Stone Website Redesign – What to Keep and What to Change
One of the biggest mistakes stone businesses make during a website redesign is changing everything. The assumption is that the new site should be completely fresh — new design, new structure, new content.
In practice, some of what you currently have is working. Some pages rank in Google. Some content is genuinely useful to buyers. Some structural choices are right. Changing things that work creates unnecessary risk.
Here’s how to approach the keep-vs-change decision.
What to Almost Always Keep
URLs of pages that rank in search or drive traffic. These should be preserved exactly – or if the URL structure genuinely needs to change, permanent 301 redirects must be set up to the new equivalent pages.
Content that ranks well organically. If a product page or article is bringing in search traffic, the core content should be preserved, even if the formatting and design changes around it.
Testimonials and portfolio content with real client references. This social proof took time to accumulate and has genuine trust value with new buyers.
What Usually Needs to Change
The homepage structure, if it isn’t currently converting visitors into inquiries. This is often where the biggest opportunity lies – a clearer positioning statement, better product navigation, and stronger CTAs can make a significant difference.
Product presentation, if your current site shows images without specs. Every product page should become a proper information resource, not just a gallery entry.
The contact page and inquiry process, if it’s currently generating low conversion relative to traffic.
Any content that’s outdated, inaccurate, or simply not useful to your current buyers. Cut it rather than migrate it.
Design: Evolve, Don’t Erase
If your current visual identity (logo, color palette, photography style) is professional and consistent with your positioning, don’t throw it away. A redesign can update and modernize the visual language without starting from zero.
Buyers who already know your brand should still recognize it after the redesign. Complete brand erasure creates confusion and can disrupt the trust that existing clients have built with your visual identity.
Technology: This Is Where You Often Need a Clean Break
If your current site runs on a CMS that’s difficult to update, slow, or requires developer intervention for basic content changes – change it. The platform choice has long-term implications for how easily you can maintain and improve the site after launch.
The redesign is the right moment to move to a platform that your team can manage without constant technical support. WordPress with a good theme, Webflow, or a headless CMS – the right choice depends on your team’s technical comfort and your maintenance needs.
Navigation: Usually Needs a Rethink
Navigation structure is one of the most impactful changes a redesign can make. If your current navigation uses creative labels, buries key sections, or doesn’t reflect the current structure of your business – redesign it.
But map the old structure to the new one carefully, so no existing pages become unreachable or lose their position in the site hierarchy.
The Decision Framework
For every element, ask three questions: Is it working? (Analytics will tell you.) Is it accurate? (You know this.) Does it serve the buyer? (Your audit and client feedback will tell you.) Keep what passes all three. Change what fails any of them.
