A quote for a “new website” does not tell you what happens to the old one. If you have pages people find through search, links from other sites, or bookmarks, the redesign needs a decision for each useful address. Content migration and URL redirects may be included, excluded, or left unclear. Ask the designer to state the scope rather than assuming that “SEO included” covers it.

First, check whether the URLs will change

If the public page addresses stay the same and you are mainly changing design or hosting, a wholesale redirect project may not be needed. There is still work to keep pages available and test the new hosting. Google's hosting-change guidance treats a move with unchanged public URLs differently from a site move with new URLs.

If addresses change, each important old URL needs a destination plan. Google's site-move guidance recommends preparing a URL map and using permanent redirects where possible. A redirect to a relevant replacement is useful to both people and search engines. Sending every retired page to the home page is not a substitute for deciding where its content belongs.

Ask for four concrete deliverables

1. An inventory of the current site. Which live pages, blog posts, downloads, and landing pages exist? Which receive visits, inquiries, or links? Do not rely on a menu alone; useful pages may be reached from search even when they are no longer in navigation.

2. A keep, move, merge, or retire decision. Which content will appear on the new site? Who copies it, rewrites it, reviews accuracy, and supplies missing media? “Content migration included” should name the number or type of pages, not imply unlimited rewriting.

3. A URL map and redirect implementation. For every changing address, name the new destination and who will set up and test the redirect. If nothing changes, say so explicitly. If the redesign includes a new domain, ask for the additional domain-move steps.

4. Launch and follow-up checks. Who checks old links, forms, mobile pages, the sitemap, analytics, and Search Console after launch? How long are in-scope corrections included? A site can look finished while an old entry page or inquiry path is broken.

A sentence to send before approving the quote

“Please confirm whether this price includes an inventory of our existing URLs and content, the pages to be moved or rewritten, a destination and permanent redirect for every URL that changes, and checks after launch. If any of that is excluded, please price it separately.”

The answer may increase a quote, but it makes the offers comparable. A smaller site with unchanged URLs can need less migration work than a large site with a new structure. No provider can guarantee that rankings stay fixed through a redesign; the practical goal is to avoid losing useful pages and to make problems visible quickly.

If you have two proposals with different migration assumptions, start with ARCHV's website quote review, then ask each provider to confirm the actual work in writing. The website estimate can help you describe your site size, content readiness, and redesign needs before you seek another bid.