Design

WordPress Maintenance

Including high-performance hosting

Table of Contents

Website Relaunch

Web Design & Digital Agency Berlin, Germany

Here you will find questions and answers to the most frequently asked questions by our customers on the subject.

Topics in the post:

Website Relaunch

The relaunch of a company website is a crucial process that requires careful planning and execution. Often the first point of contact for potential customers, the company's website significantly contributes to its reputation and brand. Therefore, an optimized user experience, appealing design elements, and effective SEO strategies are of utmost importance in order to successfully engage your target audiences and create long-term loyalty to your company.

Planning a website relaunch should always be built on a solid foundation, in order to maximize goals and benefits, and to tackle challenges associated with such projects. This involves considering aspects of mobility, visibility, and reach, as well as factoring in privacy and security concerns when making decisions and executing them.

In the following FAQ, we address commonly asked questions from our customers regarding the planning, execution, and optimization of a successful website relaunch. From initial strategy development to measuring success, we've got you covered.

Selected website relaunch projects of our agency

What are the crucial goals and steps when planning a website relaunch?

Common and important goals when planning a website relaunch are to improve user experience, increase online visibility and reach, and strengthen brand identity. These objectives should be taken into account from the beginning and serve as a guiding principle for the entire project.

The essential steps in planning a website relaunch include:


  • 1. Goal Definition: The clarification of goals and expectations associated with the relaunch. Possible objectives might be, for example, acquiring new customers, optimizing the conversion rate, or improving the user experience.


  • 2. Analysis of the existing website: The examination of weaknesses and strengths in the present website is needed. Our goal is to pinpoint which areas should be revised or maintained in their current state. This analysis should encompass factors such as structure, design, content, and technical performance.


  • 3. Project Planning: It is necessary to establish a realistic timeline and resource plan that includes all necessary steps and milestones as well as responsible individuals or teams. This plan should be communicated transparently within the company and should include regular updates on the progress of the project.


  • 4. Concept and Design: A new, user-friendly, and engaging design that appeals to the target audience and works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices should be developed.


  • 5. Content Creation and Optimization: Existing content should be revised and new, relevant and interesting content created, tailored to the needs of the target groups. Attention should be paid to a clear structure, call-to-action elements and SEO optimization.


  • 6. Technical Implementation: The development of the new website is crucial, taking into account contemporary technologies and standards. Particular emphasis should be placed on factors such as loading time, security, and mobile optimization.


  • 7. Testing and Quality Assurance: Before launch, be sure to thoroughly evaluate the new website for any errors and areas of improvement. Take into account not only the technology, but also the content and design aspects.


  • 8. Launch: The new website is going live and there should be continuous performance monitoring. Based on the knowledge gained, further optimization measures can be implemented.

How complex is the process of migrating from another system to WordPress?

Moving a company website from an existing system to WordPress can involve varying levels of effort, depending on the requirements and complexity of the project. Some of the factors to consider are the size of the website, number and type of content to migrate, existing functionality and integrations, as well as the need to adjust or create anew the design and structure.

The migration of content can range from simple texts and images to complex data structures and individual functions. In addition, existing plugins, widgets, or other elements may need to be converted or replaced with WordPress-compatible alternatives. Furthermore, during the relocation process, adjustments to internal linking and infrastructure may be necessary to maintain SEO rankings.

Thankfully, for migration of many elements, such as URLs, media, content, SEO metas, and more, there are various strategies and tools available. These significantly simplify the process by taking care of specific tasks.

For well-known systems like Shopify, there are ready-made solutions that can automate the migration. These tools make the transition easier by exporting data directly from the source site and converting it to WordPress format. This not only saves valuable time, but also minimizes the risk of data loss during the migration.

There are, however, cases where such direct data export is not sufficient or even impossible. This can occur, for example, with highly customized websites or systems for which there are no ready-made tools available. In such situations, the so-called "Scraping" might be a viable alternative. With scraping, data is directly extracted from the website and transferred to the new system.

It is important to ensure that the data is transmitted completely and correctly, since forgetting SEO-relevant data, for example, can lead to a noticeable loss of visibility in search engines.

