You know the saying about the cobbler’s kids having no shoes? That’s appropriate when you’re a digital marketing agency too busy helping clients improve their marketing to prioritize an investment in your own brand.
At JDM, we recently completed a full redesign of our website, and as the project manager, I had a front-row seat to the challenges and opportunities that come with the process. A website redesign is a major undertaking, and while it’s exciting to see the finished product, it’s easy for the process to get messy without a strong plan in place.
I wanted to share some of the key lessons I learned along the way so you can make your own redesign as smooth as possible (although it won’t be perfectly smooth, which brings me to my first tip).
Plan More Time Than You Think You’ll Need
If there’s one universal truth about large projects, it’s that they almost always take longer than expected. Website redesigns are no exception. Allow more time than you think you’ll need and build a buffer into your timeline to account for the inevitable delays and revisions.
Don’t cut corners in an attempt to save time that you’ll have to make up later. Specifically, resist the temptation to rush into design or development before the planning phase is complete. Spending the time upfront to outline all the pages, decide on the structure, and clarify responsibilities will pay off later when you’re deep in execution.
In our case, mapping out every page in advance made it easier to spot gaps and kept us from scrambling at the last minute to create missing content. Make it clear who is responsible for each task, set deadlines, and make sure everyone understands their role from the start.
Consult an SEO Expert in the Early Stages
Before going too deep in the process, make sure you’re working with someone who is an SEO expert. To avoid massive drops in search traffic after a redesign, it’s important to know what to expect based on your redesign plan. (Need help in this department? Reach out to us and chat with one of our SEO experts.)
Set Clear Design Direction from the Beginning
Even the most talented designers can’t read your mind. The clearer you are about your goals, the smoother the process will be. Before you even start, gather inspiration by looking at other websites you admire. Be ready to share specific examples of layouts, color palettes, and design elements that you want to incorporate.
We started with the homepage design first, because it sets the tone for the rest of the site. This part took the longest because we were locking in the site’s look and feel. Once the homepage design was finalized, it became much easier to build out the remaining pages with minimal revisions.
It’s also important to have all sections outlined and copy written before design work begins. This prevents back-and-forth changes later and ensures your design will accommodate the content you actually plan to use.
Make Decisions Quickly to Keep the Project Moving
One of the easiest ways to stall a redesign is to let decisions pile up. Tools like Figma make it simple to review and approve designs, but the key is to provide feedback quickly once a design is ready for review.
Limit the number of people who have to approve each design so you’re not stuck in endless feedback loops. While it’s important to gather perspectives, too many voices can slow progress and lead to conflicting opinions.
In our experience, the planning phase and original look and feel design phase is the time to get more opinions and feedback. From there, I recommend keeping the decision-making group small to maintain momentum.
Build It Right the First Time
It’s much more time-consuming to make updates after a page has been built, so take the time to get things right before development starts. This means having all copy finalized and proofread in advance, with no placeholders left to address “later.”
Images should be properly optimized for size and web performance, with alt tags ready to go for accessibility and SEO. Decide on URL structures and write out meta descriptions for each page ahead of time, so developers aren’t guessing or making changes after launch.
Laying this groundwork not only speeds up development but also helps avoid technical SEO issues down the road.
Stay Organized Throughout the Process
The bigger the project, the easier it is for files and assets to get lost. Keep everything organized by naming files consistently and storing them in the right folders before uploading them to the site.
If you have multiple people contributing content, make sure they’re all using the same naming conventions so nothing gets misplaced or mislabeled.
Don’t Forget the Small but Important Pages
It’s easy to focus all your attention on the big, visible pages, but smaller pages can also impact the user experience and brand perception. Pages like your 404 error page, blog author profiles, blog tag list pages, and even the email unsubscribe page all contribute to a polished, consistent site.
Neglecting these updates can feel unprofessional, lead to broken links, old designs, and undermine the work you’ve done elsewhere.
Test Thoroughly Before Launch
Once the site is built, it’s tempting to rush to launch, but don’t skimp on testing and QA. Check every page on both desktop and mobile to ensure the design is fully responsive. Test every flow, including lead forms and follow-ups, from the perspective of a new user. Ensure tracking is working properly in your CRM and any analytics platforms.
Create a testing document that lists every page, link, and feature so nothing is overlooked. As you or your team test, note any issues you find and track them until they’re resolved.
Have a Launch Plan
Once everything is ready to go, set a date to execute the launch. Consider things like team availability (both PTO and workload), when would be the least disruptive time for users, and other company events that could impact timing. (If you’re an ecommerce marketing agency, it’s probably not a good idea to schedule it for the week of Black Friday.)
Expect the worst and have a backup plan if things go wrong. Know who is in charge of what.
Once the site is live, do another round of QA (consider recruiting someone from the team not directly involved with the project so they can look at it with fresh eyes) and have your SEO team monitor site health and performance.
Plan for the Long Term
The launch is a huge milestone, but it isn’t the end of the project – it moves you into the next phase of ongoing maintenance. Even the best-built site will need updates, bug fixes, and adjustments as your business evolves.
Decide ahead of time who will be responsible for ongoing site management. If the person who built the site won’t be the one maintaining it, make sure whoever is taking over understands how everything works. A proper handoff can save a lot of headaches later.
Final Thoughts
Managing a website redesign is about creating a process that allows for clear communication, quick decisions, and detailed planning at every stage.
Investing time in preparation, staying organized, and thinking beyond the launch date are critical initiatives to help you avoid common pitfalls and end up with a great-looking site that supports your business for years to come.
