Signs your website needs a redesign

  • website-redesign
  • planning
  • mobile
  • leads

Updated

Your website needs a redesign when it gets in the way of what it's for: people can't use it on a phone, it's slow, it no longer describes what you do, it doesn't bring in inquiries, or you can't update it without help. Looking a few years old isn't enough on its own. Check the signs below, and count how many apply.

1. It's hard to use on a phone

Open your site on your phone. If you have to pinch to zoom, tap tiny links, or scroll sideways, your phone visitors are having a bad time. Check your analytics for the share of visits from phones: on many sites it's the majority.

2. It's slow

Test your home page in PageSpeed Insights. A low mobile score with slow loading is sometimes fixable without a redesign. See Why is my website slow? When the slowness comes from the theme or page builder itself, a rebuild is often the real fix.

3. You can't update it yourself

If changing opening hours or adding a staff member means emailing a developer, the site will drift out of date. A good site lets you edit everyday content yourself.

4. It no longer describes what you do

Your services, prices, team, or audience have changed, and the site still talks about the old ones. Patching pages one at a time often leaves a confusing structure.

5. It doesn't bring in leads

Visitors arrive but don't call, book, or fill in the form. Common causes: no clear next step on each page, a contact form buried in the menu, or pages that don't answer the questions people actually ask.

6. Visitors can't find things

If people phone to ask things that are on the site, or your menu has grown to a dozen top-level items, the structure needs rethinking, not more pages.

7. It shows security warnings or runs unsupported software

A "Not secure" warning, a theme or plugin that hasn't been updated in years, or a platform that's being retired are all reasons to act. See Fix the "Not secure" warning.

8. It isn't accessible

Low-contrast text, images without descriptions, and forms that don't work with a keyboard shut people out, and can create legal risk. See ADA website compliance checklist.

9. It doesn't match your brand

A new logo, colors, or name that only half made it onto the site makes the business look inconsistent.

10. You've outgrown the platform

You need an online store, event tickets, bookings, or member areas, and the current platform can't do them well. See WordPress vs Squarespace vs Wix.

Refresh or redesign?

  • One or two signs, and the site is otherwise sound: a refresh may be enough. Update the content, photos, colors, and calls to action, and fix speed problems.
  • Three or more, or a problem in the foundations (phones, speed, security, editing): plan a redesign.

Before you start, read How much does a website redesign cost? and protect your search traffic with Keep your SEO when you redesign.

If several of these signs apply and you're not sure whether to fix or rebuild, a short review by a web designer can tell you which problems are cosmetic and which are structural before you spend anything.