PIPELINEGuide
Checklist: Prepare for Website Relaunch
What you should clarify before requesting quotes for website relaunch. The more is settled beforehand, the more reliable the quotes become.
Before deciding on a website relaunch, it's worth doing a quick assessment: which process costs the most time, who will maintain the system later, and whether the necessary content even exists. The complete checklist is further down.
01 — Checklist
Clarify before the first quote
- What should improve? In one sentence, no jargon.
- How will you know? One number that should change.
- Who decides? One person, not a committee.
- What budget is available? A range is enough — it makes quotes comparable instead of arbitrary.
- By when? And what the deadline depends on.
- Which systems are involved? And who has access to them.
- What do you already have? Content, data, preliminary work — this reduces the cost.
02 — Participation
What we need from you
- A contact person who can make decisions — not just forward them.
- Access to the affected systems, in time and not on launch day.
- Real examples from daily business — the messier, the more useful for testing.
- Two to four hours for coordination, distributed over the project duration.
- An answer to the question of what success means. Without it, nothing can be assessed afterward.
03 — 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?
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
What happens to our existing Google Business Profile?
It remains untouched as long as the website address doesn't change. If the domain changes, the link stored in the profile needs to be updated — we take care of that.
Can we switch over gradually?
For larger sites, yes — section by section. It takes longer but spreads the risk and cost.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
05 — Next
Related pages
- Website relaunch — Overview
- Website relaunch — Alternatives
- Website relaunch — Provider comparison
- Website Relaunch — Measuring Success
- Website Relaunch — Team and Acceptance
- Website Relaunch — Data Protection
- Website relaunch — Funding
- Website relaunch — Do it yourself
- Have a website created
- SEO
- Web design
- All guides
Website relaunch by region
Next step
Initial assessment, no obligation.
Briefly describe what you need. You'll get an honest answer about what's realistic and what it will roughly cost.