Website redesign checklist for Ontario businesses

A website redesign checklist for an Ontario business should protect what already works before changing anything. Keep or redirect every old URL, keep Search Console and analytics running, and take a content inventory. Then cover privacy and CASL, accessibility basics, speed, mobile, forms and your Google Business Profile details. Here is the full list, in order.

Why do redesigns go wrong?

Most problems come from changes nobody tracked. A page that brought in enquiries gets renamed, its old address stops working, and the traffic quietly disappears.

The fix is boring and reliable: write down what exists, decide what happens to each piece, and check it after launch.

Before you start

1. List every current URL. Pull them from your sitemap, the Pages report in Google Search Console, or a site crawl. This list drives the redirect plan.
2. Take a content inventory. For each page, mark it keep, rewrite, merge or drop. Note which pages bring in visits and enquiries.
3. Confirm your logins. Domain registrar, DNS, hosting, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, Meta. Missing access is the most common surprise.
4. Record a baseline. Monthly visits, form submissions and calls from the site. Without this, you cannot tell whether the redesign helped.

During the build

5. Map 301 redirects. Every old URL should point to the closest matching new page, not just the homepage. Google explains this in its guide to site moves with URL changes.
6. Keep what ranks. If a page performs well, rewrite it carefully rather than replacing it. Keep its topic, and keep a clear title.
7. Cover accessibility basics. Readable colour contrast, alt text on images, headings in order, labelled form fields, and a site you can move through with a keyboard. Ontario's AODA sets website accessibility requirements for some organizations, so check whether yours is covered.
8. Build for speed. Compress images, size them for the screen, and avoid heavy scripts and plugins you do not need.
9. Design for mobile first. Most local customers will see the site on a phone. Test on a real one, and make the phone number tap-to-call.
10. Test every form. Check validation, spam protection, the confirmation message, and that submissions actually reach the right inbox.
11. Update privacy and CASL basics. Your privacy policy should say what you collect through forms, analytics and cookies, and why. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has guidance for businesses. If you collect emails for marketing, follow Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation and get clear consent.
12. Add a cookie consent banner if you use analytics or advertising tags.

At launch

13. Put redirects live at the same moment the new site goes live, not a week later.
14. Keep the same analytics property. Confirm GA4 is installed on the new site and that form submissions and calls are tracked.
15. Update Search Console. Confirm the property is verified, submit the new sitemap and request indexing for key pages. Do the same in Bing Webmaster Tools.
16. Match your Google Business Profile. Business name, address, phone, hours and website link should match the new site exactly. Update other directory listings too.
17. Run a broken-link check and make sure a custom 404 page points visitors somewhere useful.

Our own 20-point pre-launch checklist covers the technical launch items in more detail.

After launch

18. Watch for 404 errors in Search Console's Pages report, and redirect any old URLs you missed.
19. Compare against your baseline after a few weeks: visits, form submissions and calls.
20. Fix what real customers find. Ask staff to note anything callers say they could not find on the site.

What can you skip?

You do not need to rebuild everything at once. If budget or time is tight, launch the pages that bring in work, protect them with redirects, and add the rest later.

You also do not need to keep every old page. Merging thin pages into one stronger page is fine, as long as the old addresses redirect to it.

Where Papaya fits

Every redesign we take on is custom-designed from a blank page and goes through our 20-item pre-launch checklist, and you own the domain and files at the end. See what a build includes on our websites page, or send us your current site through our contact form.

Common questions

Will a website redesign hurt my Google rankings?

It can if old URLs stop working or content that ranked is removed. Mapping every old URL to a new page with 301 redirects and keeping strong content reduces that risk, but no one can guarantee rankings.

What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is a permanent forward from an old web address to a new one. It sends visitors and search engines to the right page after a URL changes.

How do I get a quote for a website redesign from Papaya?

Send your current website address through the quote form or email contact@papayacreative.co. Papaya replies within one business day, scopes the project by call or email and provides one fixed written quote.