Your small business website needs a redesign if it gets visitors but no enquiries, is awkward to use on a phone, or never gets updated because changes are too slow or too hard. Those three signs matter more than how old it looks. If the problem is a slow page, a broken form or out-of-date prices, you probably need a fix, not a new site, and this guide shows you how to tell the difference.
We build and rebuild small business websites at Marketing Handled, and the clearest example we have is a Leeds heating firm that went from zero website enquiries to 16 in the first month after its redesign. More on that below.
The 7 signs you need a new website
1. People visit but nobody gets in touch
This is the sign that matters most. If Search Console or your analytics show visits but your phone and inbox stay quiet, the site is losing people somewhere between landing and contacting you.
Mark Thompson (Leeds) Ltd had exactly this problem. A family-run heating and plumbing firm with 30+ years of trading and a 5.0 rating on Which? Trusted Traders, and their old website produced zero enquiries.
2. It's hard to use on a phone
Most people looking for a local business are on their phone. If they have to pinch, zoom or hunt for your number, they go back to Google and pick the next result. Google also ranks sites based on their mobile version (Google Search Central explains mobile-first indexing here), so a poor phone experience costs you rankings as well as customers.
3. Nobody keeps it up to date
If changing an opening time or adding an event means chasing someone and waiting a week, the site goes stale, and a stale site makes visitors wonder whether the business is still trading. There are two good fixes, and the right one depends on how you like to work:
- Update it yourself. Horsforth Harriers, one of North Leeds' biggest running clubs, wanted the committee to post events without waiting on anyone. We built them a self-managed site with a simple editor: "Our new self-managed website looks fantastic and is so easy for us to update with upcoming events!" (Louise Bisset).
- Have it updated for you. Plenty of business owners would rather not learn a website editor at all. On our monthly website plans, you send us the change (new prices, photos or services) and we make it for you.
What doesn't work is a site that nobody can, or will, change.
4. All your services are crammed onto one page
When every service sits on one page, Google has no specific page to rank for "boiler installation Leeds" or "bathroom plumber Horsforth". Each main service needs its own page with its own title, description and proof. Our landing page design tips show what each one should include.
5. Your best proof is buried
Reviews, accreditations and finished work should sit near the top of the page and beside your contact button. If a visitor has to scroll to the footer to find out you're rated 5.0, most never see it.
6. It doesn't look like the business you are now
You've added services, moved area or changed prices, and the site still describes the business you were five years ago. Copy that doesn't match what you actually do sends people to a competitor.
7. It isn't showing up on Google
If you search for your main service and your town and can't find yourself in the first few pages, the problem is usually structural: missing page titles, no sitemap, one page trying to rank for everything. A redesign is the right time to fix this, because the structure is being rebuilt anyway.
What a redesign actually changed: Mark Thompson (Leeds) Ltd
We rebuilt Mark Thompson's website around the signs above:
- a dedicated page for each service (gas and oil boilers, renewables, plumbing, servicing)
- reviews and the Which? Trusted Traders rating shown up front
- sticky "Call Now" and "Free Quote" buttons on mobile, so the next step is always one tap away
- technical SEO built in from the start, so every service page could rank on its own
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Website enquiries | 0 | 16 in month one, now 25+ every month |
| Google impressions | no figure on record | 19,200 |
| Clicks from Google search | no figure on record | 160 |
| Service pages | none | one per service |
"Alex created a new website for us at Mark Thompson (Leeds) Ltd. It has generated lots of additional work for us and we couldn't be happier." Mark Thompson
If your site is showing several of these signs, our small business website design service covers the full rebuild, with no setup fee.
3 signs that don't mean you need a redesign
A new site isn't always the answer. These are usually quick fixes:
- It's a bit slow. Oversized images cause most slow small business sites. Compressing them often fixes speed without touching the design.
- Some details are out of date. New prices, a new phone number or changed opening hours are an edit, not a rebuild. Our monthly website maintenance checklist covers what to check.
- You just don't like the colours. If enquiries are coming in, a fresh look on its own won't add more. Change what's costing you customers first.
The test is simple: if the site works on a phone, gets you enquiries and you can keep it accurate, keep it and improve it. If it fails two or more of the seven signs, a rebuild usually costs less than patching it again and again.
How much does a website redesign cost?
For a small business, a redesign costs the same as a new build, because the structure is rebuilt properly rather than reskinned. Our prices:
| Website | One-off build | Monthly plan | Live in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single page | £350 | £99/month | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Professional (multi-page) | from £650 | £169/month | 2 to 4 weeks |
| E-commerce | quoted | £219/month | 2 to 4 weeks |
Monthly plans have no setup fee and a 12-month minimum term, then roll monthly. Monthly plans include hosting, maintenance and technical SEO; one-off builds can add aftercare from £85 a month. For the full picture of what a site should cost, including hosting and domains, see how much does a website cost for a small business in the UK?
Before you redesign: 4 things to keep
- Your domain name. Changing it throws away the rankings you've built.
- Pages that already rank. Check Search Console for pages getting impressions and keep their web addresses, or redirect them properly.
- Your reviews. Bring every Google and trade-body review across.
- Your email addresses. A new site shouldn't break your inbox. If they're not on your own domain yet, see why a professional email address is worth setting up at the same time.
Think your site is showing a few of these signs? Book a free 30-minute call and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs a rebuild or just a fix. You'll speak directly to Alex or Ella, and we reply within 1 business day.
FAQs
How often should a small business redesign its website?
There's no fixed schedule. Redesign when the site stops bringing in enquiries, stops working well on phones, or no longer matches what you sell. A well-built site with regular content updates can last many years.
Is it better to redesign or build a new website?
For most small business sites, a proper redesign is a new build: new structure, new service pages, new copy, same domain. Reskinning an old site keeps the problems that stopped it working in the first place.
Will a website redesign affect my Google rankings?
It can, in either direction. Keep your domain, keep or redirect any pages that already rank, and resubmit your sitemap in Search Console after launch. Done properly, a redesign with dedicated service pages usually improves rankings.
How long does a website redesign take?
Our single-page sites go live in 1 to 2 weeks, and multi-page or e-commerce sites in 2 to 4 weeks. Most of that time is gathering your content, photos and reviews.