How to Strategically Plan a Website Redesign for Complex, Multi-Audience Sites
When you're tackling the redesign or rebuild of a large, information-packed website—or a group of websites with overlapping audiences—it's easy to feel overwhelmed. The temptation is to dive straight into building. But to create a site that truly works for your business, you need to step back and start with a plan. That’s exactly what I did recently when rebuilding three timber industry websites: NZTIF, NZTPC, and Verified Timber. Here's how I approached it and what you can learn for your own website.
Step 1: Define Clear Goals for Your Website
Every website needs a purpose. Before writing a single line of content or mapping out your navigation, ask yourself:
What do I want users to do on this site?
What is the overall call to action (CTA)?
What are the key outcomes I want to achieve?
For the timber websites, this was a critical first step. Each site had its own audience—forestry professionals, timber treatment plants, and general consumers—but over the years, the original goals of the websites had blurred. By redefining the purpose of each site, I was able to separate and streamline the information for each audience, ensuring every page had a clear objective.
Step 2: Strategically Plan Your Navigation
Website navigation isn’t just about slapping a menu at the top of your page. It’s about creating a roadmap for your users.
Group similar information logically.
Prioritise what your users will be looking for and place it front and centre.
Avoid duplicating content—this can confuse both users and search engines.
For the timber websites, years of updates had led to significant overlap. Information was duplicated across all three sites, making it difficult for users to find what they needed. By carefully auditing the content and strategically organising it, I ensured that each site had a clean, logical structure. The navigation was designed to flow naturally and guide users to the right place.
Step 3: Map Out User Journeys
Think about your website as a series of funnels. Each page should lead to a logical next step, gently nudging your users toward the outcome you want.
What action do you want them to take on this page?
Where should they go next?
How can you make it easy for them to take the next step?
For example, on the Verified Timber site, the primary goal was to encourage timber treatment plants to sign up as licensees. I designed the pages to educate potential licensees on the benefits of joining and then lead them seamlessly to a sign-up form.
Case Study: Rebuilding Three Timber Websites
When I started working on NZTIF, NZTPC, and Verified Timber, their structures were tangled, and their purposes had become unclear. Here’s what I did:
Content Audit
I thoroughly reviewed all three sites, identifying duplicated content, outdated information, and key gaps.
Audience Segmentation
I clarified the audiences for each site—forestry professionals for NZTIF, timber treatment plants for NZTPC, and a mix of professionals and consumers for Verified Timber.
Content Reallocation
Information was split out into the appropriate site, ensuring each audience was directed to the right place.
Goal Setting
I defined clear CTAs for each site: advocacy and resources for NZTIF, industry compliance for NZTPC, and programme sign-ups for Verified Timber.
Navigation Overhaul
I completely restructured the navigation menus to make the user journey intuitive and logical.
The result? Three distinct, focused websites that now serve their audiences effectively, with no confusion or overlap. Each site pushes users toward its unique goals while maintaining a unified brand.
The Takeaway for Your Website
Whether you're managing a single site or multiple sites, take the time to step back and evaluate:
Are your goals clear?
Is your navigation intuitive?
Are your users being funnelled toward your desired outcome?
Strategic planning is the foundation of a successful website redesign. By focusing on your goals, audience, and user journey, you can create a site that isn’t just beautiful but also effective.
If you’re thinking about redesigning or upgrading your website—or tackling a complex group of sites—let’s chat! Based in Wellington, New Zealand, I specialise in creating websites that work for businesses, whether it’s cleaning up content chaos or building something fresh and modern on Squarespace. Let’s create a site that not only looks great but also delivers results. Get in touch today to discuss your project!
