De-clutter Your Digital Junk Drawer: How to Prep Your Content for Redesign 

When you remodel your house, you need to take stock of what’s inside. The same principle applies to website redesigns. Before diving into the design phase, there’s one crucial step you can’t afford to skip: content preparation. A structured approach to content inventory, review, and rehoming can save you time, money, and headaches down the road.

In a recent webinar, I shared some of the lessons I’ve learned working on dozens of web projects of all sizes. Analyzing and prepping your content is your chance to wrap your brain around all the content you own—and the data you might not even know is out there. Once you have that knowledge, you’ll be confident, prepared, and motivated to get your redesign off to a great start.

Start With a Content Inventory

What kind of clutter is lurking in your CMS? Every established website needs a thorough ROT analysis: Redundant, Obsolete, or Trivial. Running a site crawl with a third-party tool will uncover all the hidden pages, outdated content, and duplicate files that have accumulated over the years. This inventory gives you a clear understanding of what content you have and what needs attention.

Once you have a complete list, break it down by content owners or subject matter experts. Distribute their reports with three essential questions:

• Is this content current and accurate?
• Is it outdated and ready for removal?
• Should it be moved to an internal platform?

Firm deadlines for content owners will help keep the process manageable and ensure the redesign stays on track.

Related reading: How to Maximize Website Traffic with a Content Audit—and What to Do Next

Redirect, Rehome, or Remove?

Content management isn’t just about deciding what stays—it’s also about handling what goes. Before deleting pages, put redirects in place to prevent broken links and preserve SEO value.

If there’s content that shouldn’t be on your public-facing website but still holds value, consider rehoming it. A digital librarian or archivist can be an invaluable ally in this process. Archiving historical or academic content in platforms like the Wayback Machine or Archive-It ensures it remains accessible without bogging down your website.

Related reading: Blog Governance: When to Archive or Update Old Content

To estimate the hours needed for a full content review, multiply the total number of pages by 0.33. This calculation often reveals the extent of content sprawl and underscores the need for a streamlined approach.

I used this simple equation when I was faced with tens of thousands of pages. I was able to make the case that it’s time we stop using our websites as digital junk drawers.

Get Leadership Buy-In Early

A successful website redesign is more than just a marketing project—it needs to be a priority across the organization. Securing early buy-in from leadership gives you the stakeholder champions you need for the necessary resources and support. When you present content project plans, focus on how a strategic redesign improves efficiency, enhances the user experience, and aligns with business goals.

Connect the project to leadership priorities. If the goal is to improve staff morale, discuss what features of your new website will reduce frustration and streamline internal processes. By clearly demonstrating value, you’ll gain stronger support from leadership. That leads to change management success down the line.

Related reading: Accreditation Content: Requirements, Expectations, Anxiety

All the work you do up front gives you a better understanding of the scope for your website redesign. When you know how much writing or content migration to account for, you’ll be able to write a more accurate RFP—and that means you’ll get back better proposals that are focused on the work you need done.