Make a short inventory
Send your current website link and what you want to improve. Collect the details below; provider names and account owners are enough to start.
| What you have | What to record |
|---|---|
| Domain and settings | Who registers your domain, where its settings are managed and when it renews. |
| Hosting and email | Your website host, email provider and any mailboxes or forwarding addresses you use. These may be separate services. |
| Pages and content | Pages, photos and downloads to keep, change or remove. Include links customers already use. |
| Forms and tools | Where enquiries arrive and any booking, payment, search or editing tools the site connects to. |
Plan what happens to old links
Keep useful page addresses where possible. When an address changes, match the old page to its relevant replacement and plan a permanent redirect, usually called a 301 redirect.
For example, an old boiler-repair page should lead to the new boiler-repair page, rather than sending every old link to the homepage. Agree what happens to content being removed.
Search visibility can fluctuate after a move. Redirects and checks help manage the change; they cannot guarantee your current rankings.
Agree the work before the quote
We confirm the pages, content transfer, redirects, connected tools, hosting and launch work in your scope. A replacement may need more than copying the visible pages.
Your domain can stay registered to you. If its settings change, the email records need checking against your email provider’s instructions so website changes do not accidentally remove them.
Use account invitations with the access needed for the work, where supported. Do not send passwords or recovery codes in a form, email or review note.
Check the preview and the live site
- Approve the content and try the main customer tasks on a phone and computer.
- Check important old links and any planned redirects.
- Test enquiry delivery and agreed integrations, with test messages clearly marked.
- If domain settings change, check that business email still sends and receives.
- Agree the launch timing, who makes the switch and what to do if a check fails.
Keep the old hosting until the move and relevant checks are complete. Timing depends on the providers and agreed work; uninterrupted service is not guaranteed.
Keep the handover record
Keep copies of your website files, the old-to-new page list, account owners, renewal dates and any remaining actions. Confirm which old services can be cancelled before ending them.
The same 4-week small-change launch aftercare applies with either hosting choice. Later work follows your agreed care plan or a separate quote.
Further reading
Official guidance behind the practical advice. Service inclusions are confirmed in your written quote.