When is it time for a website redesign? You’ve had your company’s website for a while, and it’s served you well over the years. However, website trends and site visitors’ expectations are changing. You need to make a great first impression with potential customers or risk losing new business.

So, what are the signs that your small business needs a website upgrade?

In this post, we’ll explore some key indicators that it’s time to do a website refresh or complete redesign. In addition to this, we’ll look at the top website design trends for 2025 that you can use for your site’s upgrade.

It’s Time For A Website Redesign When…

As a company that does website design in Burlington, Ontario, we have several insights to share. From our experiences with clients who have done website redesigns, here are some of the key factors that led to this decision.

1. Outdated Appearance

If your website theme and appearance haven’t changed in more than three years, it may be time to look at refreshing it. Ask yourself: “Does my company website look old-fashioned and dated compared to competitors?” If your answer is yes, then it’s time for a website redesign.

Businesses and brands change over time. If your website design doesn’t reflect current branding and business services, then it’s time for an overhaul of your website.

2. Poor Mobile Experience

Is your website updated for a better mobile experience?

A March 2024 survey conducted by the Canadian Telecommunications Association revealed that 86% of Canadian internet users accessed the internet via mobile phones, showcasing their reliance on smartphones for research and shopping. Additionally, 95% of Canadians aged 30-49 own smartphones, further supporting the trend of on-the-go mobile usage for discovering and engaging with businesses.

As such, it’s very important to ensure your website is optimized for mobile use. Test your website on your own phone: if it’s buggy and difficult to navigate, you’re creating a poor site visitor experience.

If you’ve got a WordPress-based website, you need to be aware that sometimes website themes no longer get updated by their developers. This can be problematic WordPress itself is updated, and the theme is not. It can result in issues for mobile users, particularly with navigation on smartphones or tablets. You may need to upgrade your website theme to solve this issue.

3. Slow Loading Speeds

Is your site taking a long time to load? Your potential customers do not want to wait more than three seconds for a page to load. Slow loading times increase the bounce rate and potentially cause issues with your website on Google.

What are the key reasons for slow website speed? Most often the cause of a slow-down is a bloated, out-of-date website theme, cheap website hosting or too many WordPress plugins.

4. Low Conversion Rates

The next reason for a website redesign or refresh is a low conversion rate on desired actions. For example, nobody is signing up for your newsletter, or downloading a free offer you’re sharing. Perhaps, they aren’t filling out a form to contact you.

The problem may be that your calls-to-action (CTAs) are buried, unclear or missing completely.

5. Difficult Navigation

Over time, new pages get added to your website, but are they easily visible to site visitors? Is your navigation set up so that content can be discovered in less than two clicks?

If your site visitors can’t easily find important information like contact details, services or pricing, it may be time to look at navigation updates. Make sure your menus are updated and streamlined.

6. Not Optimized for SEO

Are you finding that your competitors are showing up on the first page of results for common keywords your potential customers are using in searches?

There are several SEO factors that may be causing your website to fall off in search results. These include on-page SEO as well as technical SEO issues. For example, your site may be loading slowly because you have not optimized your website images.

It may be time to upgrade your website with a fresh design and properly optimized content. Some easy SEO fixes for pages can include meta tags, alt text and optimized headers. However, there are additional considerations such as proper keyword structures and optimized website copy.

7. Broken Features or Errors

Is your website full of errors? Pages that have been deleted and showing a 404 error? Or very outdated pages with content that’s no longer relevant? Perhaps your forms or interactive elements are no longer functioning well or are glitching. This is another key indicator that your site is due for a website redesign.

8. Inconsistent Branding

Has your company branding changed? Do you have a new logo, colour palette and brand messaging that’s not reflected on your website?

This creates a disjointed experience for site visitors who have experience with your business offline. When they come to your site, the visual branding and brand messaging should be the same as offline.

9. No Integration with Modern Tools

Another reason for a website redesign is the need to integrate modern tools. If you have an old website theme, it may not work well with plugins such as appointment schedulers, chatbots or email marketing platforms.

Upgrading your website theme can open up new opportunities to engage with your site visitors and create a great first impression.

Here’s an example of a website our team created that included the use of tools to enable appointments and e-commerce options:

10. Security Concerns

Outdated websites can have security issues: from plugins that no longer work properly to themes that pose risks to customer data.

Your priority should be to make sure your website is up-to-date with the latest technologies. Secure your site from cyberattacks and create a safe experience your site visitors and customers expect from you.

11. Your Website Is No Longer Aligned With Your Business Goals

Do you provide new products or services? Has your key target customer changed? If your website no longer reflects your current value proposition, it is most definitely time for a website redesign.

You may be losing business by not promoting your new offerings on your website.

12. Competitor Pressure

Finally, do some competitor research to see if they are launching new sites with:

Sleek new websites that create a great first impression
Up-to-date information that customers are seeking
Engaging content that makes it easy for customers to continue on the buyer’s journey

If you’re losing customers to businesses with a better online experience, your website is in need of an upgrade.

Website Design Trends For 2025 To Consider For Your Redesign

You’ve determined that you need a website redesign. What’s the next step? Doing research into the website design trends for 2025 is a good starting point.

Here are some emerging website trends that you may want to consider for your refresh or complete redesign.

Full Page Headers: The homepage headline title and a brief paragraph with call-to-action buttons appear on the left-hand side of a page-wide header image. The key focal point of the image is to the right of the text.
Less is More: In 2025, we’ll see a move toward minimalist design in website layouts and elements. Consider using more white space to create a balance between text, visuals and elements. Website design trends for 2025 are also leaning toward clean lines, simple colour palettes and fewer distractions.
Adding AI Design and Artwork: To stand out among competitors, you’ll start seeing original AI designs, images and elements in headers, visuals and interactive accents.
Storytelling: Tell your brand story! Business websites will be less about product features and more about the story that illustrates the benefits. It’s time to focus on your brand story to build a loyal customer base that loves the quality solutions and customer service you provide.
Attention to UX/UI and Details: It’s a balancing act between making content easy to read and the website design aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Add to this a focus on delighting your website visitors with micro-interactions. For example, an icon animation when they click on a button.

CM2 Media: The Agency For Website Design In Burlington

You’ve got an idea of the top website design trends for 2025. If it’s time to start a website redesign, the next step is to find a digital marketing agency that can help you on several website upgrade levels. Look for help in several areas: from brand refinement to the actual process of redesigning your website.

If you’re looking for an agency that does website design in Burlington for small businesses, CM2 Media is your first choice. As one of the top digital marketing agencies in Burlington and Oakville, CM2 Media is always on top of small business website trends.

Whether you are launching a new business and need guidance or are an established brand needing a new website, CM2 Media is here to help.

Let’s connect: learn more about website design and how we can help you achieve your business goals!

Let’s Talk

12 Signs Your Small Business Needs A Website Redesign