How to audit your content before a website redesign, Nova Nexus

A redesign is a chance to improve the information, not only change the way it looks.

Make a page inventory

List every current page, its address and its main purpose. Include resource pages, downloadable files and less obvious landing pages that may not appear in the main menu. A simple spreadsheet is enough. The point is to make the existing site visible before deciding what the new one should contain.

Add an owner or reviewer for information that needs specialist confirmation. Service details, policy wording and factual claims may belong to different people. Recording that responsibility early prevents the design team from becoming the accidental decision maker for information they cannot verify.

Read for accuracy before style

Check names, contact details, service scope, timelines and outdated references. Highlight anything that is wrong or uncertain. These issues should be resolved before polishing the wording. A beautifully written page is still a problem when it describes an offer the business no longer provides.

Separate factual corrections from tone preferences. This makes review easier because mandatory updates do not get lost in subjective discussion. Keep a source or approval note for important changes. When several versions of a document circulate, that note helps explain why one wording became the agreed version.

Decide the job of each page

For every page, write the question it answers and the next step it supports. If the purpose is unclear, investigate whether the page should be rewritten, combined with another or removed from the new structure. Do not carry content forward solely because it has always been there.

Look for repeated explanations across several pages. Some repetition helps people arrive from different entry points, but large duplicated sections may indicate an unclear structure. Give each page a distinct role and use relevant links to connect them. This makes the information easier to maintain as well as easier to explore.

Review images and downloadable files

Check whether images are current, high enough quality and approved for public use. Record the original source files where possible. A small image copied from an old webpage may not be suitable for a larger redesign placement. Identify gaps early so that replacement assets can be planned.

Open PDFs, brochures and other downloads too. They may contain older branding, contact details or service descriptions that conflict with the new site. Decide whether each file should be updated, replaced with a webpage or retained as an archive. The redesign should account for the whole customer experience.

Plan address changes carefully

If a page address will change, keep a map from the old address to the intended new destination. Share it with the person implementing the site so that relevant redirects can be planned. Avoid sending every old page to the homepage when a more specific replacement exists.

Keep valuable information accessible during the transition. A new visual design does not require changing every address. Where a page still has the same purpose, preserving a clear existing URL may simplify the move. Review the final structure and links before launch rather than treating them as a cleanup task afterward.

Hand over a clear decision list

Use four simple statuses: keep, update, combine and retire. For an update, describe the required change. For a combination, name the destination page. For a retired item, note whether anything needs preserving privately. This turns the audit into an actionable brief rather than a folder of comments.

Keep a backup of the existing site content and assets before implementation. It gives you a reference if information is missed and preserves material that no longer belongs publicly. The finished audit should leave the team knowing what to build, what to carry forward and which decisions remain open.

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