Migrating existing GoDaddy "Website Builder" site without damaging existing SEO

[Weeeebolly]

Hi, I've recently taken over a business which does pretty well in terms of google results (page 1, result 5). The previous owner did a great job with SEO, however I think that the site looks extremely dated and we could do much better with a branding overhaul. 

The current site was built in GoDaddy's "Website Builder". I've created quite a few sites through weebly, and have acheived results I'm really happy with. "Website Builder" however seems pretty terrible by comparison and I'm having trouble achieving anything decent. 

So I'm wondering if its a bad idea to create a site with Weebly, with all of the same content as the original, and then link the existing domain to the new site. 

I'm worried that we'll lose our google ranking and disappear from page 1. 

Should I take this chance or should I stick with an annoying, dated interface and an ugly website... but a website that is getting traffic due to good SEO...?

Any tips greatly welcome! 

Thanks.

[Weeeebolly]

I've just discovered 301 Redirects. This seems like it might be the solution to my problem, do people agree?

So I can hypothetically make a totally new site, without necessarily using anything from the original (although I will replicate quite a bit), and then anyone who finds the original site via a google search will be sent to the new site. Seems a bit messy to have the old site hanging around forever but if it works..?

And I guess, the new site might hypothetically work its way up the google rankings to a similar position eventually at which point I could delete the old site?

Thoughts?

[whitemonkey]

can u 301 to another site??   thought its only internally...

im not a fan of Go D   after my weebly site was hacked, copied and hosted with them. i read similar stories...

start a new blog   with nice responsive pages  and great SEO.   

or just up grade the old site..   change the theme. tweak the fonts   

[Bernadette3]

Yes, you will use the 301 redirect option, @Weeeebolly.