Website Refresh vs Website Redesign : Comparison & Benefits

Website Refresh vs Website Redesign

Web Redesign or Refresh? This is something that many companies have to decide over the course of to make their website more visually appealing. But, the answer to this question depends on whether you should refresh your website or redesign it.

As the name suggests, both involve making changes to website frontend – but – a refresh involves updating or changing a few essential elements on the site, whereas a redesigning means completely overhauling your site everything from scratch. Both come with their own set of challenges, but knowing what each entails will help you decide which approach to take when developing a website.

The main difference between a website refresh and website redesign is that a website refresh involves making smaller updates and improvements to an existing website, while a website redesign involves completely overhauling the design and structure of the site.

The key is understanding whether your website needs a complete redesign or just a refresh. In this article, you will learn the differences between a website redesign and a website refresh and the signs to look for on your website.

Should You Refresh Your Website, Or Redesign It Again?

To determine whether your website needs a refresh or a redesign, you should first assess its current state. Here are some key questions to ask yourself:

• Is your website’s design and layout outdated? Does it affect your branding or the image you want to highlight?

• Is your website difficult to navigate or use? Are there any functionality issues that are hindering the user’s accessibility?

• Is your website mobile-friendly? Does it look and function well on different devices and screen sizes?

• Is your website generating the desired results (e.g. leads, conversions, sales)? Is it meeting your business goals?

• If you have an eCommerce website, does it contain the latest eCommerce features to interact with users?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your website may either require redesign or a refresh. A redesign is typically a more comprehensive solution, while a refresh is a less drastic change. 

Ultimately, the decision will depend on the specific needs and goals of your website, as well as your budget and resources. It’s important to carefully consider all of these factors before making a decision. In addition, it may be helpful to consult with our web design team. We provide guidance and recommendations based on the business’s unique needs and goals. 

But, before determining, which one to choose, we first recommend determining the basic definition such as “what is website refresh” and “what is website redesign” along with the major difference between them.

• What is a Website Refresh?

A website refresh is a process of updating the existing design and content of a website to make it look more modern and relevant. This can involve things like updating the site’s layout, wireframing, prototyping, A/B testing, user testing, color scheme, typography, images, analytics, and overall aesthetic. A website refresh typically does not involve changing the underlying structure or functionality of the site.

A website refresh is typically done to improve the visual design of a website without requiring a major overhaul. This can help to keep a website looking modern and relevant without requiring significant time and resources in order to enhance user experience (UX) and user interface (UI). 

A website refresh can also be a good option for businesses that are happy with the current structure and functionality of their website but want to upgrade the look and feel of the site.

• What is Website Redesign?

A website redesign process involves completely changing the structure and design of a website. This can involve things like changing the site’s navigation bars and buttons, content hierarchy, page templates, and even the technology used to improve the front end of the website.

A complete website redesign project is all about improving the user experience, addressing changing business needs, or incorporating new technology. A redesign process includes A/B testing, prototyping, wireframing, usability testing, analytics, visual design, and many other aspects.

Find out how RedBlink redesigned its website & improved its online presence

A website redesign is typically a larger and more complex design process  than a website refresh. It involves rethinking the entire structure and UX design of a website. This can require significant time and resources but can result in a greatly improved website that better meets the needs of the business and its users.

How Do You Know Which One You Need – A Website Refresh OR A Website Redesign?

To determine whether your website needs a redesign or a refresh, it’s essential to assess its current state and ask yourself some key questions. 

Do your website design and layout reflect your brand and the image you want to project? Is it easy to navigate and use? Does it have a mobile-first design? Is it generating the desired results for your business? 

Answering these questions can help you determine whether a redesign or a refresh is the better option for your website. 

• Determine Your Marketing Goals

To determine whether your website needs a redesign or a refresh, it’s important to consider what you want your website to accomplish. 

Do you want to change your digital marketing strategy to capture organic search traffic, sell items online, create proper information architecture, or capture potential leads ? Or do you have other business goals in mind? 

By identifying your specific marketing goals, you can better understand what changes are necessary to achieve them. This can help your full stack web designer determine whether a redesign or a refresh is the right choice for your website. 

A redesign is typically a more comprehensive solution, while a refresh is a less drastic change. Ultimately, the right approach will depend on your specific goals and the resources available to you. It’s important to carefully consider these factors before making a decision.

• Analyze Recent State

Once you have identified your marketing goals for your website, it’s important to assess its current state and determine whether it is able to meet those targets. If your website is not meeting your targets, a redesign option may be necessary to add the pages and functionality you need. 

On the other hand, a refresh may be a good option to address any problems that are hindering its performance, such as a decline in search traffic or broken pages. 

• Take Note Of Customers’ Impressions

To get a sense of how your website is perceived, reach out to a few friends or clients and ask them to use your site without giving them any instructions or hints. Give them an important task to perform, such as contacting you or purchasing an item, and see how they navigate the site. 

Take note of a potential customer’s impressions and whether they were able to complete the task. If their first impression is negative or they struggle to complete the task, it may be time to consider a website redesign. 

If the issues are minor, a website refresh may be sufficient. It’s important to gather honest feedback to ensure that your website accurately represents your business and makes it easy for customers to interact with you.

