Audit before setting the budget
Inventory current URLs, templates, integrations and content. Use the site’s analytics and search reports to identify pages that attract useful traffic or enquiries.
Separate visual changes from functional changes. If the existing platform meets the business requirements, improving specific templates may be more appropriate than replacing the whole site.
Make migration part of the acceptance checklist
Map changed URLs to relevant destinations, update internal links and verify important content and metadata. Agree how forms, payments, tracking and integrations will be tested.
Plan the release window and rollback procedure. A launch is complete when the important user journeys and migration checks pass, not simply when the new design is visible.