DO I NEED A NEW WEBSITE? KEY SIGNS YOUR WEBSITE NEEDS UPDATING
Your website is often the first online interaction a potential customer has with your business.
However, even the best websites can fall behind if they don’t evolve with your business, audience expectations, and technology.
Recognising the signs your website needs updating can help you decide whether you should reskin, refresh, or redesign.
As a leading website development agency, we often hear the question: “Do I need a new website?” In this blog, we’ll explore the answer and outline the best options depending on which parts of your site need improving.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A WEBSITE RESKIN, REFRESH, AND REDESIGN
A website reskin updates the visual elements like colours, fonts, and graphics without altering functionality.
A website refresh goes further, improving usability, reorganising content, and optimising calls-to-action to boost engagement.
A website redesign, on the other hand, involves overhauling the structure, layout, and functionality to align your site with new business goals or modern standards.
Understanding these differences helps you choose the right approach when it comes to updating your site. Below we’ve broken down the key signs that indicate whether a reskin, refresh, or redesign is needed, so you can make an informed decision.
YOUR WEBSITE DOESN’T ALIGN WITH BUSINESS GOALS
If your website no longer reflects your business objectives, it can confuse visitors and hold back growth. Outdated content, irrelevant messaging, or poorly placed key pages can all create barriers for potential customers.
For instance, if your business has recently consolidated or expanded its services, your homepage, service pages, and calls-to-action may no longer reflect what your audience needs.
When your goals evolve, simply changing the look of your site isn’t enough. You’ll likely need to update the functionality, content, and user journeys. A full redesign is the best way to ensure your website matches with your current direction and supports your business growth.
Recommendation: Redesign
YOUR WEBSITE VISTORS AREN’T CONVERTING
If visitors aren’t taking the actions you want, whether that’s making a purchase, requesting a quote, or signing up to a newsletter, it’s a clear sign your website isn’t guiding them effectively.
Common issues can include poorly placed calls-to-action, confusing navigation, or content that doesn’t provide value. Low engagement could also suggest your site isn’t building enough trust with your audience.
In many cases, a refresh can resolve these challenges by improving usability, reorganising content, and optimising calls-to-action. However, if the problem lies deeper in the site’s structure, a full redesign may be the best option.
Recommendation: Refresh
YOUR WEBSITE ISN’T RESPONSIVE
With more people browsing on mobile devices than ever before, a site that isn’t mobile-friendly risks losing a large portion of your audience.
Non-responsive websites often suffer from broken layouts, misaligned text, or buttons that are too small to tap. Not only does this frustrate visitors, but it can also hurt your search engine rankings.
Achieving high levels of responsiveness usually means rebuilding page templates and layouts so they adapt seamlessly across devices. A simple reskin won’t fix the underlying structural issues affecting mobile performance.
Recommendation: Redesign
YOUR WEBSITE HAS SLOW LOADING TIMES
Visitors expect fast websites, and most will leave if a page takes more than a few seconds to load.
Slow performance can stem from a high number of unoptimised images, a slow server or hosting, or heavy scripts. Beyond frustrating users, poor loading times can also hurt your search engine rankings, limiting organic traffic.
Smaller fixes like compressing images or cleaning up code can usually be tackled with a refresh. But if your site suffers from deeper technical issues, a full redesign may be needed to achieve lasting improvements.
Recommendation: Refresh
YOUR WEBSITE DESIGN IS OUTDATED
Design trends change quickly, and a dated-looking website can make your brand appear less credible.
Signs of an outdated design might include a desktop-only layout that isn’t mobile-friendly, generic stock imagery, cluttered layouts, or a colour palette that no longer reflects your brand identity. Even if your site works well, poor visual appeal can still drive potential customers away.
A reskin can address these issues by updating visuals, colours, fonts, and graphics without changing the core functionality. However, if design problems are paired with usability challenges, a refresh may be the better option, or in some severe instances, a redesign could be the only solution.
Recommendation: Reskin
YOUR WEBSITE IS DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE
If your website is hard to navigate, visitors will quickly leave.
Confusing menus, inconsistent layouts, and unclear calls-to-action make it difficult for users to find information or complete tasks. Even with strong content, poor navigation can increase bounce rates and reduce conversions.
In many cases, navigation can be improved through a refresh, by reorganising content, refining menus, and making calls-to-action clearer. A full redesign is only needed if the site’s overall structure is challenging for users or confusing.
Recommendation: Refresh
YOUR WEBSITE NEEDS UPDATING BECAUSE YOU’VE REBRANDED
If you’ve updated your logo, colour palette, or overall brand identity, your website should reflect those changes to maintain consistency.
Mixed branding can confuse visitors, reduce trust, and weaken the impact of your wider marketing efforts.
In most cases, updating visuals to match your new brand is enough. However, if the rebrand also involves new messaging or a different content structure, a refresh will help ensure your website fully aligns with your updated identity.
Recommendation: Refresh
YOUR WEBSITE HAS LIMITED FUNCTIONALITY
Older websites often struggle to keep up with modern integrations, e-commerce platforms, and accessibility standards.
This can restrict what your site is capable of and frustrate users. Missing features such as live chat, online booking, or accessibility compliance not only impact usability but can also limit your business growth.
Overcoming these technical limitations usually requires a full rebuild. A redesign ensures your website can support modern functionality, improve performance, and help you grow.
Recommended option: Redesign
HOW EDGE CREATIVE CAN TAKE YOUR WEBSITE TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Whether you need a reskin, refresh, or redesign, it’s important to talk it through with an expert.
At EDGE Creative, we have a team made up of web developers, UX designers, CRO and SEO specialists, and content marketers to ensure every angle is covered.
From functionality and usability to search optimisation and engaging content, we provide the expertise to deliver a website that drives results and reflects your brand.
Ready to update your website and drive growth? Email info@edge-creative.com or call us on 0121 355 8092.
