7 Signs Your Website Needs a Redesign (and What to Do About It)

Your website is the first impression most people will have of your business. If it was built more than a couple of years ago, there is a good chance it is actively costing you customers. Here are the clearest signs it is time for a redesign, and what a modern rebuild can do for your bottom line.

1. Your Site is Slow

Google has been using page speed as a ranking signal since 2018. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, roughly half of visitors will leave before seeing a single word. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can tell you where you stand. A score below 70 on mobile is a red flag.

Modern frameworks like Next.js deliver pages in under a second with automatic image optimization, code splitting, and server-side rendering. If your site runs on an older WordPress theme or a Squarespace template, it is likely carrying years of bloat. A ground-up rebuild on modern tech can cut load times by 60-80%.

2. It Does Not Work Well on Mobile

Over 60% of web traffic in New Zealand comes from mobile devices. If your site looks cramped, has tiny tap targets, or forces horizontal scrolling, you are pushing away the majority of your visitors.

Responsive design is no longer optional. A redesign should be mobile-first, meaning it is designed for phone screens first and scaled up for desktop, not the other way around. This ensures the experience is seamless on every device.

3. You Can Not Update Content Easily

If updating a single photo or changing a paragraph requires calling your developer, your site is holding your business back. Modern content management systems (headless CMS platforms like Sanity, Strapi, or even a well-configured WordPress) let non-technical team members update text, images, and pages without touching code.

The best setups separate the content from the design, so editors can publish freely without accidentally breaking anything. If you dread making updates, that is a sign your architecture is outdated.

4. It Looks Dated

Web design trends shift fast. Parallax scrolling, full-width stock photo headers, and carousel sliders that were trendy five years ago now feel stale. Visitors make snap judgments. A study by Stanford found that 75% of people judge a company's credibility based on website design alone.

Modern websites use generous whitespace, restrained typography, subtle motion, and confident simplicity. If your site looks like it was built in a different era, potential clients will assume your business is stuck there too.

5. Your Competitors Look Better

Pull up your top three competitors. If their websites feel sharper, faster, or more trustworthy than yours, you are losing business. This is especially true for service businesses where trust is everything. Customers compare, and the business with the more polished online presence wins.

A redesign is not about keeping up with trends for their own sake. It is about presenting your business at the level your work deserves.

6. You Are Not Showing Up on Google

If your site does not appear in search results for the terms your customers use, your SEO needs work. Common issues with older sites include missing meta descriptions, no structured data, slow load times (Google penalizes this), unoptimized images, and a lack of fresh content.

A modern rebuild can address all of these. Adding a blog with targeted, useful content is one of the most effective long-term strategies for climbing search rankings. Structured data (JSON-LD) helps Google understand what your business does and where it operates.

7. You Have No Analytics or Conversion Tracking

If you do not know how many people visit your site, where they come from, or what they do when they arrive, you are flying blind. A redesign is the perfect time to set up proper analytics, track conversions (form submissions, phone calls, purchases), and build a feedback loop so you can continuously improve.

What a Modern Redesign Looks Like

A good redesign is not just a visual refresh. It is a strategic upgrade that improves performance, user experience, and business outcomes. Here is what you should expect:

• Speed: Sub-second load times with modern frameworks (Next.js, Astro, or similar)
• Mobile-first: Designed for phones, beautiful on everything
• SEO built in: Semantic HTML, structured data, sitemap, optimized images
• Easy editing: Headless CMS so you can update content without a developer
• Analytics: Proper tracking from day one
• Security: HTTPS, no outdated plugins, no vulnerabilities

How Much Does It Cost?

In New Zealand, a professional website redesign typically runs between $3,000 and $10,000 for a small to medium business site. This is an investment, not an expense. A well-built site pays for itself through increased inquiries, better search visibility, and a more professional brand presence.

At ninetynine.digital, our Quick Build option delivers a professionally designed, modern website in just 48 hours, starting from $3,000. That includes responsive design, SEO setup, content management, and 30 days of support. Get in touch if your site needs a refresh.

The Bottom Line

Your website should be your hardest-working employee. If it is slow, outdated, or hard to manage, it is actively losing you business. The good news is that a focused redesign can transform your online presence quickly and affordably. Do not let a stale website hold your business back.