Website Relaunch: When Is the Right Time?

Website Relaunch: When Is the Right Time?

A website relaunch can be decisive in improving your online presence and achieving your business goals. Here are the most important points to consider:

  • Why a relaunch?: Outdated design, slow loading times, or missing mobile optimisation can deter visitors.
  • Signs for a relaunch:
  • Loading times over 3 seconds
  • High bounce rates
  • Outdated layout
  • New business goals or target audiences
  • Planning steps:
  • Analysis of the current website (e.g. with Google Analytics)
  • Set clear goals (e.g. increase conversion rate by 20%)
  • Create timeline and budget
  • Optimal timing:
  • Retail: September/October (Christmas business)
  • Tourism: March/April (start of summer season)
  • B2B: January/February (start of business year)
  • Technical implementation with Wix:
  • Tools for SEO, GDPR compliance, and multilingual websites
  • Minimise downtime through 301 redirects and testing
  • Measuring success:
  • KPIs such as organic traffic (+20%) or bounce rate (-15%)
  • Use user feedback and A/B testing

A relaunch is more than just a new design — it optimises user experience, performance, and SEO. Plan carefully to ensure long-term success.

Signs That a Website Relaunch Is Needed

An outdated web presence can undermine your customers' trust. In fact, 57% of potential customers would not recommend businesses with non-mobile-friendly websites.

Outdated Design and User Interface

A modern website should not only look good but also be easy to use. Intuitive navigation is crucial so that visitors quickly find what they are looking for. If your website has these problems, a relaunch may be warranted:

Problem****ImpactUnclear navigationVisitors bounce, frustration increasesMissing call-to-actionsFewer conversionsOutdated designLower trust in your brand

Weak Website Performance

Technical weaknesses can directly impact your success. Watch for the following:

  • Loading times longer than 3 seconds
  • High bounce rates
  • Poor search engine rankings
  • Technical errors or crashes, especially with older Wix websites that are not regularly updated

Changes in Business Goals or Target Audience

When your business evolves, your website should reflect that. A relaunch is appropriate when:

  • New products or markets are being introduced
  • Your target audience's communication preferences have changed
  • Your brand identity has been revised
  • You are expanding into new Austrian regions or neighbouring countries

The decision for a relaunch should be data-driven. Use tools like Google Analytics, conduct user surveys, and compare your website with the competition. Once you have identified clear indicators, you can plan the relaunch strategically — how this works is shown in the next section.

Preparing a Website Relaunch

Solid preparation is crucial for a smooth and successful website relaunch. Good planning helps avoid later problems and ensures an efficient transition.

Analysing the Existing Website

The first step is a thorough examination of your current website. This analysis provides the foundation for all further decisions. Use tools to evaluate various areas:

Analysis area****ToolsUser experienceGoogle AnalyticsSEO performanceSEMrushTechnical performanceGoogle PageSpeed

Document the results carefully. This information helps you identify weaknesses and set clear goals for the relaunch.

Setting Clear Goals and Priorities

Define concrete and measurable goals. Instead of general statements like "better performance," you could aim to increase the conversion rate by 20% within six months. A hotel business in Tyrol could apply this goal to the booking rate.

Prioritise your goals by:

  • Relevance to your business
  • Available budget
  • Technical feasibility
  • Expected results

This ensures your focus is on the most important aspects.

Establishing Timeline and Budget

A realistic timeline is essential for approaching the relaunch in a structured manner. Consider factors such as seasonal fluctuations, available resources, and technical dependencies. An example of a typical timeline:

PhaseTimeframeTasksPlanning2–3 weeksClarify requirements, meetingsDesign4–6 weeksWireframes, design draftsDevelopment6–8 weeksProgramming, content migrationTesting2–3 weeksQuality assurance, usability tests

It is advisable to plan approximately 15–20% of the budget as a buffer for unexpected costs. Once the timeline and budget are in place, you should determine the optimal timing for the relaunch to maximise the benefit for your business in Austria.

The Right Time for a Relaunch

The timing of a website relaunch can significantly determine its success.

Seasonal Planning for Austrian Businesses

For Austrian businesses, considering seasonal business cycles plays an important role. Some industries have clear peak phases that are particularly suitable for a relaunch.

IndustryOptimal relaunch timingReasonRetailSeptember/OctoberPreparation for Christmas businessTourismMarch/AprilStart of summer seasonB2B service providersJanuary/FebruaryStart of business year

Beyond these seasonal considerations, you should coordinate the relaunch with your marketing activities. Here are three key approaches:

Coordination with Marketing Activities

Plan the relaunch to coincide with product launches, advertising campaigns, or your content strategy. This synchronisation can amplify the effect of your efforts.

Industry Trends and Competitive Analysis

Keep an eye on current trends and standards in your industry. A timely relaunch can help you stand out from the competition. According to a Wix study from 2024, 68% of Austrian SMEs already use modern website builders.

As mentioned in the planning phase, close integration with your marketing and sales activities is decisive. With a well-thought-out strategy, you lay the foundation for the technical implementation, which will be explained in more detail with Wix in the next section.

Implementing the Website Relaunch with Wix

Migrating Your Website to Wix

Once you have determined the timing and goals of your relaunch, it is time for technical implementation with Wix. The migration can be divided into three main phases:

  • Preparation (1–2 days): Create a content inventory of your current website and back up all data.
  • Migration (3–5 days): Transfer your content and design the new website.
  • Testing (2–3 days): Conduct functionality tests and fix any errors.

Wix Features for Austrian Businesses

Wix offers a range of features specifically tailored to the needs of Austrian businesses:

  • Multilingual websites: Perfect for the multilingual market in Austria.
  • Local payment methods: Supports EPS and other regional payment options.
  • GDPR-compliant tools: Privacy solutions tailored to EU requirements.

SEO Preservation and Downtime Minimisation

To maintain your website's search engine visibility, use Wix's integrated SEO tools. Correct setup of 301 redirects for your existing URLs is crucial. The Wix SEO Wiz helps you with personalised recommendations to optimally configure your website.

Stick to your timeline from Section 4: test the new website in a staging environment first. For going live, it is recommended to choose a time with low traffic, such as between 10 PM and 4 AM.

Evaluating the Relaunch's Success

After a relaunch, it is important to thoroughly review the results. Here you will learn how to measure success and continuously improve your website.

Keeping Key Metrics in View

Certain key performance indicators (KPIs) help evaluate the success of the relaunch. Pay particular attention to the following values:

MetricTarget valueSignificanceOrganic traffic+20%Shows improvements in SEO performanceBounce rate-15%Indicates optimised user guidanceTime on site+25%Evaluates content quality

Compare these values with the goals you set during the planning phase (see Section 3).

Improvements Through A/B Testing

A/B tests are an effective way to further optimise your website. With tools like Wix's integrated A/B testing function, you can test various elements. Run tests for at least two weeks to obtain meaningful results. Key test areas:

  • Call-to-action buttons
  • Headlines and headings
  • Image positioning

Combine results from Wix Analytics with Google Analytics for a comprehensive picture.

Collecting and Using User Feedback

Feedback from your visitors provides valuable insights that you can use to further improve your website.

  1. On-page surveys