Website Redesign Checklist for Regina Companies

A website redesign can refresh your brand and improve results, but it can also go wrong. Pages disappear, search visibility drops, forms break, and the budget balloons. The difference between a smooth project and a painful one is usually preparation. This checklist is written for Regina companies planning a redesign, and it follows the project from first questions through launch and the weeks after.

Phase 1: Decide whether you need a redesign

Not every underperforming site needs a full rebuild. Sometimes targeted fixes to messaging, speed, or calls to action achieve more for less. Our article on why Regina websites do not generate leads can help you diagnose the problem first.

A redesign is more likely to make sense if:

• The site is not usable on mobile devices.
• The platform is outdated, insecure, or difficult to update.
• Your business has changed, but the site still describes the old one.
• The design makes your business look less credible than it is.
• You cannot add the features you need, such as booking or online payments.

Phase 2: Define goals and success measures

Write down what the new site must achieve. "Look modern" is not a goal on its own. Better examples are "increase quote requests", "reduce routine phone questions by answering them online", or "support a new service line". For each goal, pick something you can measure, such as form submissions, calls, or booked appointments.

1. Record current performance so you have a baseline.
2. Name one person who makes final decisions.
3. Set a realistic launch window and budget range.
4. List stakeholders who need to review key stages.

Phase 3: Audit what you have

An audit tells you what to keep, improve, merge, or delete. Export a list of every page and note its purpose and performance.

Content audit

• Which pages bring in search traffic or enquiries? Protect these.
• Which pages are outdated, duplicated, or thin?
• What is missing that customers regularly ask for?
• Do photos, team details, hours, and pricing information need updating?

SEO audit

• Record current page titles, descriptions, and headings for top pages.
• Note which pages receive links from other websites.
• Check your Google Business Profile link, listings, and directories that point to your site.
• Take a full crawl of the current site so you have a record of every URL.

Technical audit

• Where is the site hosted, and who controls the domain and DNS?
• Which integrations exist: email, scheduling, payments, forms, CRM, and analytics?
• What legal pages and privacy practices are currently in place?

Phase 4: Plan structure and content

Sketch the new structure before design begins. Group pages around what customers want, such as services, pricing information, proof of work, and contact. Keep navigation simple, and give each important service its own page. If you serve Regina and surrounding communities, plan how to describe your service area honestly and helpfully instead of creating many near-identical location pages.

Then assign content. Who writes the copy? Who supplies photos? Delayed content is the most common cause of late launches, so set due dates for it just as you would for design. Real photography of your team and work typically does more for trust than stock imagery.

Phase 5: Protect your search visibility

This is the step most often skipped, and it can be costly. If page addresses change, search engines and visitors must be sent to the new locations.

1. Map old URLs to new ones. Build a spreadsheet with every old address and its new equivalent.
2. Set up permanent (301) redirects for every page that moves or merges.
3. Keep strong pages and their content where possible, improving rather than discarding them.
4. Carry over titles and descriptions that already work, and improve those that do not.
5. Preserve or update structured data and ensure the new site has a sitemap.
6. Verify the site in Google Search Console and submit the new sitemap after launch.
7. Avoid blocking the new site from search engines accidentally. Staging sites are often set to "noindex", and that setting must be removed at launch.

Even with perfect planning, rankings can fluctuate for a time after launch. A careful migration reduces the risk but cannot remove it entirely, so avoid launching during your busiest season if you can. For more on search fundamentals, see our SEO and marketing services.

Phase 6: Design and build review

During design, keep the focus on your customers, not on internal preferences. Review each stage against your goals.

Design checklist

• Is the main message clear at the top of the homepage?
• Is there an obvious next step on every key page?
• Is text readable, with good contrast and sensible font sizes?
• Are accessibility basics covered, such as alt text, keyboard navigation, and clear form labels?
• Does the design reflect your brand without relying on decorative effects that slow the site?

Build checklist

• Mobile layouts are tested on real devices.
• Images are compressed and sized properly.
• Forms send to the right inbox and show a confirmation.
• Phone numbers and emails are clickable.
• Analytics and conversion tracking are installed and tested.
• HTTPS is active, and security headers and backups are configured.

Phase 7: Pre-launch testing

Create a short test script and work through it on at least two browsers and a couple of phones.

1. Click every navigation link and footer link.
2. Submit every form and confirm the message arrives.
3. Test a sample of old URLs to confirm redirects land on the right page.
4. Check page titles, descriptions, and headings on key pages.
5. Review privacy, terms, and cookie notices for accuracy.
6. Check that third-party tools such as booking or payments work end to end.
7. Confirm nothing blocks search engines on the live domain.

Phase 8: Launch plan

Choose a launch time when you can respond to problems, such as early in the week and not just before a holiday. Back up the old site. Confirm who handles DNS changes and how long they may take to propagate. Prepare a rollback plan in case something critical fails, and tell staff what is changing so they are not surprised by customers mentioning it.

Phase 9: After launch

The first month deserves attention. Monitor for errors, crawl issues, and traffic changes so you can react quickly.

• Check Google Search Console for crawl errors and indexing issues.
• Look for pages returning "not found" and add missing redirects.
• Compare enquiries with your baseline, allowing for seasonal patterns.
• Update your Google Business Profile, social profiles, and email signatures with the new site details.
• Ask a few customers or staff for honest feedback on usability.
• Schedule a review at 30, 60, and 90 days.

Budget and ownership notes

Redesign costs depend on page count, features, content needs, and how much custom work is involved. Public Canadian agency ranges researched in October 2026 often place small to mid-sized redesigns roughly between CAD $2,000 and $12,000, with more complex work higher. These are indicative market estimates, not a Scarlett quote. Whatever you choose, confirm in writing who owns the design files, content, domain, and hosting accounts, and whether ongoing maintenance is included. For a redesign scoped around leads, see our web development services.

Quick checklist summary

• Goals and baseline recorded
• Content and SEO audit completed
• New structure and content plan agreed
• URL map and 301 redirects prepared
• Design and build reviewed on real devices
• Forms, analytics, and integrations tested
• Launch and rollback plan in place
• Post-launch monitoring scheduled

Ready to plan your redesign?

If you would like help turning this checklist into a project plan, we are glad to talk through scope, timelines, and priorities for your business. Explore our web development services, review recent projects on our work page, or reach out when you are ready to start the conversation.