Most business owners know their website could be better, but not whether it needs a quick update or a full redesign. These 10 signs your website needs a redesign will tell you. Go through them with the site open on your phone, because that's the version Google uses to rank you.
Count how many apply. The score at the end tells you what to do next.
1. It's hard to use on a phone
You have to pinch and zoom, the text runs off the screen, or the buttons are too small to tap. Google ranks the mobile version of your site, so a poor phone layout costs you visitors twice: in search results and when people give up.
2. It takes more than a few seconds to load
Test it free at pagespeed.web.dev. Google counts a page as good when its main content appears within 2.5 seconds. If yours takes far longer on mobile, visitors leave before they see what you do.
3. It doesn't show up on Google for what you do
Customers find you when they search your name, but not when they search your service and suburb. Some causes are quick settings. Others are built into the site. Our guide to why your website isn't showing up on Google walks through all seven.
4. Enquiries have dropped, or never started
Your website should bring in calls, bookings or form enquiries. If it doesn't, or they've slowed while the business has grown, the site isn't doing its job. Check the contact form actually reaches your inbox while you're at it.
5. You can't make simple changes quickly
A new price, new opening hours or a holiday notice shouldn't need a developer and a week's wait. If small changes are slow or expensive, the site will keep falling behind your business.
6. It looks older than your business
Old photos, a copyright year from years ago, a style that screams 2015. Customers judge the business by the website, and a dated site suggests a dated service, even when your work is excellent.
7. The information is out of date
Services you no longer offer, old prices, staff who've left, the wrong suburbs. Wrong details cost you trust with customers, and AI tools like ChatGPT can repeat them to people asking for recommendations.
8. The browser says "Not secure"
Chrome marks every site without HTTPS as "Not secure" in the address bar, and Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. If your site shows the warning, visitors see it before they see your business.
9. It doesn't connect to the tools you use
Enquiries arrive as emails you retype into your system. Bookings go back and forth by phone. If you want online bookings, payments or a CRM connection and the site can't do it, you're doing work the website should do.
10. Nobody is sure who controls it
The domain is in a former designer's name, the hosting login is lost, or the person who built it has moved on. Until you control your website, every change and every fix depends on someone else.
What your score means
- 0 to 2: a website refresh is probably enough. Fix the specific problems and keep going.
- 3 or more: the problems are likely built into the site. A redesign will usually cost less than patching it, and fix more.
Not sure if you need a redesign or a new website? Our guide to website redesign vs a new website explains the difference. Questions about timing and hosting are answered in our FAQ.
Key takeaways
- (01)
Check your website on a phone, since that's the version Google ranks.
- (02)
Slow loading, poor mobile layout and a "Not secure" warning cost visitors and rankings.
- (03)
If you can't change prices or hours quickly, the site will keep falling behind.
- (04)
Make sure you control your own domain and hosting.
- (05)
Three or more signs usually means a redesign beats patching.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a business website be redesigned?
There's no fixed schedule. Age alone isn't the reason to redesign. When three or more of the signs in this checklist apply, a redesign usually costs less than continuing to patch the old site.
What's the difference between a website refresh and a redesign?
A refresh updates the look and wording on the same site. A redesign rebuilds the site so it's faster, works on phones and is easy to update, while keeping your domain and content.
Will a website redesign hurt my SEO?
Not if every old page is redirected to its new one and the domain stays the same. Rankings can move around for a few weeks while Google recrawls, then settle. A faster, mobile-friendly site often ranks better afterwards.
How long does a website redesign take?
It varies by provider and size. A Lumeen redesign is ready in about 10 business days, and your current site stays live until the new one launches.
More answers on price, hosting and timing in our FAQ.