10 Signs Your Business Website Needs a Redesign
By MarketingToolsProHub Editorial Team | Last updated: | 6 min read
How do you know if your website needs a redesign?
Your website needs a redesign when it is slow or awkward on phones, visitors can't quickly see what you do and how to contact you, you can't update it yourself, or it no longer matches your business. Many problems are quick fixes; measure each sign first, and only redesign when several point the same way.
- Measure speed and stability against Google's Core Web Vitals thresholds, not by feel.
- Google uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking, so judge it on a phone first.
- Some signs are quick fixes (HTTPS, a missing call button); others point to a redesign (you can't update it, it no longer fits your business).
- A free website check scores the measurable signs in under a minute.
- Our redesigns start from $5,000; smaller fixes can often be handled on a maintenance plan.
What are the 10 signs your business website needs a redesign?
Each sign below has a way to check it, so you can decide on evidence rather than a feeling that the site "looks old". If several apply, it's usually time for a redesign like the ones on our business website page.
| Sign | How to check it | Usually a fix or a redesign? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Slow to load on phones | Main content takes longer than 2.5 seconds to appear (Largest Contentful Paint) | Fix first (images, hosting); redesign if the build is the cause |
| 2. Awkward to use on a phone | Pinching to zoom, tiny buttons, text running off the screen | Usually a redesign |
| 3. Browser shows "Not secure" | Look at the address bar on your own site | Fix (switch to HTTPS) |
| 4. Layout jumps while it loads | Cumulative Layout Shift above 0.1 | Fix |
| 5. Taps feel sluggish | Interaction to Next Paint above 200 milliseconds | Fix first; redesign if the build is the cause |
| 6. Visitors can't tell what you do in seconds | Ask someone new to find your services, area and prices | Often a redesign |
| 7. No clear way to call, quote or book | Can you act from the first screen on a phone? | Fix |
| 8. You can't update it yourself | Changing hours or prices needs a developer | Usually a redesign |
| 9. Visits but few enquiries | Compare visits with calls and form sends in your analytics | Depends on the cause |
| 10. It no longer matches your business | New services, areas or branding missing | Usually a redesign |
How do you measure speed and stability properly?
Google's Core Web Vitals give three clear thresholds. To provide a good user experience, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds, INP should be 200 milliseconds or less, and CLS should be 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile of page loads.
- LCP (loading): how long until the main content appears.
- INP (responsiveness): how quickly the page reacts when someone taps.
- CLS (stability): how much the layout jumps around while loading.
Test on a phone, not your office computer. Google uses the mobile version of a site's content, crawled with the smartphone agent, for indexing and ranking, so the phone experience is the one that counts.
Why does a "Not secure" warning matter?
If your site doesn't use HTTPS, Chrome shows a "Not secure" label. Google's Chrome help explains that the site doesn't use a private connection, so someone may be able to view and change the information you send. A visitor about to send you their phone number through a form sees that warning first.
This is a fix, not a redesign: your host or developer can usually switch the site to HTTPS without changing anything else.
Should you fix your website or redesign it?
Count the signs. One or two fixable signs (HTTPS, a missing call button, slow images) rarely justify a new site. Several signs at once, especially signs 2, 6, 8 and 10, usually do.
| Route | When it fits | Cost with us |
|---|---|---|
| Targeted fixes | One or two fixable signs | Often handled within a maintenance plan, from $500/month, or quoted as a small project |
| Redesign | Several signs, or signs 2, 6, 8 or 10 | Custom Business Website from $5,000 |
| Redesign with bookings | As above, plus customers book a time online | Website + Booking System from $7,500 |
These are approximate figures based on published pricing and industry reports at the time of writing. Your actual cost depends on your scope and will be confirmed after a free discovery call with us.
Our guide to what a small business website costs compares a redesign with a DIY builder and a freelancer over three years, and our guide to small business website builders vs a custom website compares those two routes in detail. For signs specific to your industry, see our guides for restaurants, hotels and gyms.
How can you check your website for free?
Our free website grader scores your site out of 100 for mobile speed, Google, calls and enquiries in under a minute, and lists the 3 fixes that matter most. There are industry versions too:
- local business website grader (calls and quote requests);
- restaurant website grader (menus and bookings);
- hotel website grader (room pages and direct bookings);
- gym website grader (trial sign-ups and timetables).
Pair the score with the checklist in our guide to what a local business website should include to see what's missing.
What does a redesigned local business website look like?
See it in action. Here's a demo local business website we built to show what's possible: our local business website demo. It's a demo, not a client project. It answers the first questions on one screen (what you do, where you work, prices or price ranges) and gives visitors a "Send an enquiry" form, a "Send a photo instead of describing it" option, and one-tap call and WhatsApp buttons.
A site like this typically starts in our Custom Business Website package (from $5,000). If you decide to redesign, our website redesign checklist covers how to run it without losing your Google rankings, and our guide to hiring a web designer helps you choose who does it.
Frequently asked questions
Summary
Your business website needs a redesign when several measurable signs point the same way: slow or awkward on phones, unclear about what you do, hard to contact you from, impossible to update, or out of step with your business. Fix the quick problems first, measure the rest, and redesign when the evidence adds up.
For a fixed price for your redesign, ask for a free quote; we reply within 1 business day, usually much sooner.
Sources checked
Information checked on . Prices, fees and policies change, so confirm details with the source before relying on them. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.