Website redesign questions and answers

Ask whether the structure still fits the business. If the menu and page list still make sense, a refresh may be enough. If the business has changed or the platform is failing, a full redesign is more likely. Our guide to the signs your website needs a redesign goes through this in detail.

It depends on the number of pages, the amount of new content and how quickly feedback comes back. Small brochure sites take weeks rather than months from plan to launch. Larger sites and stores take longer. Your plan sets out dates for each stage.

A link to your current site, a few lines about what is not working and access to analytics if you have it. The redesign planner on this site produces a brief that covers most of what we need.

Changing page addresses carries risk, and Google itself says to expect temporary fluctuation during a move ^[1]. Careful redirect mapping, permanent server redirects and post-launch checks lower the risk of a lasting loss. Nobody can honestly promise rankings will not move.

A spreadsheet that pairs every old page address that changes with its closest new address. It is used to set up permanent redirects, so visitors and search engines following old links reach the right new page.

Google's site move guidance says generally at least one year ^[1]. We recommend keeping them indefinitely where your hosting allows, because old links in emails and on other sites keep working.

No. Keeping the same domain is simpler for customers and search engines. If you do change it, the move needs extra steps, including Google's Change of Address tool, which is only for domain or subdomain moves ^[1].

Yes. Every page is reviewed and marked keep, merge, rewrite or retire. Content that is accurate and useful is kept, especially on pages that already bring in visitors.

We can, and we quote for it as a separate line. Many businesses prefer to write some pages themselves, which we support with outlines and editing.

Yes. We design for small screens first and test on real phones before launch, and we plan to include an older, slower handset where we can.

Our target is the "good" band in Google's Core Web Vitals: main content visible in under 2.5 seconds, responses to taps in under 200 milliseconds and a layout shift score no higher than 0.1 ^[2]. Hosting, third-party tools and content added later all affect the real figures.

The NZ Government Web Standards apply to public service and other government agencies, not to most private businesses ^[3]. We still build to WCAG 2.2 at level AA because it makes sites easier for everyone to use. This is general information, not legal advice. The WCAG 2.2 guide has more detail.

Nine new success criteria, covering things like minimum target sizes and keeping focused items visible, and the removal of the old parsing criterion ^[4].

Yes, as long as they are genuine. We can display reviews from a recognised platform or ones your customers have given you permission to use. We will not write reviews. The Commerce Commission's 2026 case against The TV Shop shows the risk of fake reviews ^[5].

If the form collects personal information, you should tell people what you collect, why and who will see it. The Privacy Act 2020 and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner's guidance set out what to include. Our guide to privacy and contact forms covers the basics.

Many hosting and email services store data outside New Zealand. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner explains that where a provider only stores or processes information on your behalf and does not use it for its own purposes, you are treated as still holding it ^[6]. You remain responsible for protecting it.

Every quote is fixed and written after we review your site. Our pricing page explains what affects the figure, and the cost guide shows ranges published by other New Zealand firms.

Payments are split into stages tied to things you can check, such as an approved plan and approved designs. The quote sets out each stage.

You do. Once the final invoice is paid, you own the design, content and custom code we create for you. Third-party themes, plugins and fonts remain under their own licences, which we list for you.

No. We help you choose a suitable host if needed and hand over a maintenance checklist, so you or a provider of your choice can keep the site updated.

No. We work only with New Zealand businesses, quote in NZD and write in New Zealand English.