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Dorbyl International
6 min read

Website Redesign Checklist for Small Businesses

When is it time to redesign a website?

Redesign when the site is difficult to use on a phone, slow to load, impossible to update, or no longer reflects what the business does. Do not redesign purely for a new look — that is how businesses accidentally lose the rankings and traffic they already had.

Before you touch anything: record what you have

  • Export a list of every current URL.
  • Note which pages receive traffic in Google Analytics or Search Console.
  • Record your current titles and meta descriptions.
  • Save a copy of all existing content and images.

Decide what to keep

Pages that rank or convert should keep their URL and their core content. A redesign changes presentation and structure — it should not silently delete pages that were working.

Plan redirects properly

Where a URL must change, map the old address to the closest matching new page with a 301 redirect. Never redirect every old page to the homepage; that tells Google the old content no longer exists and wastes its accumulated value.

Fix the things that actually cost you enquiries

  • Mobile layout and tap target sizes.
  • Page speed and image weight.
  • A clear, repeated call to action.
  • Contact options — form, phone and WhatsApp.
  • Heading structure and page metadata.
  • The ability to update content yourself.

After launch

  • Submit the new sitemap in Google Search Console.
  • Check for crawl errors in the first week.
  • Test every form and contact link.
  • Compare traffic to the previous period after four weeks.

Frequently asked questions