A website redesign means rebuilding the design, structure or technology of an existing site. Planned well, it keeps your visitors and your place in Google.
Does your site need a redesign or just a few fixes?
A redesign is due when the problem sits in the structure of the site, not in a detail. A vague headline or a dated photo can be fixed quickly.
| Sign | A fix is enough | Consider a redesign |
|---|---|---|
| The site is slow | Heavy images to compress | The theme or platform slows down every page |
| It looks wrong on a phone | A button or menu to adjust | The site was never designed for mobile |
| Few inquiries | A hidden form or a missing call to action | Visitors don't understand what you offer |
| Dated content | A few pages to rewrite | Your services changed and the structure no longer fits |
| Changes cost a lot | Someone trained on the tool | Every change needs a developer |
Before you decide, find where the problem comes from. Our article on why a business gets no clients online helps you sort it out.
Example
Picture an accounting firm that gets few inquiries. Its site looks fine, but the form sits at the bottom of a Contact page nobody visits.
A visible button on every page solves it, with no redesign.
What should you prepare before a website redesign?
Three documents are enough to start: your goals, an inventory of your pages and the list of pages that bring results. They keep you from paying to rebuild what already worked.
- Set one or two measurable goalsFor example: more quote requests, or fewer calls about the same questions.
- List every pageIn a spreadsheet: the address, the topic, and whether the page stays, changes or goes.
- Find the pages that bring resultsIn Google Search Console or Google Analytics, note the ones that attract visits or inquiries.
- Gather your contentText, photos, logos, real testimonials and access to your domain name.
Google Search Console is Google's free tool that shows which searches lead people to your site.
If a page has drawn visits for years, keep its content and topic, even with a new layout.
How do you keep your Google rankings during the move?
By redirecting every old address to the new page that replaces it. A permanent redirect (301) sends visitors and Google from the old address to the new one automatically.
Google's guide to site moves says to map each old URL to a new one and to redirect straight to the final destination. It also says to keep the redirects for at least a year.
- One old page, one matching new page. Don't send everything to the home page.
- One hop. The old address leads straight to the final page, with no step in between.
- A test after launch: open your most visited old addresses one by one.
Example
Your old page /accounting-services/ becomes /services/accounting/. Without a redirect, a client who bookmarked it lands on an error.
With a 301 redirect, they arrive straight on the new page.
After launch, SEO and visibility in AI answers carry on with new content.
Phone and speed come before the look
Google ranks your site based on its mobile version. Google states that it uses the mobile version of a site's content for indexing and ranking.
So design every page on a phone first, with the same content as on a computer, as Google asks.
Speed can be measured too. According to web.dev, the largest element of a page should load within 2.5 seconds. This measure, called LCP, is one of the Core Web Vitals, Google's scores for page experience.
Ask your agency to measure these scores before and after the redesign. Good managed hosting helps keep them steady over time.
A bilingual site is structured from day one
If you serve clients in French and English, plan the second language at the start, not after launch.
Google recommends a different URL for each language version, rather than cookies or browser settings. It also suggests linking each page to its other language versions.
- One address per language, for example /fr/services/ and /services/.
- A real translation of each page, reviewed by someone fluent in that language.
What drives the timeline and the budget?
The budget follows the size of the project, not a standard rate. At Synaptic, the price is fixed in writing after a free consultation, based on the number of pages and the options.
| Factor | What adds work |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | Each layout and each text to review |
| Online booking or payment | Tools to connect and test |
| Writing the content | New copy, or bringing over your current text |
| Links to other tools | A form sent to your CRM, your client file software |
The timeline depends a lot on you: content ready, photos gathered and quick approvals.
For Urban Gardeners, a London landscaping company, the complete WordPress redesign came with SEO and a CRM that captures every quote request.
Questions to ask an agency before you sign
Ask these questions before you accept a quote, and get the answers in writing.
- Is the price fixed, and what would make it change?
- How do you handle redirects from the old addresses?
- What SEO is included at launch?
- Can I review and approve the design at each step?
- Who hosts the site and who updates it after launch?
Our website design service includes redirects, titles, descriptions and structured data at launch. You review and approve the design at each step.
If your site must also answer inquiries in the evening, see what AI does for professional services firms.
Frequently asked questions
Will a redesign hurt my search rankings?
Not if it is well prepared. Google warns that visibility may fluctuate temporarily during a site move. Complete redirects and keeping the content that ranks limit that risk.
Should I change my domain name at the same time?
No, not without a good reason. Keeping the same domain makes the redesign simpler. If you do change it, every page of the old domain should redirect to its match on the new one.
Who should write the text for the new site?
You, with help. You know your clients and services better than anyone. An agency can structure the pages, suggest headlines and edit, but you approve every word.
Should I redo the whole site or go step by step?
It depends on the structure. If it still holds, start with the pages that bring the most results. If not, a full redesign avoids stacking up fixes.
What should I check after launch?
Watch Google Search Console in the weeks that follow. Look for 404 errors, meaning pages not found, and add a redirect for each one. Then compare your inquiries with those from before.