A redesign starts with finding what should survive. Before drawing new screens, make a list of the existing pages, their purpose and the links people may already use.
Make a page inventory
Record the URL, main content, important actions and proposed outcome for every page. Mark whether it stays, moves, merges or goes. Include documents and useful section links as well as pages in the main menu.
Where reliable traffic or search data exists, use it to identify pages people depend on. Without that data, say so. An attractive replacement is not evidence that the old information no longer matters.
An example from this website
VikaSquare’s earlier structure used a homepage, business-websites page, maintenance page, examples and contact. The rebuild keeps those addresses while adding service, industry and guide pages. Keeping a useful URL can avoid a move that brings no visitor benefit.
The existing portfolio section link also has a destination. This is a local implementation example, not a claim about changes in search traffic or customer enquiries.
Map real moves explicitly
If a page must move, identify the closest relevant replacement and configure the appropriate hosting redirect. A note in a planning sheet does not create the redirect. Test the real HTTP response and final destination in the chosen hosting environment.
Update internal navigation and related links as part of the same change. A page removed without a replacement should return an appropriate not-found response, with a useful way back into the site.
Review the new version as a visitor
- Can a visitor still find the core services and contact details?
- Do phone layouts show the important information?
- Do enquiry, order or appointment paths still behave as agreed?
- Do images, headings, document links and useful fragments work?
- Can the previous version be restored if a release fails?
Keep preview and launch distinct
A private or local preview should not accidentally become the indexed website. Before launch, verify the real domain, canonical URLs, sitemap and indexing settings. Review the live output after deployment; a local test cannot establish how the production host behaves.
Use the handover checklist to record the finished scope and the maintenance guide to assign what follows.
Written by VikaSquare for business owners and office teams. Illustrations and checklists are practical planning aids. Professional permissions and sensitive-data requirements need their own review.