When is my website due for a redesign or rebuild?

Some people say that websites should be rebuilt every 3-5 years. I disagree! Older websites can be fine (especially if they were “built to last” and can be kept in good shape through regular maintenance and occasional content updates).

But that doesn’t mean I never recommend a rebuild or redesign. There are various factors that I take into consideration when I do, so there’s a list.

Over time, these factors will accumulate and the website will start working against your business instead of for your business. But when the time comes varies wildly from website to website!

Decision Checklist

A redesign is usually worth a conversation when one or more of these apply. The more boxes you tick, the stronger the case.

• The legal environment has changed
  Requirements around accessibility standards, privacy policies, cookie handling, and data protection evolve. It depends on where your business is located; some cultures are also more litigious than others. But an older site may expose you to legal risk, complaints and opportunistic “compliance shakedowns”.
• User expectations have shifted
  Screen sizes change, cultural expectations change, the language we use and expect changes. This varies wildly by industry.
• Your brand has matured or changed direction
  Most businesses outgrow their original branding. Maybe your website that once felt “appropriately scrappy and personal” and now it feels misaligned with the level of professionalism you want to signal. Or the other way around!
• Your marketing needs have changed
  Economic pressures? New competitors? Closed a physical location? Expanded your target audience? These types of changes usually mean that it’s a good time to revisit your marketing strategy as a whole (of which the website is one part).
• Your site has technical issues that are expensive to stay on top of
  If your site is risky to update or has performance issues (see also: technical debt), it is often just cheaper to start fresh than to keep slapping band aids on it.

Is a Redesign Worth Discussing?

→ If none of these apply, your website is fine as it is, even if it is older.

→ If some apply, I’ll probably bring it up in conversation at some point.

→ If most or all apply, I will definitely recommend a do-over.

If you’re unsure whether your site still supports where your business is going, or you just want a second opinion before making changes, I’m always happy to talk it through.