Website redesign checklist for marketing managers

If you’re driving growth and the website was built for the business you used to be, a redesign becomes unavoidable. The tricky bit is getting the right brief together, so you do not end up with a prettier version of the same problems.

This checklist is designed to make your next website redesign smoother, faster, and more likely to convert.

If you want to see how we run builds, the whole thing is laid out here: Our process

Step 1. Define what “success” means this time

A redesign needs a goal that can guide decisions. Otherwise everything becomes opinion, and timelines stretch.

Pick two or three outcomes, for example:

• More qualified enquiries
• Clearer positioning for a premium offer
• Faster page creation for campaigns
• Better conversion from paid traffic
• Stronger trust and credibility for bigger deals

Write them down in plain English. This is the north star for the project.

Step 2. Identify the real audience, not the “everyone” audience

Most underperforming sites try to speak to too many people at once. The result is bland messaging and weak conversion.

List the top two audiences you actually want more of, and what they care about:

• Their main problem
• Their main hesitation
• The one thing they need to see to trust you

This is where your redesign starts acting like a growth tool.

Step 3. Gather proof that makes people feel safe

Marketing managers often know the business is brilliant, but the site does not prove it quickly enough. Proof reduces friction.

Pull together:

• Testimonials that mention outcomes
• Logos, recognisable clients, accreditations
• Before and after stories
• Numbers you can stand behind, even if they’re simple

If you want a sense of how we present proof on our side, this is a useful reference: Wall of Love

Step 4. Decide what needs to stay, and what needs to go

A redesign is the best time to simplify.

Make two lists:

• Pages that still earn their keep
• Pages that exist out of habit

If you have pages that are driving good leads already, keep them and improve them. If you have pages nobody visits, consider retiring them or merging.

Step 5. Map the key journeys, especially the money ones

A website is a set of journeys, not a set of pages.

Sketch the three most important journeys:

• Homepage to service page to enquiry
• Campaign landing page to conversion
• Proof browsing to booking a call

If those journeys feel unclear on the current site, you’ve found part of the redesign scope.

Step 6. Get your content plan in place early

This is where most redesigns slow down. The build can be ready, then everyone waits for content.

For each key page, decide:

• Who owns writing it
• Who approves it
• What proof or imagery it needs
• What the call to action is

If you want a calm, structured way to handle this, use a simple page template and repeat it. One good page structure beats eight half finished drafts.

Step 7. Sort the visuals properly, because they do the heavy lifting

If your website needs to feel premium and human, visuals matter.

Decide what you need:

• Team photography
• Behind the scenes shots
• Product or service in action
• Location imagery if local trust matters
• Short video clips for the homepage and key pages

This is often the difference between “nice site” and “site that converts”. Real visuals build trust fast.

Step 8. Make sure the foundations support marketing

A redesign should give marketing more freedom, not more friction.

Check that the new site will support:

• Landing pages without pain
• Fast editing without breaking layouts
• Clean SEO structure
• Tracking that stays reliable
• Forms that are easy to manage and test

This is where a WordPress rebuild done properly tends to win. A flexible system, built for growth, and set up so updates do not feel risky.

Step 9. Decide what happens after launch

A site that performs well stays looked after. Otherwise it slowly drifts, gets heavy, and becomes fragile again.

Agree upfront whether you want:

• A stable home and monitoring
• Ongoing technical care
• A creative partner to keep improving the site month to month

Our three levels are explained here: Website maintenance

What this looks like in practice

A growing business often starts with a website that did the job early on, then it begins to creak under real marketing. You add campaigns, build landing pages, push ads, refine your offer, and the site starts showing its age.

That’s where a strategy led rebuild pays off, because you’re not just updating the visuals. You’re tightening messaging, improving journeys, adding proof, and building better foundations for ongoing growth.