What is at risk during a redesign?
In website redesign projects, problems rarely come from the new site itself; they come from the move from the old site to the new one. The three situations we see most often: old page URLs stop working and visitors coming from Google land on an error page; email records are deleted while domain settings are being changed, and the company cannot receive email for days; or the new site is published half-finished and visitors run into empty pages.
All of these risks can be prevented with planning. Our approach is simple: we do not touch your current site until the new one is completely ready.
Preparation at a test address
The new site is built at a test address that is separate from your live site. This address is closed to search engines, so half-finished content does not get indexed. You and your team browse the site on phones and computers and note anything missing. Fixes are made there; meanwhile your live site keeps running as it is.
Redirecting old URLs
We list every important URL on your current site and match it to its counterpart on the new site. This mapping is called a permanent redirect (technically, a 301); it tells search engines "this page now lives at this address," and most of the value the page has built up carries over to the new URL.
A sample mapping:
| Old URL | New URL |
|---|---|
| /products.php?id=12 | /products/pump-units |
| /about.html | /company |
| /contact.asp | /contact |
When preparing the list, we also take into account search engine records, pages that receive links from other websites, and addresses used in printed materials.
Switchover day checklist
- Have the email (MX) and other domain records been backed up?
- Have all redirects been tested at the test address?
- Does the contact form send mail to a real mailbox?
- Is the SSL certificate active on the new site?
- Has the sitemap been regenerated and submitted to search engines?
- Has a full backup of the old site been kept?
Once these checks are complete, the switch happens in one step. For visitors, the only difference is that they see the new site on their next visit.
The first weeks after the switch
After launch, we monitor error pages and search engine reports. If an old URL was missed, we add its redirect right away. Short-term fluctuations in rankings are normal and usually settle on their own with correct redirects. If you want to take your search visibility a step further, our SEO and AI visibility service comes in at this point.
Frequently asked questions
Will my Google rankings drop when the site changes?
When the old URLs are redirected correctly, no lasting loss is expected. There may be brief fluctuations in the first weeks; we monitor them and step in when needed.
Will my email go down during the switch?
No. Email records are backed up and preserved. For more about your business email, see the business email page.
Do I have to change my hosting company?
Not necessarily. If your current hosting is adequate, you can stay there; if it is not, we add the move to the migration plan.
For the full service, go back to the corporate website page, or write to us through the contact page with any questions.