In conclusion, transitioning from another system to WordPress can indeed be complicated. However, with the appropriate tools, meticulous planning, and a well-considered strategy, it is manageable. Depending on the requirements, there are effective solutions – it's simply a matter of choosing the right course of action.

What SEO aspects should be taken into account during a relaunch?

When doing a relaunch, numerous errors can occur from an SEO perspective, potentially leading to significant drops in search engine rankings. For this reason, it becomes crucial to tackle each aspect with diligence and expertise. Among other factors to consider are:


  • keywords: With the relaunch, it's crucial to have an accurate overview of the current ranking pages and their respective keywords. Maintaining these keyword rankings should be an integral part of the new SEO strategy. The identified keywords need to be incorporated purposefully and organically into the content, the meta-data, the headings, and the URLs of the revised pages.


  • Technical Optimization: Quick load times, clean HTML structure, error-free metadata, optimized image sizes, and responsive web design are all vital for a top-notch SEO ranking from search engines. It's highly recommended to use specialized tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom to check and optimize these aspects.


  • Content Quality and Structure: The revised content should cater to the high expectations of the target audience while also being easily discoverable by search engines. A clear information structure and strategic internal linking play crucial roles, as does the consistent avoidance of duplicate content. It's prudent to not alter too much content during the relaunch, in order to signal to Google that these are the same pages as before.


  • URL Structure and Redirects: When URLs or URL structures change due to a relaunch, 301 redirects are crucial. If the modifications to URLs aren't for significant reasons like enhanced readability, we advise maintaining the current URL structure and avoiding any alterations, as they may negatively impact the rankings. In any case, this issue must be addressed carefully and accurately.


  • Backlink Profile: It is important to maintain the quality and quantity of inbound links during relaunch to maintain the website's SEO authority. This includes checking and, if necessary, adjusting all external links that refer to the website. In addition, it should be ensured that every backlink leads to the right destination.


  • Monitoring and continuous optimization: After the relaunch, it's crucial to continuously monitor the website's performance and make adjustments as necessary, to maintain or even boost the SEO performance. In doing so, we take into account user statistics, keep an eye on competitors, and stay up-to-date with current SEO trends.

What is the importance of mobile optimization during a relaunch?

Mobile optimization plays a pivotal role in the relaunch of a company website, as an increasing number of users access the internet via mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile optimization ensures that the website loads swiftly and is user-friendly on these devices, boosting the chances of visitors staying on the page and considering the offered services or products.

Furthermore, mobile optimization impacts search engine rankings, as Google and other search providers prefer mobile-optimized pages. Therefore, it is crucial to take into account the requirements and best practices of mobile optimization. This ensures both a positive user experience and strong visibility in search results.

While mobile optimization can be viewed as a separate step or aspect within a relaunch project, it should ideally be incorporated into all relevant phases of the project to achieve the best results.

Which best practices for measuring success are important for a successful relaunch?

First, it's crucial to establish clear objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) tailored to a company's distinct needs and expectations. This encompasses metrics such as the number of page views, duration of visit, bounce rate, and quantity of conversions.

Another component is the implementation of a web analysis tool such as Matomo or Google Analytics. This allows the performance of the website to be tracked and evaluated in detail. The relaunch should also be used to check and, if necessary, expand the existing event tracking options.

Comparative analyses before and after the relaunch help to reveal true success. The performance of specific pages or areas of the website can be compared. This way, we can identify areas with potential for optimization and implement further enhancements.

And last but not least, continuous monitoring and optimization is crucial to ensure the long-term success of the relaunch. Regular evaluations help to identify trends at an early stage and make timely adjustments.

What impact does the Relaunch have on Online Marketing and Content Strategy?

As part of a website redesign, it can be important to update existing content and, where necessary, create new content to serve specific audiences and provide relevant information. This can also include expanding the range of topics, bringing in fresh perspectives or adjusting the tonality of the content.

A relaunch also offers the opportunity to optimize online marketing activities and promote synergies between different channels. For example, the integration of social media, email marketing and content marketing can be intensified to create a coherent brand experience and increase the reach of the company.

The relaunch also allows the company's SEO performance to be improved in a targeted manner, for example by revising the keyword strategy, optimizing meta tags and adjusting technical aspects such as pagination and URL structure.

