Signs your website needs a redesign
It's better to decide on a redesign because of specific problems, not because you're "tired" of the website. A redesign is usually needed when:
- the website is hard to use on a smartphone, even though most visitors come from phones;
- the company has changed its product range, services or brand identity, but the website still describes the past;
- your sales team complains that customers can't find the information they need and call with simple questions;
- there's traffic but few leads, and analytics show the step where people drop off;
- every new page requires a developer because the design has no unified component system.
Sometimes it's the other way around: the website looks a bit old-fashioned but sells well. In that case a full redesign can do harm, and it's smarter to update a few pages or individual sections.
What a redesign includes
The scope depends on the specific website's problems, but a redesign usually includes:
- an audit of the current version: analytics, search traffic, mobile behavior, technical condition;
- a new site structure and menu if the old one confuses visitors;
- prototypes of key pages showing the order of sections and the copy, before any colors are applied;
- designs for desktop, tablet and mobile, plus a component library for future growth;
- implementation in code, content migration, redirects and pre-launch testing.
If the main problem is that people find the website hard to use rather than how it looks, it's worth starting with UI/UX design: researching user scenarios and testing prototypes with real users.
Three formats: from a cosmetic refresh to a new website
Cosmetic refresh. We change fonts, colors, photos and buttons without touching the structure or code. It's the lowest-risk and fastest option, but it doesn't solve deeper navigation or conversion problems.
Redesign on the same platform. We rebuild the structure, pages and mobile version but keep the CMS, database and integrations. This is the most common option: a noticeable result without migrating all your data.
Redesign with a platform change. Needed when the old system is no longer updated, is slow or doesn't allow you to add the features you need. The impact is greatest, but so are the risks: migrating products, users, orders and page URLs has to be planned separately.
How to keep your search rankings
The most painful side effect of a redesign is a drop in Google traffic after launch. It usually happens for predictable reasons: page URLs changed without redirects, copy that earned rankings disappeared, or the new version was opened for indexing with errors.
To avoid this, before design work begins we export a list of pages that receive search traffic and mark what will happen to each one. We assign a new URL for every old one, carry over titles and descriptions, and make sure the staging copy is blocked from search engines while the live site is open. If a deeper technical review is needed, we bring in our SEO specialists.
Minor ranking fluctuations in the first days after launch are possible even with proper preparation. What matters is spotting quickly if something goes wrong, so after launch we closely monitor indexing and errors in Search Console.
What to prepare on your side
- Access to Google Analytics and Search Console — without them we can't see which pages matter.
- A short list of what you dislike about the current website and what, on the contrary, should stay.
- Up-to-date brand assets: logo, colors and photos, if they've changed.
- Feedback from your sales or support team: which questions customers ask most often.
- Access to the admin panel and hosting so we can assess the website's technical condition.
How to tell whether the redesign worked
Judging the result by "it looks nice now" isn't enough. We agree on metrics before we start and compare them before and after launch: the number of leads or orders, the share of visitors who reach the form, search traffic to key pages and mobile behavior.
Compare equal periods while accounting for seasonality, and draw conclusions once enough data has accumulated. If analytics on the old website are poorly set up, it's better to fix that before the redesign — otherwise there will be nothing to compare.
Common mistakes we avoid
- Changing everything at once. When the new version differs from the old one in every way, it's impossible to tell what exactly improved or hurt results.
- Designing without real copy. Mockups with placeholder text look neat, but the real names and descriptions later don't fit the blocks.
- Forgetting about your team. The new website should be convenient not only for visitors but also for the people who edit it in the admin panel every day.
- Launching at peak season. It's better to switch to the new version during a quiet period for the business, so there's time to fix issues.
What affects the cost of a redesign
- Scope: how many different page types need to be redesigned — home page, catalog, product page, blog, customer account.
- Depth of changes: a visual refresh only, or a new structure, user flows and navigation.
- Platform: keeping the current CMS or migrating the website to another one, along with its data.
- Code condition: how easy it is to implement the new design on the existing website.
- Content work: whether new copy, photos and illustrations are needed.
We provide an estimate after auditing the current version, once it's clear what we're keeping and what we're reworking.
Frequently asked questions
Can you redesign the website without taking it offline? Yes. We build the new version on a staging copy, and your current website runs as usual until the switchover.
Do we have to change our CMS? No. If the platform handles your needs and is still updated, we keep it and change only the theme and the necessary modules.
Can you update just part of the website? Yes, and it's often a smart start: for example, the home page and product page first, then the remaining sections in later phases.
Will our rankings drop after the redesign? With proper preparation, a serious drop can usually be avoided, though minor fluctuations are possible. We plan the transition to minimize the risk and monitor the data after launch.
Do you work with websites built by other teams? Yes. We start by figuring out how the current website is built.
Why Promodex
Since 2015, we've completed 750+ projects. Our portfolio includes Boolat Play, Sawash, IT-Rating and Vital Football. Designers, developers and SEO specialists work on one team, so traffic preservation is addressed at the mockup stage, not after launch. If needed, we continue to support and grow the website after the redesign.
