GetOnWeb
Websites age faster than most businesses realise. A site that looked great five years ago can now feel slow, cramped on a phone and out of date. If you're wondering about website redesign cost in the UK, you're probably already noticing the signs. Here's how to tell whether it's time, what a redesign typically costs, and how to do it without losing the customers you already get.
Signs your website needs a redesign
- It's hard to use on a phone - tiny text, buttons too close together, pinching to zoom
- It's slow - pages take more than a few seconds to load
- It's out of date - old prices, old photos, services you no longer offer
- You can't update it - the person who built it has gone, or the system is too fiddly
- It doesn't bring in enquiries - visitors arrive but don't call or message
- It no longer matches your business - you've grown, changed or rebranded
If two or more of these sound familiar, a redesign will probably pay for itself.
Redesign or refresh?
Not every old website needs starting from scratch. A refresh keeps the existing structure and updates the content, photos, colours and a few layouts. A full redesign rebuilds the site - often on a new platform - with new structure, design and content. A refresh can be enough if the site is already mobile-friendly and easy to update. If it isn't, a redesign is usually better value than patching.
What a website redesign typically costs in the UK
Costs depend on the size of the site and who does the work. As a rough guide:
| Option | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| DIY rebuild on a website builder | £10-£30 a month, plus your time |
| Freelancer refresh of a small site | Often a few hundred pounds |
| Freelancer or agency full redesign | Commonly £1,000-£5,000+ |
| Pay-monthly managed website | Typically £30-£80 a month, rebuild included |
Watch for the same extras as with any new website: content writing, hosting, and the cost of changes afterwards. Our guide to hidden website costs lists them all.
How to redesign without losing your Google rankings
If your current site gets visitors from Google, a careless redesign can lose them. Protect them by:
- Keeping your domain - never change it unless you have to
- Keeping page addresses where possible, or redirecting old addresses to the new pages
- Keeping your best content - pages that already rank should be improved, not deleted
- Checking Google Search Console after launch for errors and missing pages
Before you start: make a list of every page on your current site and note which ones get visitors. It takes half an hour and can save months of lost traffic.
Make sure you can take your website with you
Many redesigns start with a problem: the old designer controls the domain or hosting. Sort this out first. Ask them in writing whether the domain is registered in your name, and for the details you need to move it. Domains you own can be transferred to a new provider, usually at little or no cost.
Redesign included
Moving from an old site? We rebuild, rewrite and host it for £39.99/mo, and keep it updated. No setup fee.
See what's included →The bottom line
An outdated website quietly costs you customers every day. A redesign doesn't have to be expensive, but it should leave you with a site that works on a phone, loads fast, says clearly what you do, and is easy to keep up to date. Budget for the whole job - including content and what happens after launch - and protect what already works on Google.