Website relaunch that preserves content and visibility
A website relaunch renews the technology, structure and design of your website. Visitors and search engine visibility are mainly lost through missing redirects, lost content or technical errors during go-live.
That is why I plan the relaunch based on the existing site. Every important URL gets a destination, the new website is fully tested on a staging system, and after launch I check whether Google is correctly picking up the new structure.
Web development, programming and AI
★★★★★ 5,0 on Google
- Free initial consultation
- Written proposal with a clear scope of services
- Testing in a preview environment before going live
- WordPress, Astro, Next.js, PHP, TypeScript, Java and Python
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When a relaunch is the right step
A relaunch is worthwhile when the foundation of your website no longer supports it. Common reasons include a content management system that is slow and difficult to use, an outdated theme without updates, a display that does not work on smartphones, or a new corporate design. New requirements such as accessibility under the BFSG are also often difficult to implement in an old system without considerable effort.
A precise distinction is worthwhile here. With a redesign, it is primarily the design that changes, while the technology and URLs remain the same. With a migration, the technology changes, for example from an old CMS to WordPress or to a framework such as Astro. A complete relaunch combines both and often changes the structure and URLs as well, and that is exactly where the greatest risk to existing rankings arises.
Which option makes sense for you depends on the condition of your website and your goals. This assessment is part of the free initial consultation.
This is how a relaunch works for me
Assess the existing site
I record all URLs from the old website using a crawler, the sitemap and Google Search Console. I mark pages with visitors, rankings or external links as particularly worth protecting.
Structure and design
On this basis, the new site structure and design are developed, and we agree on them together before implementation begins. Content that works well remains in place or is specifically improved.
Implementation on staging
The new website is created on a staging system that is blocked from search engines. There, I migrate the content, set up extensions and check the display, forms and loading time on all devices.
Redirect plan
Every old URL receives its appropriate new destination via a 301 redirect, never the homepage as a blanket solution. I also resolve existing redirect chains from previous rebuilds so that every request reaches its destination directly.
Go-live
At launch, I remove the search engine block, check robots.txt, canonical information and structured data, and submit the new XML sitemap in Search Console.
Follow-up check
In the weeks after launch, I monitor error pages, indexing and visibility. If a forgotten URL turns up, it immediately receives its redirect.
Typical mistakes that cost rankings
If visitors stay away after a relaunch, the cause can almost always be traced back to one of these points.
Forgotten noindex
The staging system's block is carried over to the live website. Google then gradually removes the pages from the index.
Redirect to the homepage
All old URLs redirect indiscriminately to the homepage. Google usually treats this like a missing page, and the value of the old subpage is lost.
Removed content
Texts are heavily shortened for a more spacious design. This often removes precisely the sections that helped a page get found in the past.
Unnecessarily changed URLs
URLs are changed even though the old ones worked well. Every change requires a redirect and creates an additional risk.
Missing follow-up check
After launch, nobody checks Search Console. Errors then go unnoticed for weeks, even though they could have been fixed quickly.
From practice: CMS migration for ADDIX in Kiel
The website of ADDIX in Kiel ran on a sluggish system that was difficult to maintain. I installed a new CMS, migrated the content, configured plug-ins, adjusted URLs and redirects, and created a sitemap.
Before going live, the new instance was tested on a staging system within the client's internal infrastructure. The result is content that is delivered noticeably faster and more reliably. The client describes the collaboration as “Very pleasant and absolutely recommendable”.
The Sailing Bundesliga relaunch had a different focus. There, the main priorities were a new layout based on corporate design guidelines and newly programmed logic for managing the sailing matches, reducing the maintenance effort and susceptibility to errors.
When a relaunch is not necessary
Not every problem requires a new website. If your website is primarily slow, targeted optimisation often achieves more than a rebuild, as I describe on the page Website too slow. If the main issues are inaccessible forms and insufficient contrast, these can often also be fixed in the existing site; see Make your website accessible.
A relaunch is the better choice when several of these issues exist at the same time and the existing system makes every individual improvement expensive. We make this assessment together before you commit.
Frequently asked questions about website relaunches
Will I lose my Google rankings through a relaunch?
Temporary fluctuations are normal after major changes because Google first has to process the new structure. Permanent losses are usually caused by missing redirects, removed content or a forgotten indexing block—and careful planning prevents precisely these errors.
Do the URLs of my pages have to change?
No. If the old URLs have a sensible structure, I keep them. This is the safest way to preserve existing rankings.
Can I continue maintaining content on the old website during the relaunch?
Yes. The new website is created in parallel on a staging system. Shortly before launch, we compare which content has been added since the migration.
Which system is right for the relaunch?
That depends on who maintains the content and which functions are needed. WordPress is well suited to editorial teams that maintain a lot themselves, while Astro or Next.js enable particularly lean and fast websites.
How much does a website relaunch cost?
The effort depends on the size of the existing website, the desired functions and the amount of content to be migrated. After the free initial consultation, you will receive a written proposal with a clearly defined scope of services.
Let's plan your relaunch based on what you have
Tell me the address of your current website and what bothers you most. In the free initial consultation, we assess whether a relaunch, a migration or a targeted improvement is the right approach.
Available Monday to Friday from 8 to 20. Related topics: ADDIX · Sailing Bundesliga website relaunch · Website too slow · Make your website accessible · Web development, programming and AI
Discuss your project
During the free initial consultation, we clarify the objective, scope and sensible technical solution. Afterwards, you will receive a written proposal with a clearly defined scope of services.
Available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.