WordPress website redesign services

Stages of a redesign engagement

1. 01

   Audit

   Content, plugins, theme, performance, URLs.

   Output: Written audit

2. 02

   Recommendations

   Theme, structure and plugin plan.

   Output: Agreed plan

3. 03

   Design and build

   On a staging copy.

   Output: Staging site

4. 04

   Migration

   Content, URL map, redirects.

   Output: Tested redirects

5. 05

   Relaunch and monitor

   Go live, check errors.

   Output: Post-launch report

The audit you should receive

A useful audit lists pages with notes on which to keep, merge or retire; every plugin with its purpose and a recommendation; the theme's state; performance problems; and the URLs that carry links or search visibility. It should be written for you to read, not just as notes for the provider, so you can make decisions with it.

Who does what

Redirects tested, not assumed

Ask how redirects will be implemented and tested. Following Google's site move guidance, each old URL should point directly to its new equivalent with a permanent redirect, internal links should be updated and a new sitemap submitted. A spreadsheet listing old and new URLs, checked before launch, gives you a record and catches mistakes.

Warning signs

• No audit stage

  Old problems carry into the new site.

• All old pages redirected to the home page

  Visitors and search engines lose the specific content.

• Working on the live site

  Visitors see broken pages during the project.

• No plan after launch

  Missing redirects go unnoticed.

Example: a redesign brief for a membership organisation

What you should receive

Content freeze

While the new site is being finished, edits on the old site may not carry across. Agree a short content freeze before launch, or a process for logging changes so they can be re-applied. Tell editors the dates well in advance.

Monitoring after relaunch

Ask what checks happen in the weeks after launch: error pages, missing redirects, forms, search performance. Google notes temporary ranking fluctuation can occur during a move; monitoring helps separate expected movement from real problems.

Agreeing scope

Write down which templates are redesigned, how much content is migrated and by whom, the number of review rounds, the launch tasks included and any warranty period. Redesigns tend to uncover surprises in old content, so agree how unexpected work is handled.

Recommendations with reasons

The service should explain why it recommends keeping, refreshing or replacing the theme, and why each plugin should stay, go or be replaced. Reasons let you weigh cost against benefit and check the advice with someone else if you want a second opinion. Be cautious of a recommendation to replace everything without explanation, or to keep everything because it is quicker.

Training editors on the new site

New templates and blocks change how editors work. Ask for a short walk-through, recorded if possible, and a written guide covering common tasks. Editors who are comfortable with the new site are less likely to recreate the inconsistencies the redesign removed.

Performance and accessibility checks

Ask whether the redesign includes checking page speed and accessibility before launch, and what standard or tools will be used. Testing templates with a keyboard and a screen reader, checking contrast and image alt text, and measuring load times on a phone connection catch issues that are cheaper to fix before relaunch.