Quick answer
A redesign is a chance to improve the visitor journey, but it can also disrupt enquiries if existing forms, pages or tracking disappear. Start by recording what already works: pages that bring enquiries, popular search queries, current forms and the content customers actually use.
Practical scope
Prepare an inventory of existing URLs, content, images and downloads. Decide what to keep, rewrite, merge or retire. If addresses change, ask the developer for a redirect map and test it before launch. Record who owns the domain, hosting account, analytics and source files.
Design reviews should include mobile screens and the path to contact or purchase. Before launch, test forms, notifications, language switching, analytics, page speed and key links. Keep a copy of the old site and agree who fixes issues after release. The best redesign improves a measurable task, such as qualified enquiries or successful bookings.
What to define before requesting proposals
- Current pages, forms and journeys that already perform well
- URL, content and download inventory
- Redirects, analytics and conversion tracking
- Launch rollback, warranty and ownership
Questions to ask service providers
- How will existing search traffic and enquiries be protected?
- Who validates redirects, forms and analytics before launch?
- What happens if a critical problem appears after release?
How to assess the answers
A successful redesign improves a measurable customer task without losing working content, links or tracking. Require a migration and launch plan, not only new screens.
Define continuity as an acceptance requirement
A fictional enquiry site could require that an enquiry reaches the correct staff mailbox, is recorded once and displays a confirmation in the selected language. Agree these checks before design work. Include any booking or payment journey that must keep working during the changeover.
Prepare a launch and recovery checklist
- List critical pages, forms, external connections and account owners.
- Agree a content freeze, data transfer plan and launch responsibilities.
- Specify when to restore the old service if a critical flow fails.
- Confirm who monitors errors and handles launch support.
Is copying the old appearance enough?
No. Preserve or deliberately improve the tasks customers and staff depend on. Test complete journeys as well as the appearance of individual pages.
Redesign migration and launch register
Copy these items into your brief, adapt the requirements and assign an owner and status. Examples illustrate planning decisions, not customer case studies. Fill cost fields with HKD quotations you obtain and state the billing period.
| Decision / item | Information to provide | Acceptance / comparison check |
|---|---|---|
| Existing URL | Old page, replacement URL and content owner | The correct replacement is reachable and redirects are mapped |
| Critical journey | Enquiry, booking or purchase and its dependencies | A complete authorized test passes before launch |
| Recovery | Rollback owner, trigger and data reconciliation | The team can explain recovery without losing recent records |
Download the editable worksheet (CSV)