A website redesign offers a fresh start for your online presence, but to make the most of it, you need to prepare your existing content properly. Cleaning up and organizing your WordPress content ensures a smoother redesign process and better results when the new site launches.
While Cornershop will walk you through a lot of this, many of our clients are eager to get started, and there’s a lot you can do to get ahead of the game. Here's how you can get started.
FAQ:
Do I need to rewrite all the content on my site from scratch?
No! Rewriting all of your content can elongate and complicate your project unnecessarily. Try to keep & edit as much content as possible, or ask our sales staff about our Content Assistance plans if you’re invested in starting from scratch.
I really don’t like some of our content. Can you help us make it better if we keep it?
Absolutely! We offer full content assistance services where we can rewrite your content for you, and we also offer a workshop to teach you the finer points of rewriting the content yourself. Our team will be happy to discuss options with you.
1. Create a Content Inventory
Develop a spreadsheet listing all content pieces on your site, including:
Page titles and URLs
Content types (e.g., blog posts, landing pages, resources, news, forms)
Categorize content based on location in your site, to ensure you’re encapsulating everything that needs to be passed over to Cornershop. This means focusing not just on the pages in your navigation, but any sub-pages linked to buttons or images.
4. Identify Content Gaps and Opportunities
Identify gaps such as:
New pages for missing services or products
Necessary educational resources, case studies, or testimonials from your users
Any new content that hasn’t made it onto your current site
Important content that currently isn’t easily accessible for users
5. Update Existing Content
Once you know what content you want to keep or add, focus on:
Updating outdated facts, figures, and links
Improving readability with proper headings and bullet points
Adding internal links for better navigation
Identify any broken links
6. Remove Redundant and Low-Quality Content
Outdated or irrelevant content can dilute your site's effectiveness. It is important to identify old content that does not need to exist on your new site for your development team to ensure consistency & performance once the new site is deployed.
If you have a lot of content that isn’t currently relevant but needs to be kept, make note that it should be archived on the new site. That way it can be available for your team without cluttering up the user experience.
7. Create a Content Functionality Wishlist
Gather your team and talk about all of the things that bother you about your current website. Are there sections you spend time manually updating that you would rather use automation for? Do you have lots of great photos you want to put into a gallery? Do you want to be able to post updates from your phone, or have blog posts automatically display links to related posts?
Create a wishlist of how you would like to manage your content, and list your ideals for how your visitors will interact with your content. Having this list early on will help guide the redesign process and make it easier to identify goals and priorities.
8. Optimize Media Files and Assets
Large, unoptimized media files can slow down your website. Prepare your media by:
Renaming media files with descriptive, keyword-rich filenames
Organizing media libraries with proper folders or tags
Compile all media into one easily shareable location
9. Determine a Consistent, Realistic Schedule for Updating your Site Content
A successful redesign isn't just about launch day.
Assign a content manager(s) on your team
Train your team on WordPress content management
Schedule regular updates and content reviews that work best for your organizational capacity
10. Prioritize Your Most Important Content
Every organization has key actions they want users to take; whether it’s donating, signing up for a newsletter, registering for an event, or simply understanding what you do. Take time now to define what those actions are and which pages or messages are most critical in helping users take them.
This will help the design team place calls-to-action (CTAs) more strategically, and ensure your most valuable content gets the visual attention it deserves.
11. Identify Content that Would Benefit from Visual Treatment
As you go through your site, make note of content that could be presented in a more engaging or visual format. That might include:
Success stories or testimonials that could be highlighted in a quote block
Impact stats that could be turned into graphics or infographics
Step-by-step processes that might work better as timelines or icons
Even a simple list of these opportunities helps the design team elevate your content in creative ways.
12. Gather High-Quality Images and Videos
Strong visuals can elevate a redesign from good to great. If you have photos that represent your work well (clients in action, events, your team, or your impact) start collecting them now.
Tips:
Avoid overly posed or blurry images
Look for shots that convey emotion or story
Rename image files with descriptive names (e.g., “volunteers-serving-lunch.jpg” instead of “IMG_3021.jpg”)
If you don’t have many visuals, this is a good time to consider whether a photo shoot or stock photography will be needed.
13. Clarify Your Calls to Action (CTAs)
Clear, consistent calls to action not only improve user experience—they also inform design. Go through your existing pages and highlight the CTAs you want to keep, revise, or add.
For example:
Do you want every program page to end with a contact form?
Should blog posts encourage newsletter sign-ups?
Are you directing people to donate, volunteer, or learn more in the right places?
Knowing what action you want users to take, and where, helps shape layout decisions early in the process.
14. Document Your Brand Voice
Design isn’t just visual - it’s emotional. Your organization’s tone, values, and personality all influence the direction of the design. If you don’t have a formal brand guide, try creating a short reference for your team and ours:
List 3–5 adjectives that describe your organization’s personality
Include a few phrases or taglines that reflect your voice
Share examples of writing you’re proud of (emails, blog posts, etc.), and campaigns that might include visuals
This will help our team make design choices - from fonts to color palette - that reflect who you are.
15. Note Any Accessibility Needs
If your team or community has specific accessibility concerns, flag them now so they can be considered from the beginning of your site redesign.
Examples might include:
Preference for larger font sizes
High-contrast design needs
Avoiding certain colors for color blindness
Screen reader compatibility
The earlier we know, the better we can incorporate these requirements into the design without needing rework later on.