The website redesign checklist we use with Cambridge founders
A practical, step-by-step checklist for founders rebuilding a startup website — from positioning and page structure to performance and analytics.
Start with the decision, not the design
Most startup websites fail because they answer the wrong question. Before touching layout, write down the single decision a visitor should be able to make after two minutes on the page: book a call, start a trial, or send a brief.
Map the page structure to the buying journey
A founder-stage site rarely needs more than five pages: home, what you do, proof, about, and a way to get in touch. Each page should carry one job.
- Home: positioning plus the primary action
- Services or product: scope, process and what it costs to start
- Proof: case studies, numbers, named clients
- About: the humans behind the work
- Contact: the shortest possible path to a conversation
Write the copy before the layout
Design decisions are easier once the words exist. Draft the headline, subhead and three supporting points for each section, then lay them out.
Performance is a conversion feature
Compress images, lazy-load anything below the fold, and keep the first screen under a second on a mid-range phone. Every extra second of load time measurably reduces enquiries.
Instrument before launch
Ship analytics, a search console property and a sitemap on day one. A redesign you cannot measure is a redesign you cannot improve.