before your website project begins. We help organisations understand and protect the technology dependencies that support their business.
Talk to us about your IT environment
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