When should you redesign your site? 5 concrete signs
A redesign is an expensive decision. Is it really necessary, or are you just bored of it? Five measurable signs to make the call easier.
The feeling that "my site is dated" is usually right, but it doesn't always call for a redesign. Sometimes a few fixes are enough. Here are five signs that genuinely do.
1. It's unusable on a phone
This is the clearest sign. If the site scrolls sideways on a phone, the menu won't open or the text is unreadable, patching usually costs more than rebuilding.
2. You can't update it yourself
If changing a price means emailing your developer, the site is under their control, not yours. That's a slow and expensive dependency.
3. You don't appear in search at all
If searching your own business name doesn't put you on the first page, there's a technical problem. Check Search Console: can Google read your site properly?
4. Visitors arrive but never get in touch
You have traffic, but no messages. That's a design problem: the visitor doesn't understand what to do. It usually comes from contact details being hidden, or from no clear next step existing at all.
5. The site no longer describes your business
The most overlooked sign. Two years ago you offered one service, now you offer four; or your audience changed. If the site still describes the old business, it attracts the wrong customer however good it looks.
What to do before redesigning
If you've decided to redesign, before starting:
- Record your current traffic. Which pages get visits? Don't lose them.
- Preserve the URL structure. If addresses change, old ones must redirect to new ones; otherwise your search rankings reset.
- Back up your content. Text, images, blog posts.
A redesign done without those three can end with a prettier site and fewer visitors — the most expensive mistake I see.
- #redesign
- #strategy
- #migration
