How do I replace an old website without losing what works?

Even a neglected site is usually load-bearing somewhere. Write down what still points at it before deciding what can be dropped.

• Pages that receive visitors from search or directories
• Links printed on vehicles, cards, invoices, and signage
• Forms and phone numbers customers actually use
• Anything a supplier, marketplace, or map listing points at

There is no reason to take a working site down to build its replacement. The old one stays public while the new one is drafted and reviewed privately, so a delay never becomes a gap.

Old page addresses printed or linked elsewhere should land on the closest useful new page rather than an error. This is ordinary work, and skipping it is the most common way a replacement loses visitors.

A site that loads is not a site that works. After the cutover these are checked directly rather than assumed.

• The phone number connects to the right line
• The enquiry form arrives and is answered
• The map link opens the correct place
• Old printed links still land somewhere useful

Your web address, your content, and any material you supplied remain yours through a replacement. A provider who cannot say that plainly is a reason to ask more questions before starting.