After the relaunch, a thorough evaluation of the actions taken must be carried out in every case. In this process, metrics such as visitor numbers, bounce rate, dwell time, conversion rate, or search engine ranking may be used. This is done to measure the success of adjustments in online marketing and content strategy, and if needed, to fine-tune them.

What is a typical timeline for a website relaunch?

There are many factors to consider when planning a website relaunch, such as the size and complexity of the project, decision and response times, or the number of people involved in the relaunch process. As a rule, a website relaunch can take several weeks to several months.

A typical schedule with enough buffer and room for analysis and creativity might look like this:

  • Project preparation (week 1):
    • Project kickoff meeting: defining goals and expectations.
    • Selection of the project team.
    • Creation of a preliminary schedule.
    • Inventory of the current website (if any).

  • Analysis and Planning (Week 2):
    • Market analysis and target group research.
    • Gathering feedback on the current site.
    • Defining the budget.
    • Preparation of a detailed project plan.
    • Selection of technologies and tools.
    • Hosting decision.

  • Design Phase (Week 3-6):
    • Creation of wireframes and mockups.
    • Choice of color schemes, fonts and other design elements.
    • Creation of graphics and images.
    • Gather feedback on the design and make adjustments.

  • Development phase (week 6-9):
    • Construction of the website structure.
    • Development of templates and modules.
    • Integration of functions and plugins.
    • Creation and optimization of content.
    • Mobile Optimization.

  • Test phase (week 10):
    • functional tests.
    • performance testing.
    • usability tests.
    • security testing.
    • Cross-browser compatibility tests.

  • Launch Preparation (Week 11):
    • Review and optimization of content and SEO elements.
    • Setup of analysis tools.
    • Creation of a launch plan.
    • Communication of the relaunch to stakeholders.

  • Website relaunch (week 12):
    • The new website goes live.
    • Site monitoring after launch.
    • Announcing the relaunch via marketing channels.

  • Follow-up (week 13 – 14):
    • Website performance monitoring.
    • collecting feedback.
    • Fix problems that arise.
    • Creation of a final report.

What are the important GDPR compliance measures to consider during a website relaunch?

As part of such a relaunch, the following measures should at least be taken into account and implemented:


  • Update to the Privacy Policy: It is important to draft the privacy policy according to the current requirements of the GDPR so that it is transparent and easily accessible for users.


  • Obtaining consent to data collection: The use of tracking tools, cookies or similar technologies requires user consent. Appropriate tools such as a cookie banner should be used for this.


  • Review of data storage and processing: As part of the relaunch, it should be analyzed which data is actually required and which is not. In addition, it must be ensured that data is only processed and used by authorized persons.


  • Conclusion of Data Processing Agreements: With external service providers, who process personal data on behalf of the operator, it's important to establish appropriate agreements for contract processing. This ensures privacy and data security.


  • Implementation of technical and organizational measures: Data protection and data security measures such as encryption, regular security updates and access controls should be integrated into the relaunch process.


Conclusion

Redesigning a corporate website requires extensive planning to get the best possible results and meet the increasing demands of both users and search engines. Improving usability, responsive design, and targeted SEO strategy is imperative to boost your presence in the digital space. Aspects such as mobile optimization and the harmonization of data protection and security standards should also be included in these considerations.

A successful website relaunch can significantly improve your brand perception and customer experience while strengthening your online marketing and content strategy. It is also important to maintain transparent lines of communication with stakeholders and customers throughout the process in order to jointly overcome emerging challenges.

In order to measure the success of your website relaunch, you should also keep an eye on best practices and corresponding metrics in order to evaluate and continuously optimize the goals you have achieved.

If you have further questions about website relaunch or are looking for help for your individual case, you are welcome to contact us at any time using the contact form below. We are on hand with help and advice.

Questions & Answers on the Topic

More on the topic

WordPress Agency in Berlin, Germany

Ask your own question on the topic here.

You will receive your answer by email from our expert:

Hakan Kocak

Hakan Kocak

"Careful planning is the key to success. Efficient use of resources, risk minimization and smooth operation increase the chances of achieving goals."

* All required fields must be completed before submitting. Your submitted data will be used solely for the purpose of addressing the concern mentioned above.
Further information can be found in our Privacy Policy.

Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner