Understand what already works
Before changing the website, gather important pages, the enquiries they support and feedback from people using them. Available metrics do not tell the whole story: a rarely visited page may be essential to a particular customer. Ask why content exists before removing it. A redesign benefits from preserving useful landmarks as well as fixing weaknesses.
Build a migration map
For each old URL, record its intended destination and content. Some pages will remain, others will be merged or retired. When content moves, plan an appropriate redirect to a relevant destination. Avoid automatically sending every old page to the homepage: that usually fails to respect what the visitor originally wanted.
Treat content as a deliverable
Migration is more than copying text. Check images, documents, links and language versions. Assign an owner to each content group. Prepare a representative sample before migrating everything: a long page, a media-rich article and a page with a form. This exposes layout problems earlier.
Plan a verification window
Establish who approves the final version and who can fix issues after launch. Preserve a rollback option appropriate to the hosting and project. Then check priority old URLs and form functionality. Launch should include an observation period, not the team disappearing as soon as the new homepage appears.
Your checklist
- An inventory of important pages.
- A relevant destination for each old URL.
- Checks for media, documents and languages.
- An owner for post-launch verification.
