Website redesign: When and how to update your site without losing visitors

Website redesign is a strategic process that not only transforms your site’s appearance but also impacts its performance, functionality, and user experience. However, redesigning a site can sometimes risk alienating visitors or harming your search engine rankings. In this article, I’ll explain when to consider a redesign, what to watch out for, and how to achieve better results while minimizing risks.

When is a website redesign necessary?

Outdated design

The digital world evolves rapidly, and an outdated design can deter visitors and harm your company’s credibility. If your site hasn’t undergone significant updates in 3–5 years, it’s probably time for a redesign.

Poor user experience (UX)

If your site is difficult to navigate, loads slowly, or isn’t mobile-friendly, it negatively affects the user experience. A redesign is an opportunity to improve your site’s structure, speed, and responsiveness.

Failing to meet expectations

Declining organic traffic, low conversion rates, or high bounce rates are signs that your website may no longer be effective. Redesigning gives you a chance to introduce new features and better address visitor needs.

Brand refresh or new business goals

If your company’s branding or business strategy changes, your website should reflect these new directions. A fresh design can help reposition your brand and connect with your target audience.

How to start a website redesign?

How to redesign without losing visitors?

Preserve SEO elements

One of the biggest risks of a redesign is losing search engine rankings. To avoid this:

• Retain important URL structures.
• Use 301 redirects for removed or restructured pages.
• Re-optimize meta data to align with the new content.

Gradual rollout

If possible, implement the redesign step by step to minimize operational risks. Test the new site with a smaller audience before making it fully accessible. Never make changes directly to the live site; instead, use a staging environment for modifications and testing.

Gather user feedback

Involve existing clients or visitors in the design process. Ask them what they like about the current site and what changes they’d appreciate.

• Tools like Google Analytics and heatmaps (e.g., Hotjar): These visually show how visitors interact with your site.
• Structured user testing: Ask target audience members to perform specific tasks on the site, such as finding a product or completing a form.
• Interactive surveys: Use tools like Typeform to gather on-the-spot feedback from visitors.
• Behavioral segmentation: Analyze visitor behavior by segment (e.g., new visitors, returning clients, cart abandoners) for tailored insights.
• A/B testing: Present two versions of a page to different user groups and analyze which performs better.

Website redesign: what to look out for in industry and B2B?

Industrial and B2B website design is very different from the average redesign project. Here, the main focus is not on aesthetics, but on supporting the achievement of business objectives and the effective communication of technical information.

What are the key considerations when designing an industrial or B2B website?

Lead generation and sales support
Industrial websites should not only convey information but also actively support the sales process:

• Quote request forms should be easy and quick to access.
• Specifications and downloadable documentation linked to product pages.
• CRM-integrated forms to speed up the work of the sales team.
• Contact incentives such as call-to-action buttons (e.g. “Request a custom quote”).

Technical documentation and data sheets
Industrial customers are often looking for specific technical information: technical data sheets, certificates or user manuals. On a well-designed website, these should be easily accessible, categorised and downloadable.

Managing complex product structures
Industrial companies often have large and complex product ranges. A B2B website should be able to group products logically and provide filtered search options so that visitors can quickly find what they are looking for. In many cases, a catalogue website is the best solution when it comes to browsing through products without having to buy or pay a price.

Serving multiple target groupscélcsoport kiszolgálása
Industrial and B2B companies often operate on a global scale, so it is essential:

• Providing multilingual websites.
• Provide location-based content, such as prices and product specifications tailored to different markets.
• Clearly demonstrate compliance with international standards and certifications.

Functional design and simplicity
For the industrial target group, the website should be effective, not “fun”. A clear, simple, functional design is the priority, helping visitors to find information quickly, while a modern look conveys reliability.

Support for individual user workflows
Many industrial customers expect customised processes, such as customisable product ranges or configuration tools (e.g. product calculators). These tools significantly improve the customer experience while directly supporting sales.

Measuring website performance
The effectiveness of an industrial or B2B website can only be evaluated if performance can be measured and analysed based on data. The right analytics solutions can show not only how many visitors are coming to the site, but also how they are using it and how well the site is supporting business objectives.

How can measurability be achieved?

• Website analytics integration. Website analytics integration: installing Google Analytics (GA4) and other tools (e.g. Hotjar) is essential to understand your visitors’ paths and behaviour.
• Defining conversion goals: for example, “fill in a contact form” or “download a product page” as goals to follow.
• CRM system: If your site is linked to a CRM, you can get accurate data on which visitors and leads eventually become customers.
• Event-based tracking: track what interactions visitors have on the site (e.g. clicks, downloads, video views).
• Regular analysis and optimisation: analysing data helps you spot when a campaign or feature is not working properly and gives you the opportunity to improve.

Website redesign is a valuable opportunity to modernize your online presence, improve user experience, and boost traffic. However, careful planning and analysis are essential to minimize the risks of losing rankings and visitors.

If you want your website redesign to be successful and effective, contact me, and let’s plan the process together!

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