When someone comes to us convinced they need a brand new website, the first thing we do is try to talk them out of it. Not because we do not want the work, but because a rebuild that does not fix the real problem is money spent on a prettier version of the same result. These are the five questions we run through first.
One: what is the site actually for?
Every page should have one job. For most local businesses that job is a phone call, a booking or a quote request. Look at the homepage and ask what a stranger would do next. If the answer is ‘not sure’, that is the first problem, and it is a copy and layout problem, not a design problem. One clear offer, one obvious next step, repeated on every page. That alone changes results without touching the design.
Two: who is arriving, and from where? Open your analytics. If most visitors come from Google searches for your services, the site needs strong service pages. If most come from referrals or social, it needs proof: reviews, photos, work examples. Designing without knowing this is guessing.
Three and four: does it work, and does it load?
Click every link, submit every form, try every page on a phone. Broken forms are more common than you would think, and they are silent. Then run the speed test. If the site is slow, that is usually a hosting or image problem, and fixing it costs a fraction of a rebuild. A fast, working site with average design will beat a beautiful slow one every time.
Every form tested, on a phone, this week
Load time under three seconds on cellular
One clear next step on every page
Five: does it look like you are still in business?
This is the one that does justify a redesign. If the site looks like it was built in 2014, has a copyright date three years old, and the photos show staff who left, visitors assume you stopped investing in the business. A dated site quietly undercuts the quality of your actual work. When the answer to this question is yes, and the other four are handled, a redesign is the right move.
We run this exact review for free on any site. You get the findings in plain English whether or not you hire us. If a few fixes will do the job, that is what we will tell you.
Related: our website care plans. Want us to look at your site? Get a free audit and we will tell you exactly what we would change, whether or not you hire us.
