Website redesign or a new site: how to decide

When fixing is enough

• The site loads fast on a phone.
• It’s easy to edit, and the system gets regular updates.
• The structure makes sense; only the path to an enquiry is unclear or the copy is weak.
• You already show up on Google for some searches.

Then targeted changes give you the most: a clearer enquiry button, better copy and a faster home page.

When a new site is the better choice

• It’s hard to use on a phone, or falls apart.
• Nobody knows how to edit it any more, or you have to call someone for every small change.
• It looks so dated that you seem to have closed.
• Your services have changed, but the site still talks about what you no longer do.

Then patching is often more expensive than a new site, because you pay for work on something you’ll have to replace anyway.

Three questions before you decide

1. What should the site do: bring a call, an enquiry or a booking?
2. Can you change the copy, a price or your hours yourself?
3. Where do the people who find you today come from: Google, social media or referrals?

If you don’t have a clear answer to the first question, no website will work well, old or new. Start there.

What to watch for in a redesign

If your old site ranks on Google, the old addresses need to redirect to the new ones. Otherwise both people and Google land on an empty page, and rankings drop. The domain stays yours, and at the end the new site should be fully handed over to you, with the files and access.

Related: Website redesign