What to Plan Before Redesigning Your Business Website This Year

January is when motivation is high, notebooks are fresh, and the thought of “finally fixing the website” feels exciting. But this is also when most business owners rush into a redesign before they’re actually ready.

Website redesign planning helps you clarify your goals, messaging, SEO structure, and user flow before visual design decisions are made, so your site actually supports your business instead of just looking better.

If you want your new website to work (not just look better), there are a few things worth planning first.

What Most People Rush Into Too Quickly

The design. Colors, fonts, layout, vibes.

All important, yes. But when design decisions happen before clarity, you end up with a website that looks polished and still doesn’t convert.

Common rushed mistakes include:

• Designing before defining goals

• Copy written after the site is built instead of before

• No clear plan for traffic, SEO, or lead capture

• Rebuilding the same problems with a prettier layout

A website shouldn’t just be a refresh. It should be a business tool.

Why Website Redesign Planning Comes Before Design

Before a single page is designed, your website should answer a few core questions:

• Who is this site for?

• What action do I want visitors to take?

• Where is traffic coming from?

• What makes me different from competitors?

Strategy gives your website direction. Design gives it personality. Without strategy, even the most beautiful site struggles to perform.

This is where messaging, user flow, buyer psychology, and SEO planning quietly do the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

If this list feels like a lot, that’s intentional - but it’s not something you’re expected to figure out on your own.

Website redesign planning is part of the process when you work with a strategic designer.

The goal isn’t for you to arrive with everything mapped out, it’s to avoid jumping straight into visuals without a plan.

A good website partner helps guide these decisions, asks the right questions, and translates your goals into a site that actually works for your business.

Budget, Timeline, and Readiness Considerations

A successful website redesign also depends on readiness, not just desire.

Ask yourself:

• Do I have clear services and pricing?

• Am I prepared to provide feedback and content on a timeline?

• Is this site meant to support growth, or just look more current?

• Do I have traffic coming to my site already or is that part of the plan?

Budget and timeline are easier to align when expectations are realistic. A rushed site often costs more in revisions, lost leads, and future rebuilds.

When to Plan vs When to Wait

Plan now if:

• You want to attract higher quality leads

• Your business has evolved but your website hasn’t

• You’re investing in SEO, ads, or visibility this year

Wait if:

• Your offers are still shifting weekly

• You’re not ready to commit time or decision making

• You mainly need a short term landing page, not a full site

Planning doesn’t mean committing immediately. It means setting yourself up to do it right when the timing is right.

It also doesn’t mean doing more on your own, it means working with someone who knows how to turn clarity into a site that supports your growth.