Do I need a new website, or can my current one be fixed?

Fixing means keeping the same platform and most of the same pages, then repairing what is wrong. That might be faster pages, clearer wording, a working contact form or better photos.

Replacing means building a new site, often on a new platform, with a new design and page structure. Your domain name usually stays the same, but much of what sits behind it changes.

There is a middle route too. A redesign can keep your platform and content but give the site a new look and a better layout. This is often the right answer for a site that works but looks dated.

Most everyday problems sit on the surface. They can be repaired without starting again, as long as someone can get into the site and update it safely.

Google's own guidance on Core Web Vitals is a useful yardstick for speed. It treats the main content loading within 2.5 seconds as good, and a page that reacts to a tap within 200 milliseconds as good. Large photos are a common cause of slow pages, and they are often quick to fix.

• Slow pages caused by oversized images or too many add-ons.
• A contact form that doesn't send, or sends to an old email address.
• Out-of-date prices, services, team members or opening hours.
• Wording that talks about you rather than what the customer needs.
• No clear next step, such as a phone number, booking button or quote form.
• Missing basics, such as a privacy notice or your company details.
• Page titles that don't say what the page is about.

Some problems sit in the foundations. Fixing them one by one can cost more than a clean start, and the site can still feel patched together afterwards.

Mobile is the biggest test. Google uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking, and it recommends responsive design, where one page adapts to any screen size. If your site was built for desktop only, a rebuild is usually needed.

Old software is the next test. WordPress, for example, recommends hosting on PHP 8.3 or newer. It warns that older versions such as PHP 7.4 have reached end of life and may expose your site to security risks. If your theme or plugins break on a current version, you may be stuck.

• The site looks broken or hard to use on a phone.
• Nobody can safely update the software, theme or plugins.
• You can't edit your own pages, or the only person who can has gone.
• The platform can't do what you now need, such as online booking or an online shop.
• Your services or brand have changed so much that most pages need rewriting anyway.
• The page structure is so muddled that visitors can't find your main services.

You don't need to be technical to get a clear picture. Work through these checks and note what you find. The notes will also help if you ask a web designer for a quote.

1. 1 Open your site on your own phone. Try to find your main service, your prices or how to book, and your phone number. Note anything that is hard to tap or read.
2. 2 Run your homepage and one main service page through Google PageSpeed Insights. It is free. Look at whether the mobile results are marked as good, needs improvement or poor.
3. 3 Send yourself a test enquiry through every form on the site. Check it arrives, and check how long it takes.
4. 4 Read your top five pages out loud. Mark anything that is out of date, wrong or unclear.
5. 5 If you have Google Search Console, open the page indexing report. It shows which pages Google has indexed and which it has not, with reasons.
6. 6 List who holds the logins for your domain, hosting and website. If nobody knows, that is a problem to solve whichever route you choose.
7. 7 Ask whoever looks after the site which platform and software versions it runs on, and whether updates are applied.

Use this table as a rough guide. Each site is different, so treat it as a starting point for a conversation, not a final verdict.

Fixing is usually quicker and cheaper up front. The risk is that you keep spending on a base that will need replacing within a year or two anyway. Ask for an honest view on how long the current site has left.

Replacing gives you a clean start, but it carries a different risk. If your page addresses change and the old ones are not redirected, Google can drop pages that used to bring in visitors. Google advises mapping every old address to its new one and using permanent redirects.

Google also says to expect some temporary movement in rankings during any site move. For a medium-sized site, it can take a few weeks or more for the new addresses to settle in search results.

If your current site already ranks well for important searches, don't switch it off and start again without a redirect plan. Moving pages without redirects is one of the most common ways small businesses lose search visibility after a new website.

If your site is on Wix or Squarespace, the platform itself is looked after for you, so software updates are rarely the problem. Fixes usually mean changing the design, wording and layout inside the builder.

Moving away is harder. Wix states that a Wix site can't be exported to another host and needs to run on Wix's servers, so leaving means rebuilding. Squarespace lets you export some content as a file for WordPress, but not every page type, and not your styles or custom code.

This isn't a reason to avoid builders. It just means that if you outgrow one, you should expect a rebuild rather than a transfer. Your domain name can usually move with you.

We build custom-designed small business websites and carry out redesigns of existing sites. If you're not sure which route suits you, we can look at your current site and tell you plainly whether we think it can be fixed. When we rebuild, we plan redirects from the old pages, and hosting and ongoing support come through our Website Care plan.

To start, use the Tell us about your project form. See our pricing page for current packages, including a no-upfront monthly website option.