Website Redesign
Redesign without losing your SEO
A fresh, modern look, faster loading, and every gain you have made on Google kept intact.
In short
WeMakeSites redesigns existing websites without losing your Google rankings, content or traffic. Every redesign starts with a look at your current site: which pages bring in visitors, what is ranking and for which terms, where the site is too slow, and what content is worth keeping. We then redesign with a focus on winning customers and fast loading, move your content across carefully (redirecting any web addresses that change so nothing is lost), and keep all your search setup intact. This care is the whole point: redesigns that ignore redirects routinely cost sites 30-60% of their Google traffic after relaunch, while a properly managed one often improves rankings. Most redesigns go live in 4-6 weeks. The usual reason businesses redesign is that their current site looks dated, is slow on phones, or no longer reflects how their brand has grown. Pricing is quoted in writing, and comes down to how much content there is to move across.
Why it matters
Most agency redesigns destroy a site's Google traffic. They launch a beautiful new site that, in Google's eyes, is basically a brand-new one, different web addresses, missing redirects, removed content, reset search setup. Three months later the owner is wondering why the enquiries dried up, and the agency is shrugging.
We redesign differently because we treat your Google rankings as something to protect, not an afterthought. Before any design work, we check which of your pages bring in visitors, which search terms they rank for, and which content is genuinely earning traffic. Anything that is working keeps its web address. Anything that has to change gets a clean redirect to its new home, so visitors and Google always land in the right place. Nothing is dropped without a clear reason and a plan for the traffic.
The design itself focuses on what redesigns are really for: winning more customers, working better on phones, and reflecting your brand well. Most older South African business sites have three problems: cluttered design that confuses visitors, a mobile experience that was an afterthought, and slow loading. We fix all three. The design is custom, it is built for phones first, and it is tuned to load fast on every page.
Moving your content is hands-on. We don't just copy and paste, we look at every page and decide what to keep, what to combine, and what to retire, then shape the new structure around it. Often a cluttered 40-page site becomes a focused 20-page site that ranks better because the content is properly organised.
What's included
Everything in the box.
- A check of your current site first (rankings, traffic, links)
- A fresh, custom design
- Your content moved across, with redirects so nothing is lost
- All your Google search setup kept intact
- Faster loading on every page
- Rebuilt for phones first
- A cleaner, better-organised page structure
- 30 days of monitoring after launch
- Optional care plan for ongoing peace of mind
How we work
Audit
We check your current site, rankings, traffic, which content performs, and any technical issues, to see what is working and what to keep.
Design
A fresh, custom design for you to review. Two rounds of changes, and your approval before any building starts.
Build & migrate
We build the new site on a private preview link, move your content across carefully, and plan redirects for any web addresses that change.
Pre-launch QA
We compare the new site to the old, check every redirect works, confirm your search setup is intact, and test loading speed on every page.
Launch & monitor
We go live with all redirects active, tell Google about the new structure, and watch your rankings for any changes over 30 days.
Best for
FAQs
Website Redesign, questions we get.
Will I lose my Google rankings during a redesign?
Not if it is done correctly. We keep your web addresses where we can, set up clean redirects where we can't, keep your search setup intact, and preserve content that is earning traffic. Done right, a redesign can actually improve your rankings, thanks to faster loading and cleaner content. Done wrong, by agencies who ignore this, sites routinely lose 30-60% of their Google traffic.
Should I redesign or rebuild?
Redesign if the underlying site is sound, built on decent technology, loads reasonably, no security issues, and you mainly want a fresh look. Rebuild if it is on an old system, is genuinely slow, or you have outgrown it. We will tell you honestly which makes sense after checking your site.
How long does a redesign take?
4-6 weeks for most projects. Faster if your existing content is clean and well organised, longer if there is a lot of content to move, complex address changes, or unusual integrations.
What happens to my old content?
Nothing is deleted without a clear decision and a plan. Pages that keep their web address move across intact. Pages that combine or change get redirected to their new home. Genuinely retired pages, like old services or promotions, get redirected to a relevant alternative.
Can you redesign a site built on an off-the-shelf platform?
Yes, either staying on your current platform with a new design, or moving to faster technology if speed is the problem. We will recommend the right path based on your needs and your team.
Related
Website Design
Quick-loading websites built around your brand and your customers, designed to turn visitors into enquiries. Live in 3-4 weeks.
→SEO
We help South African businesses show up on Google, with the technical fixes, better pages, helpful content and quality links that move rankings.
→Care Plans
Three care plans, Essential, Growth and Pro. Hosting, security, backups and ongoing support, all taken care of.
→Website Migration
Move from any off-the-shelf website builder or older platform to modern, reliable technology, without losing your rankings, content or uptime.
→