PIPELINEGuide
Website Relaunch: Compare providers — what really matters
Quotes for website relaunch are hard to compare because everyone includes something different. The questions that make differences visible — and the warning signs.
When comparing providers for website relaunch, the stated price matters less than the question of what happens afterward: who maintains the system after launch, and what does a later adjustment cost. That's the difference that only shows after a few months.
01 — Criteria
How quotes differ
- What exactly is included. Two quotes with the same total can cover completely different deliverables. Ask for scope as a list, not as running text.
- Who delivers what. Content, images, data, access — if it's not specified, it becomes a point of conflict later.
- What operation costs. Calculated over three years, including licenses, hosting, and support.
- What happens if you want to switch. Do you get access, data, and documentation? The answer to this question says more about a provider than any reference.
- Who actually does the work. With small providers this matters: who sits in the meeting, and who then does it.
02 — Questions
Questions you should ask
- What happens if the project becomes more expensive than estimated — who bears that?
- Who owns data, access, and, if developed, the source code?
- What does operation cost in the second and third year?
- What does the documentation we receive at the end look like?
- How would you measure whether the project was successful?
- Is there a case in which you would advise us against this?
03 — Warning signs
When to be skeptical
- Guaranteed results. Anyone promising top Google ranking or a specific revenue increase is selling something they can't deliver.
- No pushback. A provider who thinks every project is a good idea has either not listened or is only selling.
- Time pressure. Limited-time discounts on project prices are a sales tool, not an offer.
- Unclear ownership. Anyone who won't clearly say who owns data and access doesn't have your interests at heart.
- No contact with technical expertise. If only sales sits in the first meeting, that's where misunderstandings arise.
04 — Scope
What's included
- Inventory: which pages bring visitors and inquiries today
- Complete redirect list from old to new, verified before going live
- Migration of content that works, instead of rewriting everything
- Technical improvements in loading time, structure, and accessibility
- Measurement before and after the migration, so changes are visible
- Monitoring the first weeks with adjustments where pages drop in ranking
05 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a relaunch worth it if we're renaming soon anyway?
Not in that order. Clarify the renaming first, then relaunch — otherwise you build a site that needs adjustment again shortly after.
Can we switch over gradually?
For larger sites, yes — section by section. It takes longer but spreads the risk and cost.
Do we have to go offline during the relaunch?
No, the old site stays online until the switchover day. The change happens on a set date, usually outside business hours, and typically takes only a few minutes.
What happens to our email addresses?
They remain untouched as long as the domain stays the same. We still check the settings before the move, because an incorrectly set record can stop mail delivery.
When is a relaunch overdue?
When the site doesn't work on mobile, the content management system no longer receives security updates, or you can't change content yourself. A merely outdated appearance is the weakest reason of all.
Will we lose Google rankings with a relaunch?
Only if you do it wrong. Short-term fluctuation over two to four weeks is normal, a lasting drop is not. The cause is almost always the same: missing or incorrect redirects. We create the list before the move and check it afterward.
Should we carry over all content?
No. Pages that bring neither visitors nor serve a purpose are removed — that makes the site clearer and the remaining pages stronger. What brings visitors is carried over and improved.
06 — Next
Related pages
- Website relaunch — Overview
- Website relaunch — Alternatives
- Website Relaunch — Value for Money
- Website Relaunch — Team and Acceptance
- Website relaunch — Funding
- Website Relaunch — Costs
- Website Relaunch — Duration
- Website Relaunch — Contract and Ownership
- Have a website created
- SEO
- Web design
- All guides
Website relaunch by region
Next step
Send us a few sentences about your project.
We read every inquiry ourselves and respond personally. No sales team, no callback form into the void.