Full website redesign and rebuild
A full redesign replaces the look, the structure and often the platform of your current site, while carrying over the content and search history worth keeping.
Short answer
A full redesign suits a site whose structure no longer fits the business. We audit every page, agree a new page list and design, build on a staging copy, test every redirect and launch with a monitoring plan for the weeks after.
When a full redesign makes sense
A full redesign is the largest service we offer, so it is worth being clear about when it is needed. It makes sense when the problems with a site go deeper than colours and fonts. Common reasons include a business that now offers different services from the ones the site was built around, a theme or platform that is no longer updated, layouts that cannot be adapted to phones without being rebuilt, or a site that has grown by bolting on pages until nobody can find anything. If the site collects enquiries, the privacy and forms guide is worth reading before new forms go live.
If your structure still works and the issues are mostly about usability on phones or slow pages, a UX refresh or a mobile redesign may be enough and will cost less. We will tell you if we think that is the case. If your site runs on an ageing WordPress theme, a WordPress redesign may be the better fit.
What the project covers
A full redesign has five parts, and each one ends with something you can check.
1. Audit of the current site
We list every live page, then look at what each one does. Where you have analytics or Search Console, we note which pages bring in visitors and enquiries. We also record every form, booking tool, tracking script and integration, because these are the things most often lost in a redesign. The result is a spreadsheet you keep.
2. New structure and page list
From the audit we agree which pages to keep, merge, rewrite or retire. We draft a new menu and page list, and a redirect map that pairs every old address that changes with its closest new equivalent. Nothing moves without a destination.
3. Design
We design the key page types first: the home page, a service or product page, a contact page and any page that is unusual for your business. Designs are shown on both a phone-sized and a desktop-sized screen. You approve them in writing before we build.
4. Build and testing
We build on a staging copy that search engines cannot see. Every page is tested on real phones and desktop browsers, every form is sent end to end, and every redirect in the map is checked. We test the pages we build against WCAG 2.2 at level AA and fix what we find.
5. Launch and follow-up
We launch at a quiet time for your business, submit the new sitemap and watch for errors. At two weeks and six weeks after launch we compare search clicks, enquiries and any sales with the baseline recorded in the audit, and fix anything that has broken.
Protecting search traffic
Search engines treat a redesign that changes page addresses as a site move. Google's own documentation says to use permanent redirects, map old addresses to new ones, update internal links and sitemaps, and keep redirects in place for at least a year1. It also warns that rankings can fluctuate while a move settles1, so a short dip after launch is not a sign that something has gone wrong.
We follow that guidance. Permanent server redirects, either 301 or 308, are the type Google treats as a strong signal that the new address should replace the old one2. We avoid JavaScript redirects, chains of redirects and blanket redirects to the home page, which lose the connection between an old page and its replacement.
For sites where search traffic matters most, the SEO-preserving migration service describes the extra checks in detail. They are included in every full redesign.
Accessibility and the law
Most private businesses in New Zealand are not bound by the government web standards, which apply to public service and other government agencies3. We still build to WCAG 2.2 at level AA, because it gives a clear, testable target and because accessible pages tend to be easier for everyone to use. WCAG 2.2 added nine success criteria to the previous version and removed one, the old parsing rule4. Our guide to WCAG 2.2 for business websites explains who must follow the standard and how to check a site.
What you receive
At the end of a full redesign you have:
- The redesigned site, live on your domain
- The audit spreadsheet and redirect map
- A short accessibility statement draft you can publish or adapt
- Logins and ownership of every account we set up in your name
- Written notes on how to edit pages, add images and update menus
You own the design, the content and the code we write for you once the final invoice is paid. Third-party themes, plugins and fonts stay under their own licences, and we list them in the handover notes.
How long it takes and what it costs
Timelines depend on the number of pages, how much content needs writing and how quickly feedback comes back. We set out the stages and dates in the written plan. The price is fixed in the quote, before any work starts. See how we quote for what affects the price, or the website redesign cost guide for the ranges other New Zealand firms publish.
Full redesign questions
Do you write the content as well?
We can. Often most of the existing words can be reused, with only out-of-date pages rewritten. If a large amount of new writing is needed, we quote for it separately so you can choose to do it in-house.
Will my email stop working during the launch?
It should not. Email is handled by your domain's mail records, which we leave alone unless you ask us to change them. We check those records before launch as a precaution.
Can we keep using our current hosting?
Usually, yes, as long as it supports what the new site needs. If it does not, we explain why and leave the choice of a new host to you.
What happens to the old site?
We keep a full backup until the new site has been stable for a few weeks, then hand it to you. Nothing is deleted without your agreement.
Sources
Each source was opened and checked against the sentence it supports on 3 November 2026.
- Site Moves and Migrations Platform documentation
- Redirects and Google Search Platform documentation
- NZ Government Web Standards Government
- What's New in WCAG 2.2 Standards body
Ready to plan your redesign?
Tell us what your current site does well and what holds it back. You get a written, fixed quote in NZD before any work starts.