Write down what is actually failing
Start with a customer task: finding your service, calling from a phone, requesting a quote, or completing checkout. Try that task on your own phone using a cellular connection. Record the page, the action, and the result. “The quote form shows an error after Submit” gives a developer a useful starting point. “The website feels old” needs a different conversation about positioning, content, and design.
Check access and backups before changing anything
Know who controls your domain, hosting, WordPress administrator account, and form destination. Ask for a recent database and file backup, then ask how it would be restored. A backup that has never been checked is an assumption. Keep exports outside public download paths or restrict access explicitly. If your site accepts orders or leads, define how those records will be preserved during any migration.
Repair when the structure still fits the business
A focused repair is often appropriate when your services and page structure are current, the content is useful, and the problem can be reproduced. Examples include a broken form, oversized hero image, conflicting plugin, or missing redirect. Request a bounded scope: the problem, the intended result, the test that proves it works, and the rollback method. Agree on any period when the site may be unavailable.
Rebuild when customers need a different journey
A rebuild becomes more useful when your business has changed, the site cannot explain your main services, or several customer journeys depend on fragile workarounds. A service company adding online booking may need more than a new homepage. Map the journey from service page to inquiry, confirmation, team assignment, and follow-up. Decide which systems own each step before selecting a theme or tool.
Protect the URLs that already bring customers
Before migration, export the existing URLs and review which pages receive search traffic, inquiries, and backlinks. Preserve useful addresses wherever practical. When an address must change, map it to a relevant replacement rather than sending every old page to the homepage. Test the redirects and keep a list of removed content with a reason for each decision.
Ask for a small acceptance checklist
Your launch checklist should include a real form submission, mobile navigation, phone and email links, HTTPS, key page titles, redirects, and the customer action that triggered the project. Compare measurements under the same test conditions. A fast homepage does not prove checkout works, and a screenshot does not prove a lead reaches your team. AAA begins website rescue work by finding the failure and agreeing on a repair scope.
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