The Big Shift: How to Redesign Content-Heavy Websites Without Losing Your Mind
If you’ve ever considered a website redesign, you’ve probably heard the buzzwords: modern, clean, user-friendly.
Sounds great, right? But for organizations with large, content-heavy sites, the thought of tackling a redesign can feel overwhelming. Not because teams lack vision. But they’re navigating real, competing pressures:
- Significant investment in your current site
- Decision paralysis with so many platform options
- Waiting for that “brand refresh” that’s always coming next year
These concerns are valid. But don’t let the sheer amount of content stop you from creating a better digital experience.
Why Content Migration Feels Like a Roadblock
For many of our clients, content migration is the biggest unknown when starting a redesign. They often have small content teams and lack the bandwidth for a full migration. The truth? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are proven strategies to make this process manageable.
Three Ways We Simplify Complex Site Redesigns
1. Content Rationalization
Not all content deserves a ticket to your new site. We start with a full content audit to determine:
- What’s essential to keep
- What can be removed
- What can be combined
This process also considers SEO rankings to ensure your most valuable content remains intact.
2. Content Strategy
Next, we prioritize what matters most to your audience. On a 500-page site, maybe only 25 pages truly drive engagement. We focus efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact: creating a roadmap that aligns with your business goals and user needs.
3. AI-Assisted Migration
Even after rationalization and strategy, hundreds (or thousands) of pages remain. That’s where AI comes in. Not to rewrite everything, but to streamline migration. By defining page types (landing pages, articles, product details, etc.), we are able to use AI to pull and reformat existing content into your new structure. This reduces manual effort and accelerates the process without sacrificing quality.
The Bottom Line
Don’t let content complexity hold you back. A well-executed redesign improves user experience, strengthens your brand and drives results. Remember: while content is king, your site is the kingdom it lives on. Together, they can create an experience your audience will love.
