How We Rebuilt a Popular Creative Resource Site from WordPress to a Custom Tech Stack — with Zero SEO Traffic Loss
About the Client
PSD Freebies is a go-to platform for designers and creatives seeking high-quality free PSD templates, UI kits, and design resources. With a loyal user base and a constantly growing library of downloadable content, the site attracts substantial daily traffic and is a valuable resource in the creative design space.
The project was led by Vatan Dhingra, a talented designer and a former team member at Refresh Ideas. Collaborating again on this ambitious revamp felt like a natural fit — blending Vatan’s eye for detail with our full-stack development and digital strategy expertise.
The Challenge
The original site, built on WordPress, was hitting its limits in multiple ways:
-
Security Threats – Frequent vulnerabilities like SQL injections and hacking attempts.
-
Slow Performance – Delays in page loading, particularly on mobile.
-
Content Chaos – Disorganized tags and categories, making content hard to find.
-
User Experience Gaps – No tracking for downloads, inefficient search, poor mobile UX.
-
Admin Access Issues – WordPress lacked granular admin controls; any admin user had full site access.
-
Revenue Limitations – No premium download system or integrated payment features.
-
SEO Risks – A major concern: Would a complete platform overhaul destroy years of SEO gains?
Our Solution
A Complete Rebuild on ASP.NET with Scalable, Secure Architecture
We moved away from WordPress and built a custom website on ASP.NET, focusing on performance, security, and long-term scalability.performance, security, and long-term scalability. Here's what we delivered:
-
Fully Custom UI/UX Design – Clean, modern, responsive across devices.
-
Lightning-Fast Load Times – Optimized for speed and performance across desktop and mobile.
-
Advanced Search + Smart Categorization – Helping users find exactly what they need, quickly.
-
User Login Area – With download tracking, file interaction insights, and engagement metrics.
-
Admin Dashboard – Full control to track top downloads, manage creatives, restrict abuse, and more.
-
Access Control – Fine-grained permissions per user role — avoiding the "all-access" trap of WordPress.
-
Premium Download System – Pay-per-download functionality integrated with a payment gateway.
-
Template Customization Requests – Feature added to request custom work from designers for a fee.
-
Advertiser Module – Easy placement and management of on-site ads for monetization.
-
SEO Migration Strategy – One of the most critical pieces — more on this below.
Zero Traffic Drop: SEO Migration Done Right
Many business owners fear they'll lose search engine rankings during a major revamp. At PSD Freebies, we:
-
Mapped every old URL to its new counterpart
-
Prevented 404 errors and SEO link loss
-
Preserved meta data, canonical tags, and indexing rules
-
Used search data to inform structure and redirect rules
Result? A seamless transition. Organic traffic levels remained consistent post-launch, with no drops — in fact, keyword rankings improved for several high-value queries.
Post-Launch Insights: What Happened in 90 Days
-
Average engagement rate increased by 22%
-
Organic traffic remained stable with a slight upward trend
-
Users spent 30% more time per session compared to the previous site
-
Search-to-download conversion improved due to better file discovery
Working with Refresh Ideas was a collaborative, focused experience. They understood the need for a robust backend while preserving the design-first aesthetic of the brand. What we’ve launched is a far more secure, scalable, and performance-driven platform than before.
— Vatan Dhingra, Founder, PSD Freebies
Conclusion: Ready for Scale, Built for Growth
PSD Freebies is now set up for the future — with a secure, scalable platform that supports its creative community and offers new monetization opportunities.
If you're a content-rich business stuck on outdated infrastructure, it's time to rethink your tech stack. A well-planned rebuild can improve speed, engagement, and revenue — without risking your search visibility.
Explore the site: psdfreebies.com
Need a similar transformation? Let’s talk
