Website redesign: scope it properly before anyone builds
Know exactly what your new website needs, before anyone quotes on it.
For businesses planning a new website who want the scope right before they spend on a build. In 1 to 2 weeks I turn what you have and what you need into a reverse brief and a tech spec, so every quote is for the same job and your search rankings are planned for.
You'll work with me, AnthonyNot an account manager or a junior. I reply to every enquiry myself.
What's included in a website redesign?
Discovery, information architecture, design, content, build, testing and launch, plus a migration plan so your search rankings come with you. The step most redesigns rush is the first one: agreeing what the new site must do, for whom and on which platform. Scoping settles that before any money goes on the build.
Redesign or refresh?
Plenty of businesses pay for a new look when the problem is underneath. Check which you need. If you're still not sure, a Website Health Check will tell you.
| Compared on | A refresh is enough | You need a redesign |
|---|---|---|
| Your CMS | Modern, and your team likes using it | Your team dreads updating it, or it's no longer supported |
| Speed and data | Fast, with clean SEO and analytics you trust | Slow despite the fixes, and nobody trusts the numbers |
| User journeys | They still work; only the look has dated | They're broken, so conversions are flat |
| Making changes | Quick and safe | Every small change takes days and breaks something else |
| The business | Same products and processes | New products or processes the site can't support |
What you get
A reverse brief and a tech spec, usually in 1 to 2 weeks. Both are yours, written so any agency can quote on them.
Keeping your Google rankings
A redesign changes URLs, pages and content, and that's where search traffic gets lost. The scope includes a website migration plan:
- Every URL mapped. Each old page gets a new home and a 301 redirect, so links and rankings carry over.
- Ranking pages kept. Pages that bring in search traffic keep their content and focus, even if they look new.
- Tracking rebuilt and tested. Analytics and conversion tracking work before launch, so you can see what changed.
- A check after launch. Search Console and analytics watched in the weeks after go-live, so problems get fixed early.
Expect some movement after any launch. The aim is that nothing important goes missing.
Want to know where you stand before you plan the move? A Website Health Check shows what's working in search now, so the plan protects it.
What it costs
Prices in AUD, ex GST.
How it works
Usually 1 to 2 weeks from the first working session to the finished scope.
- FreeA 20-minute callWhat you have, what isn't working and what the new site needs to do.
- DiscoveryWorking sessionsStructured questions with the people who use and run the site, and a look under the hood of the current one.
- 1 to 2 weeksThe scopeThe reverse brief and tech spec, reviewed with you and finalised.
- ThenYou choose who builds itTake it to any agency for comparable quotes, or ask me to quote. If I build it, the scoping fee comes off.
Case study · Large residential home builder
I audited the builder's old site, showed that patching wouldn't fix it, and wrote the brief for the rebuild. It launched eighteen months later, and the conversion rate went up 75%.
Read the case studyCommon questions
How much does a website redesign cost in Australia?
It depends on the size of the site, the platform and the integrations, which is why I scope first. Scoping starts from $3,500, ex GST, and is credited against the build if I build it. The build is then quoted at a fixed price for a known scope, so you're comparing like with like.
How long does a website redesign take?
Scoping usually takes 1 to 2 weeks. The build timeline comes out of the scope, because it depends on size, content and integrations. At the large end, the home builder's platform rebuild I led ran eighteen months from brief to launch, including a formal tender.
Will a redesign hurt our Google rankings?
It can, if URLs change without redirects, ranking pages disappear or tracking breaks. Planned properly, most of that is avoidable. Expect some movement after any launch; the plan is there so nothing important goes missing.
Why pay for scoping before the build?
Because the brief sets the price. Without one, every agency quotes a different project and you end up comparing guesses. Scoping gives you a document you own, quotes for the same job and fewer surprises mid-build. It's credited against the build if I build it.
Do we have to use you to build it?
No. The scope is yours, written so any agency can quote on it. I'm happy to quote too, leading Keal Collective on a larger build, and you'll always know that up front. If you'd like help choosing who builds it, I can run website brief and agency selection, and then Keal Collective doesn't bid unless you invite it.
How often should you redesign a website?
When it stops doing its job, not on a timetable. If your team dreads updating it, nobody trusts the numbers or the user journeys are broken, it's time. If only the look has dated, a refresh is usually enough. More on revamp versus rebuild.
Can you redesign our WordPress site?
Yes. I design and build in WordPress, Craft CMS and Shopify, with vetted senior developers from Keal Collective on the biggest jobs. Scoping also tests whether WordPress is still the right platform for you.
Planning a new website?
Tell me what you have and what isn't working on a 20-minute call. I'll tell you whether you need a redesign, a refresh or neither. No pitch, no obligation.
Call me on 0466 977 253 or send me a message. I answer both myself.
Bigger project? I bring in Keal Collective, vetted people I work with, and stay your lead.