Redesigns
Website refresh or complete rebuild: how to choose
An outdated-looking website does not always need to be replaced from scratch. Sometimes the content and platform are useful, but the layout, typography, and enquiry journey need attention. In other cases, a fresh coat of design would hide a system that is difficult to maintain. The first step is identifying which problem you actually have.
List the problems before proposing solutions
Record specific issues: customers cannot find a service, the menu is difficult on a phone, the form goes to an old address, or updating a page requires developer help. Separate appearance, content, performance, and workflow problems. Screenshots and examples make the brief more useful than a general request to modernize everything.
Check what is worth keeping
Review the current pages, approved content, useful images, incoming links, and any integrations. If the platform is maintained and the content is accurate, a redesign on the existing system may be practical. If access is missing, critical software is unsupported, or the business needs a different editing workflow, a rebuild deserves consideration.
Protect useful URLs and customer journeys
Make an inventory of existing page addresses before removing anything. Decide which addresses will stay and where replaced pages should lead. Check links in ads, printed materials, emails, and online listings. For migrations, map old URLs to genuinely relevant new pages rather than sending every visitor to the homepage.
Compare scope, not just the headline price
A refresh that reuses five pages of content is different from a new platform, rewritten copy, and ten new service pages. Ask for a proposal that explains what stays, what changes, how forms are tested, and who handles launch. At VIT, the redesign starting price assumes usable content and the same platform; migrations and full rebuilds are scoped separately.
Your next steps
- Inventory pages and access credentials securely.
- Separate design issues from platform limitations.
- Agree on redirects before launch.
- Keep a rollback copy of the previous site.