Not every tired website needs to be torn down. Sometimes a handful of changes make a real difference. Other times, patching an old site costs more than starting fresh. Here’s how to tell which one you’re looking at.
Start with your phone
Pull up your website on your phone right now, the way a customer would.
That’s not just a gut check. Google says it uses the mobile version of a site’s content for indexing and ranking. If your site is hard to use on a phone, that affects both your customers and how Google sees you.
Ask yourself:
- Can you read the text without zooming?
- Can you tap the phone number and call?
- Are buttons big enough to tap with a thumb?
- Does it load quickly on cell service, not just Wi-Fi?
Signs a few fixes might be enough
- The site is fairly recent and built on a common platform like WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix.
- It works well on a phone.
- You can update it yourself without breaking anything.
- The problems are specific: an outdated photo, a confusing menu, a broken form, or a slow page.
- The design still fits your business. It just isn’t bringing in many calls.
In these cases, the right fixes go a long way: a clearer call to action at the top of each page, a tappable phone number, better photos, faster loading, and service pages that answer real questions.
Signs it’s time for a new site
- It’s hard to use on a phone.
- You can’t update it, or only one person can, and they’re hard to reach.
- It’s built on old technology that’s no longer supported or secure.
- It doesn’t describe your business today. Services have changed, the team has grown, and the photos are from years ago.
- You’d hesitate to send a new customer to it.
- Customers tell you they found you in spite of your website.
- Every fix creates a new problem. That’s a sign the foundation is the issue.
Weigh the cost honestly
Fixing an old site can turn into a slow drip: a little here, a little there, with no end in sight. A new site has a clear price up front.
Try this: list everything you’d want changed, and get a rough price for the whole list. Then compare it to a fixed quote for a new site. If the fixes cost more than half of a rebuild, a rebuild is usually the better investment, because you get a fresh foundation instead of a patched one.
Things to check on your own
You don’t need technical skills to spot most problems:
- Search your business name on Google. Does your site show up first? Is the description accurate?
- Fill out your own contact form. Does the message actually arrive?
- Click every link in your menu. Any errors?
- Read your homepage as a stranger. Can you tell what you do, where you do it, and how to reach you within a few seconds?
- Ask three customers how they found you and what they thought of the site.
Not sure? Get a second opinion
My Website Check-up · $350 is built for exactly this question. I review your site for speed, mobile use, ease of use, the paths that lead to a call, and search engine basics. Then I walk you through a clear fix list, in order of what matters most.
The list is yours to use with anyone, including your current web person. If you decide to rebuild with me within 60 days, the $350 is credited toward your new site.
Want a straight answer? Book a Website Check-up.
