How to Know If Your Website Needs a Redesign (5 Signs)
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and for most small businesses, that first impression is your website. Your site is your business card, your validator, and your pitch all in one… so it really needs to be good!
But getting a new website can be a big expense and massive undertaking, so when do you know it’s time?
TL;DR
If your website looks like it was built in the 2010's, is impossible to update, no longer reflects what you actually do, isn't converting visitors into leads, or makes you cringe before you share it... it's time for a redesign.
THE DESIGN IS FROM ANOTHER DECADE
You don’t have to be a designer to know an outdated website when you see one: cluttered layouts, way too much text, horrible (or complete lack of) mobile optimization, and photos that scream “I’M A STOCK PHOTO”. If you feel like I’m describing your website, it may be time for that redesign.
Not only do design trends change pretty quickly, but SEO best practices are also ever-changing, so the worst thing you can do is leave your website stagnant for years. Most people don’t realize user experience is a major factor in SEO, so clunky UX combined with outdated design can be bad for first impressions and Google.
it’S NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE UPDATES
Your website should not feel like a hostage situation! If changing a photo on your site requires an email to your developer, waiting a week for a response, another week for action, followed by an invoice… something is seriously wrong.
This is one of the most common complaints I hear from business owners who come to me after being burned by a flaky designer and a hard-to-use platform. The backend of a website can be genuinely overwhelming for non-developers, which means even small updates get pushed to the bottom of someone else's to-do list and your website sits in the world with inaccurate information.
But it doesn’t have to be like this! Moving your website to a user-friendly platform (like Squarespace, for example) puts you back in control and makes it so much easier to keep your site up to date.
YOUR BUSINESS HAS CHANGED BUT YOUR WEBSITE HASN’T
This one can really sneak up on you. Over time, you may have niched down, added new services, rebranded, or completely shifted your target audience, but your website isn’t reflecting any of those changes.
A site that doesn’t match where your business ~actually is creates confusion and quietly undermines your credibility. For example, if your LinkedIn posts reflect your rebrand, but your website has a whole different vibe, that tells a potential customer you don’t invest in your business. This may sound like a dramatic take, but it’s true. People notice inconsistencies when they’re choosing how to spend their money!
Traffic is fine, but no one is contacting you
If people are visiting your website but bouncing left and right, something is off. Confusing navigation, a buried contact page, no clear call to action, or even cluttered design can create enough friction that a warm lead closes the tab and moves on to someone else. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made a buying decision purely based on the website experience.
A well-designed service website should make three things immediately obvious: what you do, who you do it for, and how to get in touch. If a visitor has to dig around to find any of that, you're losing people who were already interested.
You're embarrassed to share it
If you feel the need to send a disclaimer when you share your website link, that’s the only sign you need. No more “view it on desktop because it’s not mobile optimized” or “sorry, it’s a little outdated” or “the contact form isn’t working right now”. If your website makes you cringe, it DEFINITELY makes a potential customer cringe. Just get a new one.
If you feel seen right now, it might be time to explore options for a new website.
Take a peek at my web design services to see what a redesign could look like. I also have transparent pricing + broke down the cost of a small business website here.
This article may contain affiliate links. Whenever you buy something through one of these, I get a small commission, without any extra cost to you :)
