Three different jobs, often sold under one name
“Redesign” gets used for everything from rewriting a homepage to starting again on a new platform. They are different jobs with different prices, and a quote that does not say which one it is makes comparison impossible.
A fix
Same site, same design. The words, the order of sections and the calls to action change. This is what most sites with traffic and no enquiries actually need.
A redesign
Same platform, mostly the same pages. New look, new layouts, rewritten copy. The foundations stay; everything you see changes.
A rebuild
New platform underneath, usually a new page structure too. Nothing is carried over except your content, your domain and, if it is done properly, your Google rankings.
| Fix | Redesign | Rebuild | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes | Copy, section order, calls to action | Design, layouts, copy | Platform, structure, design, copy |
| What stays | Design, platform, pages | Platform, most page addresses | Domain, content, rankings if redirected |
| Typical cost (Malaysia) | Under RM 3,000 | RM 3,400 – 6,300 | RM 6,000 – 15,000 |
| Time | A few days to two weeks | Three to six weeks | Six to ten weeks |
| Risk to Google rankings | Almost none | Low | Real, unless every old page is redirected |
| Right when | The structure is sound and the message is not | The platform is sound and the site looks or reads its age | The foundations are the problem |
What drives the number within each band is in how much a redesign costs, and full RM ranges by type of site are in website design cost in Malaysia.
The four questions that settle it
One “no” is usually enough to rebuildCan you change a sentence without calling anyone?
Log in and try to edit a line on your homepage. If you cannot find where, or the layout breaks when you do, or the only person with the password left in 2021, the site is costing you money every time something needs to change. A new design on top of that will have the same problem.
Yes → redesign is fine. No, and it is the platform → rebuild.
Is the platform still looked after?
Themes and page builders get abandoned. If yours has not had an update in over a year, or your hosting company keeps emailing about outdated PHP, every month you stay is a security risk that gets harder to move away from. Redesigning in place just means paying to decorate something you will replace.
Yes → redesign. No → rebuild, and choose the next platform carefully. WordPress vs static →
Do the pages match how customers actually buy?
If your customers choose by service and your site is organised by “About, Gallery, Contact”, the structure is working against them. One service page that tries to sell five things will never rank or convert as well as five focused pages. Changing structure means new pages, new addresses and new navigation.
Yes → fix or redesign. No, and it is more than one or two pages → rebuild.
Is it still slow on a phone after the obvious fixes?
Compress the images and remove the slider and the site may well load in under three seconds. If it is still slow after that, the weight is in the theme, the builder or the plugins, and no amount of redesign removes it.
Fast after fixes → redesign. Still slow → rebuild. The fixes to try first →
Four yeses and the site is not the problem; the message is. That is a fix, and usually the cheapest money you will spend. The seven reasons a sound site still does not convert →
30-second check
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Your site most likely needs
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A guide, not a quote. Size and features move the number: a three-page site sits below this range, and a shop, bookings or 20+ pages sit above it. RM ranges by type of site →
Your answers go with you to the audit form, so I see them with your site.
Reasons that are not reasons to rebuild
I turn down rebuilds regularly. These are the reasons owners give that rarely justify one.
“It looks dated”
Dated is a design problem, and a redesign on the same platform solves it for half the price.
“We get traffic but no enquiries”
Almost always the message, the proof or the next step. All three are fixable without touching the platform.
“A competitor just launched a new site”
Their launch is not your problem. Your enquiry numbers are, and they tell you which job you need.
“The designer said it has to be rebuilt”
Sometimes true. Ask which of the four questions above it fails. If they cannot say, get a second opinion. Other quote red flags →
If you do rebuild: keep your Google rankings
The biggest hidden cost of a rebuild is traffic that disappears in the first month because nobody mapped the old pages to the new ones. Make these five things part of the quote.
Not sure which one your site needs?
Send me the address. I will look at it against these four questions and tell you whether it needs a fix, a redesign or a rebuild — and the three things to do first. Free, within 48 hours.
Get my free auditQuestions owners ask about redesigns and rebuilds
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