Plans · Marketing
Relaunch a website
8 weeks · 5 phases · 29 tasks · 4 milestones · 5 risks
For a small marketing or product team replacing an existing site, not building a first one. Design and content run in parallel from week 3, the build starts in week 4, and the last two weeks are testing and launch. If your content needs legal review, add a week before the content freeze.
Makes it a program in your harbor, dated from today.
Milestones
- Week 2Scope agreed
- Week 4Designs signed off
- Week 6Content complete
- Week 8New site live
The plan, phase by phase
1. Audit and goals
Weeks 1 to 2. Agree what the new site is for and what the old one already does well.
- Week 1Agree the two or three goals the new site must meet
- Week 1List every page on the current siteInclude traffic and inbound links for each, so you know which pages matter.
- Week 1Ask sales and support what visitors ask most
- Week 2Decide which pages to keep, merge or drop
- Week 2Agree scope and launch date with stakeholdersName one person who has the final say on design and copy.
2. Structure and design
Weeks 2 to 4. Settle the navigation and page templates before anyone writes copy into them.
- Week 2Draft the new sitemap and navigation
- Week 3Wireframe the homepage and key templatesGrey boxes and real headings are enough; leave color for later.
- Week 3Test the wireframes with a few real usersFive short sessions are usually enough to catch the obvious problems.
- Week 4Design the page templates
- Week 4Sign off the designs
3. Content
Weeks 3 to 5. Write the pages and make sure every old address has somewhere to go.
- Week 3Assign an owner for each page's copyOne named person per page, with a due date in week 5.
- Week 5Write and edit the copyContent is the usual cause of a late launch; chase drafts weekly.
- Week 5Gather images and confirm you can use themKeep a list of each image's source and license.
- Week 5Write the redirect map from old URLs to newEvery old URL with traffic or inbound links needs a new home.
4. Build and test
Weeks 4 to 7. Build the templates, load the content and test it on real devices.
- Week 4Set up the staging site
- Week 5Build the templates
- Week 6Load the contentCheck every page on staging against its approved copy.
- Week 6Set up analytics and conversion tracking
- Week 6Check every form sends to the right inbox
- Week 7Test on phones, tablets and desktop browsers
- Week 7Run an accessibility checkKeyboard navigation, color contrast and alt text at a minimum.
- Week 7Check page speed on a mid-range phone
5. Launch
Weeks 7 to 8. Switch over cleanly and catch what breaks in the first days.
- Week 7Freeze content changes
- Week 7Set up the redirects on staging and test them
- Week 7Plan the launch window and a way to roll backLaunch early in the week, not on a Friday afternoon.
- Week 8Put the new site liveKeep the people who can fix things on hand for the rest of the day.
- Week 8Check redirects, forms and analytics on the live site
- Week 8Submit the new sitemap to search engines
- Week 8Fix broken links found in the first days
What usually goes wrong
Content arrives late
Copy is written by busy people outside the project, and the build can't finish without it.
What helps: Give each page an owner and a due date in week 3. Launch with a shorter page rather than wait for a perfect one.
Likelihood 5 of 5 · impact 4 of 5
Search traffic drops after launch
Old URLs that no longer exist lose the rankings and links they built up.
What helps: Redirect every old URL that has traffic or links, and test the redirects on staging before launch.
Likelihood 3 of 5 · impact 5 of 5
Scope grows after design sign-off
New pages and features requested late push the build past the launch date.
What helps: Keep a list of later ideas and agree it will be looked at a month after launch.
Likelihood 4 of 5 · impact 3 of 5
Too many people approve each page
Every extra reviewer adds a round of changes and a week of waiting.
What helps: Name one approver for design and one for copy, and send everyone else a review deadline.
Likelihood 3 of 5 · impact 3 of 5
Forms or tracking break at launch
Leads go missing quietly and nobody notices for days.
What helps: Submit every form on the live site on launch day and check the message arrives and is counted.
Likelihood 2 of 5 · impact 4 of 5
Using it
Copy what fits and cut what doesn’t: no real project matches a template. In Harbor the plan becomes a program with these milestones, one project holding every task with its due date, and these risks in the register, all yours until you hand them out. The first phase starts in To do and the rest wait in the backlog.
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