The reasons to redesign this website:

• adding the ability for the client to edit or add content themselves
• a new fresh look
• a need for visitor statistics (web analytics)

SSThistlegorm.com is mainly a simple informative site about the homonymous SS Thistlegorm book. There are no intentions to add the many social features we normally use, also because this client already runs a blog style website with us, full with this stuff. Usually adding social networking capabilities (share/connect) is a third reason to convert an existing website.

Some tips if you plan to redesign an existing site:

• Check if you can host the actual domain extension
  Normaly not a problem with .com, .net, .info or .org sites, but it might be with country domain names that you want to transfer to a host in another country. In that case you can configure the nameserver settings at the domain's current registrar to point to your other hosts nameservers. This is also an option for clients that have the domainname. It has some technical drawbacks, for example if you want to setup antispam (Postini) on your domain related email.
• Make sure you get cooperation for the transfer of the site from the party where the website is hosted now.
  The Thistlegorm website transfer went smooth and was exemplary.
• Use the existing text and image content as a starting point.
  Leave existing urls unaltered and active as much as possible with the old text first. The search engines have already indexed these. Make content changes only in a second phase.
• Make sure everything is working before the transfer becomes effective. There is no need to have the site down, not even one second. During the propagation period (12-72 hours) visitors see or the old site, or the new one.

Compare the new site with the site from 2003.