Most of the hesitation around a redesign isn’t really about the design. Business owners want to know what the process actually requires of you, how disruptive it’ll be, or what happens to everything already working on your current site. Uncertainty about the process is often the real barrier, more than the decision itself.
Here’s what happens when you redesign your website with RunLocal:
Step one: a conversation about your goals
We start by understanding what’s actually not working — slow load times, outdated content, poor mobile display, flat rankings — and what you need the new site to do that the current one doesn’t. We won’t just send you a form to fill out. We’ll have a working conversation, because your business’ goals shape every decision that follows.
Step two: auditing what you already have
Before anything gets rebuilt, we audit your existing site using Google Search Console and Google Analytics data to see which pages are earning traffic, which rankings matter, and what content is actually working. This step is what makes the difference between a redesign that protects your existing SEO rankings and one that accidentally throws them away.
Step three: a mockup you review before development starts
We build a visual mockup reflecting your actual brand and content, and you review it before any development begins. If you’re working with a practice partner or reporting to a board, this is the stage where that sign-off happens — you’re approving a design, not a finished site you can’t meaningfully change.
Step four: building on WordPress and GridPane hosting
Development happens on a staging site — a private version only you and our team can see — so nothing goes live half-finished. This is where the technical foundation gets built: schema markup, mobile-first responsive design, strong Core Web Vitals, and WCAG accessibility, all built in from the start rather than added afterward.
Step five: migrating content and setting up 301 redirects
Every page from your existing site that’s currently earning traffic gets mapped to its new location with a proper 301 redirect. This is the step that protects your existing SEO rankings during the transition. Without it, a redesign can quietly cost you the search visibility you already have.
Step six: launch, without downtime
Because the new site is built on staging, your current site keeps running normally right up until launch. During RunLocal’s website redesign process, there’s no window where your website is down or half-built for visitors to stumble onto.
What this looks like on a realistic timeline
Most redesigns run four to eight weeks from the initial conversation to launch, depending on how much content needs to be mapped and how quickly mockup review and revisions move. The steps above happen roughly in that order, though content migration and development often overlap once the mockup is approved.
Frequently asked questions about the redesign process
Will I need to do a lot of the work myself?
No. We handle the audit, the build, the migration, and the redirects. Your involvement is mainly the goals conversation upfront and reviewing the mockup — not ongoing technical work.
What happens to my current site while the new one is being built?
It keeps running normally. Development happens on a separate staging site, so your visitors never see an unfinished version.
How do you make sure I don’t lose my SEO rankings?
We audit your existing site’s rankings and traffic with Google Search Console and Google Analytics before building anything, then set up proper 301 redirects for every page that’s currently earning traffic.
Do I need to provide all new content, or can you write it?
We write the content, working from what you tell us during the goals conversation and what’s useful to carry forward from your existing site.
What if my board or practice partners need to approve the design?
The mockup stage is built for exactly that — you review and get sign-off on the actual design before any development begins, so there’s no surprise later.
Can you migrate my site from a non-WordPress platform?
Yes. Migrating to WordPress is a standard part of the redesign process if you’re currently on a different platform.
What if I don’t like the mockup?
We revise it with you until it actually reflects your brand — the mockup stage exists specifically so that happens before development, not after.
