Relaunching an upgraded website is a major milestone for any B2B business. But a successful relaunch requires much more than a fresh design or updated content. Strategic planning and thoughtful execution are crucial to reintroducing your digital presence, reconnecting with your audience, and delivering a stronger brand experience.
Whether you’re refining your brand, improving functionality, or overhauling user journeys, the steps you take before, during, and after relaunch will determine how effectively you achieve your goals. These eight best practices will help you maximize the impact of your website relaunch.
1. Start Early
Planning for a website redesign and relaunch should start six months to a year before the target launch date. Relaunching isn’t just about adding new features. It often involves auditing legacy content, migrating data, rethinking architecture, and thoroughly testing updates. Rushing the process increases the chances of reduced SEO value, poor user experience, and a disjointed brand presentation. Allow your team ample time to thoroughly plan, design, develop, test, and perfect.
2. Define Goals and Metrics
Before relaunching, clearly define what success looks like now. Then, identify what the goals are for the new site. Are you aiming to boost lead generation, modernize your brand image, showcase new services, or improve mobile compatibility? Updating KPIs will inform decisions on design, content, functionality, and integrations. Share your goals with the project team so everyone is aligned and working toward the same outcomes.
3. Audit Your Current Site and Performance
A thorough audit is a critical starting point for any website redesign. Analyze your current site’s design, navigation, SEO performance, loading speeds, and other analytics data. Identify what’s working well and what needs improvement. Then, carefully review content to determine what needs to be created, updated, or removed. “A deep dive into all your content is essential,” says Amanda Donahue, marketing manager at ACS. “It’s how you guarantee every page shares the same voice and stays true to your brand, creating a seamless experience for your audience.” An audit will provide insights to help marketers build on a site’s existing strengths while addressing weaknesses.
4. Map Out User Journeys
With new goals and a fresh perspective in place, remap the key paths users should follow through your updated website. Identify how visitors will find information, engage with your brand, and convert into leads or customers. This exercise will reveal opportunities for navigation improvements, content needs, and structural updates that will create a better, more intuitive user experience.
5. Stay Organized
A successful relaunch requires disciplined organization. Create a project plan that outlines key milestones, deliverables, testing phases, and responsible parties. Use a project management tool like Asana or Trello to track deadlines, ownership, and progress. Maintain a centralized location for all assets and hold regular check-ins to address roadblocks efficiently. A detailed relaunch checklist will ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
6. Test Across Devices and Platforms
“Test, test, test before launch,” suggests Donahue. “Have others verify that every interactive element—links, forms, videos—works seamlessly everywhere, including mobile.” In addition to functionality, test page speeds, mobile responsiveness, and accessibility from different devices and browsers. Remember, B2B buyers expect a seamless user experience. Rigorous testing minimizes disruptions, improves performance, and protects your brand reputation.
7. Collect Feedback Before and After Relaunch
Before your public relaunch, gather feedback from trusted stakeholders, customers, and colleagues. Fresh eyes can provide valuable perspectives about confusing navigation, unclear messaging, or bugs that internal teams might miss. Make it clear you are looking for their honest opinions—both positive and negative. Post-launch, continue monitoring user behavior through analytics and collect input to refine and optimize over time. Not every suggestion requires action, but patterns will point to the areas that matter most.
8. Promote
Treat your website relaunch like the major initiative it is. Create buzz by teasing updates through email campaigns, social media posts, and blog content. On launch day, have a full campaign ready to announce the new site and invite users to explore what’s new. Consider offering incentives, like exclusive content downloads or special offers, to drive digital engagement. Don’t rely solely on organic traffic at the start, as it will take time to build. Reach out to relevant media outlets and industry partners to amplify your announcement and boost visibility beyond your existing target audiences.
Make Your Website Count
Your website is often your brand’s first—and most important—impression. It’s a strategic asset that can either powerfully position your business in the marketplace or undermine your credibility. A website done right establishes your expertise, showcases your value proposition, and builds trust with visitors. Considering a website overhaul? Get started by scheduling a call with one of our experts.
