So, you’ve noticed your website feels out of step. It looks dated. It’s hard to update. Or it just doesn’t reflect the heart of your mission anymore.
If you’ve noticed all this, your users probably have too. At this point you’re grappling with the eternal dilemma all website owners must eventually face:
Do you give it a fresh coat of paint, or start over from scratch?
As much as we’d love to ease your mind and give you a clear-cut answer, this is one of those cases where all we can offer is the frustrating yet accurate one:
It depends.
Because it all comes down to understanding what’s working, what’s not, and how you want your site to evolve.
When a refresh makes sense
Think of it like renovating a house. You’re not tearing down walls. You’re making the space work better for the people who use it. A refresh keeps your site’s foundation intact but updates the look and experience.
This is usually the right approach when your site’s essential nuts and bolts are still in good working order, meaning:
- your CMS is still supported and stable (i.e. you’re already on WordPress or Modern Drupal)
- your content model is mostly holding up, and a visual and functional update are all you really need.
Common refresh improvements include:
- Updating your site’s design to reflect your current brand
- Reworking layouts and menus so users can find what they need
- Improving conversion paths like forms or calls to action
- Making the site more accessible for all users (e.g. adding alt text, improving contrast, and enabling keyboard navigation)
- Optimizing for mobile and faster load times
- Fixing SEO gaps or updating metadata structure to improve how your content is surfaced.
The key benefit of a refresh is that you’re not starting from zero. You’re keeping what works and improving what doesn’t. It’s a practical, cost-effective way to extend the life of your site and make it easier to manage.
However, sometimes it just ain’t enough.
When it’s time for a full rebuild
Sometimes the site has deeper issues. The platform might be outdated. The backend may be difficult to manage. Or maybe your goals have grown and the site can’t keep up.
If you find yourself dealing with any of the following issues, a rebuild is usually the right call:
- you’re using a platform that’s no longer supported
- the code is hard to maintain and full of legacy problems
- you’re introducing new features or changing how people engage with the site
- you need better integrations or personalization
- you keep fixing bugs without solving the real problems
- your team struggles to update or publish content
A rebuild means starting fresh. You get a clean codebase. You get to redesign the frontend and backend. Most importantly, it gives you a chance to truly rethink how the content is structured and how the site supports your goals.
It’s definitely a bigger investment, but when done correctly it sets you up for long-term success.
Which one is right for you?
If your platform is still working and your content mostly holds up, a refresh is often the better option. It’s faster. It costs less. And it improves the experience for your team and your users.
But if your site is slowing you down or holding you back, rebuilding may actually save time and money over the long run. A rebuild clears out technical debt and sets you up for real growth.
Or, to explain it in handy Venn diagram format:
Remember, the best way to avoid the damage that an outdated website can cause while saving as much money as possible is to stay focused on two things:
- What your users need.
- What’s going on in the backend (i.e. making sure the tech is still doing its job).
While keeping both in balance requires ongoing commitment, it will also help you stretch your site’s life and your budget.