• Evaluate Time

If your website hasn’t been updated in over 10 years, it’s time to consider a redesign. Not only is the design likely to be outdated, but older websites may be slow and vulnerable to security threats. Even if your website is only a few years old, it’s still a good idea to conduct a website refresh to improve site speed, security, and usability. 

If you’ve made recent updates to your website’s design, functionality, or content, a refresh can help keep your site looking and functioning at its best. However, if your goals or business have changed significantly, a redesign may be necessary to ensure that your website accurately reflects your brand and meets the needs of your potential customers. 

• Count On Your Experience

If making changes to your website feels confusing or overwhelming, it’s not serving you or your business as well as it could. A website redesign can help you shift to a platform that you and your team members are comfortable with, and additional tools that make it easier to update and add content. This can help your website become a more useful and effective tool for your business.

Thinking about every aspect of designing elements in a website revamping or redesigning. Because an excellent web design boosts your business in search engines by playing a big role in the search engine optimization process. And, only a full-stack website designer can properly guide you in both processes.

When Is It Time For Website Refresh & Website Redesign?

When is it time for a website refresh, and when does a website need a complete redesign? It can be difficult to tell the difference between the two, but some key factors must be considered. If your website is more than three years old, it may be time for a refresh. 

When Should You Consider Website Refresh?

There are several situations in which a website refresh may be appropriate:

• You recently redesigned your site structure and want to make some cosmetic updates to keep it looking fresh.
• You need to do conversion optimization, highlight certain content, or reduce your bounce rate.
• You’re happy with your content management system and the process of editing your website’s content.
• You’ve updated your brand identity and want to ensure that your website reflects your new look.
• Your website is not displaying properly on smartphones and needs to be made responsive or have its responsive web design adjusted for new technology. However, depending on how your website was coded, this may require a full redesign rather than a refresh.

When to Redesign Your Website From Scratch?

There are several situations in which a full website redesign would be more beneficial than a refresh:

• If your website is outdated and has not been redesigned in several years. With the rapid pace of technological change, it may be more efficient to incorporate the latest technologies and design practices into a new website rather than trying to retrofit them onto an older website.
• If a website visitor is experiencing frustration while using your website and is unable to find the information they need. A redesign allows you to reorganize and restructure your content strategy to meet the needs of your audience better.
• Your business goals or messaging have changed significantly. If your website no longer aligns with your business goals or accurately represents your brand, a redesign allows you to make a website update to better support your current objectives and messaging.
• You have difficulty editing your website or are frustrated with your project management system. A redesign can provide an opportunity to choose a new CMS that better meets your needs and makes it easier to manage your website.
• Your website is not mobile responsive and does not work well on mobile devices. A redesign allows you to build a responsive website that is optimized for mobile devices and provides a good user experience (UX) across all devices.
• You simply do not like your website and want a new look and feel. A redesign allows you to completely re-imagine the design and visual appearance of your website.

Refresh or Redesign: Which is More Cost Effective? 

A website refresh is typically more cost-effective than a full redesign, as it involves making smaller changes to the existing website rather than building a new one from scratch. 

A refresh is like giving your car a new paint job, while a redesign is like upgrading the engine. It is usually relatively inexpensive and quick to update the website design elements, such as the color scheme or typography. However, implementing significant changes to the functionality or structure of the website, such as switching to a new content management system, can involve more time and resources.

In some cases, a full redesign may be more cost-effective in the long run. This can be the case if your current website is not meeting your business goals or is difficult to manage. For example, if you are having trouble getting website visitors to sign up for your email list, a redesign that includes new graphics or a pop-up sign-up box may be more effective at improving conversion rates than making cosmetic changes to the existing website.

Similarly, if your website is slow and causing frustration for visitors, a redesign that optimizes the website for speed may be more effective at improving the user experience (UX) & user interface (UI), plus in conversion optimization.

Refresh or Redesign: Which Approach is Right For Me?

Here is a comparison of a website refresh and redesign in table form:

Website Refresh	Website Redesign
Makes small, incremental changes to the existing website	Build a new website from scratch
Updates design elements such as color scheme, typography, or graphics	Updates layout, structure, and overall design
May involve updating content or adding new features	May involve updating content, features, and functionality
Typically less expensive and time-consuming than a redesign	Typically more expensive and time-consuming than a refresh
May be appropriate for a website that is relatively new and meets business goals	May be appropriate for a website that is significantly outdated, difficult to use, or not aligned with business goals

It’s important to consider the specific needs and goals of your business or organization when deciding whether to refresh or redesign your website. The answer to which one is right for you depends on what your goals are and the limitations of your budget.

Take Help From Our Experts!

As we mentioned before, if you’re looking to improve your existing website, a website refresh will be the best option. But if you want to completely overhaul your site’s structure – and maybe even revamp your logo or header image – it may be time for a website redesign instead.

But, while comparing a website redesign vs a website refresh, consider your website goals, current functions, and what changes you’d like to make. Even a website audit can give a good overview to assess the current state of your website and identify any areas that need improvement.

Book An Appointment

You can book a call with a trustworthy web design agency like RedBlink and get all the help needed for designing and revamping your existing website. They also provide tips regarding website refresh to enhance the overall structure of your website. So, let us know we would be happy to assist you.