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Web & Digital Platforms

Digital modernization: rebuild in slices, while the old site runs

The old site is slow and hard to change, but it still brings in work, so it can't go dark for six months while a new one is built. Instead, it's rebuilt a slice at a time. Each slice is moved to the new site, switched over and checked, with every old address redirected and a way to switch back. The old site is retired last, when nothing depends on it. We plan the slices with you and keep the old site running until nothing depends on it.
Talk through your old siteSee the slices ↓
old siterunningretiredservice pagesmovedbookingmovedresource librarymovedcontact and aboutmovedroutereach address → old or newaddresses redirected04851207212new siteservice pagesbookingresource librarycontact and about

The slices, in order

The order is chosen for safety: learn on simple pages, protect the valuable path, retire the old site last.
Service pagesmost visits, simplest content48
Bookingthe most valuable path, run alongside the old form first3
Resource librarythe most pages, moved with its content model156
Contact and aboutlast, then the old site is retired5

Three moments in the move

Slice 1 · service pages

  1. Content moved into the new model

    12 services, 3 towns

    done

  2. Old addresses mapped

    48, each to its new page

    done

  3. Router switched

    service pages now served by the new site

    done

  4. Checked

    no broken links, no missing pages

    done

  5. Old pages kept in place

    for a week, in case of a switch back

    done

The busiest pages moved first, with a week's safety net.

What's protected during the move

  1. 01

    Every old address

    Redirected, never lost

    Each old address points to its new page, and every one is checked before the old site goes.

  2. 02

    Bookings

    Never down

    The booking path runs on both sites until the new one is proven.

  3. 03

    Search and visits

    Compared before and after each slice

    If a slice loses visits, it's found within days, not months.

  4. 04

    Content

    Moved, not rewritten by accident

    Every page is inventoried; what moves, merges or retires is decided, not assumed.

  5. 05

    Switching back

    One step, for every slice

    Any slice can be sent back to the old site while the problem is fixed.

The parts it's built from

Each part is built and tested on its own, so you can start with one and add the rest.

  1. Structure

    UX & Information Architecture

    • old pages
    • visits
    • search terms

    a page nobody visits → listed to retire, not moved

  2. Foundations

    Design Systems

    Shared parts for the new site.

  3. Screens

    Application Frontends

    Booking and forms, rebuilt.

  4. Quality

    Web Performance · Accessibility

    Faster, and usable by everyone.

Every slice released safelyCI/CD & Release EngineeringEach switch can be rolled back in one step.

Is digital modernization the right system?

Good fit

  • The old site is slow, hard to edit or hard to change.
  • It still brings in work, so it can't go dark.
  • Its content and addresses are worth keeping.

Avoid when

  • A small site with a handful of pages. Rebuild it in one go.
  • The site works; it just needs new content.

How we'd approach it

Most of the early work is deciding the slices and their order, mapping every old address and agreeing how to switch back.

  1. 01

    Understand

    As much as the problem needs

    We map how the work runs today: who does what, which systems hold the records, and where it breaks.

  2. 02

    Design

    Decided before it's built

    Ownership, rules, integrations and exceptions, agreed with you and written down with acceptance criteria.

  3. 03

    Build

    Connected to what you use

    We build the scoped system, connect it to the tools you already run, and test it on the cases that matter.

Related systems

The capabilities underneath

For your industry

Questions about digital modernization

Will we lose our search rankings?

Every old address is redirected to its new page and checked, and content moves rather than being rewritten. Nobody can promise rankings, but a careful move shouldn't throw them away.

Why not rebuild everything at once?

Because nothing works until everything works. In slices, each part is live and tested before the next starts, and any slice can be switched back.

How long does the old site keep running?

Until the last slice moves and every old address is checked. Then it's archived and switched off.

Can our team keep editing during the move?

Yes. Each section is edited on the old site until it moves, and on the new one after. A short freeze covers the day each slice switches.

Rebuild without going dark

Tell us what your current site does and what it can't. We'll show you the slices and the order we'd move them in.

Start a project