Signs it is time to redo your site
A website redesign in Lyon is justified when several of these signs add up:
- the site displays badly on a phone;
- it takes a long time to open;
- you can no longer edit it yourself;
- the services, hours or address displayed are out of date;
- it no longer brings you enquiries;
- the technology is no longer updated, which exposes the site to security flaws.
Redo everything or improve what exists?
Sometimes, updating the texts, fixing the headings and lightening the images is enough. A full redesign is needed when the structure, the technology and the design are all a problem. A good provider starts with an audit: which pages work, which get in the way, and what each option would cost.
Before touching anything
- Back up the whole site;
- List all pages and their address;
- Identify in Google Search Console the pages that appear and receive clicks;
- Note for each: keep, merge or delete;
- Recover the access details: domain name, hosting, files.
This inventory avoids the most costly mistake: unknowingly deleting the page that brings half of your visits.
Redesign and SEO: addresses and redirects, the critical point
Changing a page’s address without telling Google amounts to deleting it. The safest way is to keep the same addresses. When that is not possible, each old address must permanently redirect to the new one, and the method depends on the hosting: server, extension or redirect page. Ask your provider to confirm how this point will be handled.
What to do with existing content?
Keep what works: the texts that rank, the reviews, the projects. Rewrite what is dated, and add recent proof. Do not replace a useful text with a shorter one just because the new design is airier.
Making the launch a success
- Test the new site on a temporary address that is not indexed;
- Check all redirects and forms;
- Update the sitemap and submit it in Google Search Console;
- Check the site address on your Google profile;
- Monitor errors, displayed pages and positions for several weeks.
A temporary drop after a redesign is common. A drop that lasts signals a problem to fix. For the rest of the project, see the steps to build a website, and for local visibility, the guide local SEO in Lyon.
Keeping control of your site
Keep your domain name: it carries your site’s age. Check that it is in your name and that you can recover the files. These questions and the other traps are listed in the guide price of building a website. To start from scratch, see the website packages in Lyon.
Key takeaway
For a successful website redesign, take the inventory before redesigning, keep the same addresses or redirect each one, keep the content that ranks, test before launch and monitor the following weeks.