VANKPA
The decision
A redesign baseline should capture the business outcomes and journey conditions the project aims to improve. Record current definitions and measurement gaps before changing the site. Otherwise the team may be unable to judge whether the release addressed the original problem.
In practice
A service business may care about inquiry quality and staff handling time more than total page views. Review current inquiries and the contact journey. Note seasonality, campaigns, and operational changes that could affect later comparisons.
- Choose a small set of measures, verify collection, and preserve the relevant period's context.
- Document technical and content issues alongside the numbers.
- Agree what a useful post-launch review can reasonably conclude without promising causal proof from a simple before-and-after comparison.
When to take the next step
Capture the baseline before tracking or customer journeys change. Choose the measures tied to the redesign's purpose and preserve the operating context behind them.
Questions clients ask
How long should the baseline period be?
Choose a period that reflects the business's volume and variation, and state its limitations.
Can a redesign be judged by traffic alone?
No. Include the customer actions and operational outcomes that motivated the project.