Rebranding your website: a step-by-step guide

31 August 2026

1. Inventory what already ranks

Export Search Console pages, a crawl (screaming frog or similar), and your top landing pages. Note URLs that earn traffic even if they look ugly. Those URLs are assets. Redesign around them, or 301 them with a one-to-one map — never a blanket redirect to home.

2. Decide if this is a rebrand or a refit

A refit keeps IA and tightens design/speed. A rebrand changes names, colours, messaging, sometimes the domain. Domain changes are a project of their own. If the brand is fine and the site is slow, do not throw away URLs for a new visual identity.

3. Write the new sitemap before pixels

Unique H1s, 500–800 words on money pages, FAQs, internal links. This is design as information architecture. Stakeholders sign the sitemap so you are not inventing pages in week six.

4. Design mobile first, build on a staging host

Noindex the staging site. Match or beat current Core Web Vitals. If you are leaving WordPress, read platform choice first. Engineering lives in development.

5. Redirects, then DNS

Launch with the redirect sheet implemented and tested. Keep Google Analytics and Search Console properties. Submit the new sitemap. Watch coverage and 404s daily for two weeks. Our custom 404 is a safety net, not a strategy.

6. Communicate internally

Sales needs the new URLs. Reception needs the phone CTA. If you changed the offer, update GBP and LinkedIn the same day. Local SEO notes are in this guide.

Timeline

Most redesigns: 6–8 weeks. Large e-commerce: 8–12. Rush only if content is already written. Costs sit in the same bands as new builds — see pricing.

If your current site is the problem, send a brief. Bring Search Console access if you have it; it shortens discovery.