Should I redesign my website, speed it up, or leave it alone?
Most owners are not sure whether the site is really the problem. This table gives honest criteria. Run your homepage and your main service page through Google PageSpeed Insights first; for the speed thresholds, web.dev considers a Largest Contentful Paint of 2.5 seconds or less good.
| Criteria | Redesign | Speed fix | Leave it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best when | The design, structure or platform no longer fits how you sell, or you cannot update it | Content and design still suit you, but pages load slowly | The site is fast, current, easy to update and customers can enquire |
| Typical signs | Outdated look on a phone, theme or builder no longer supported, services buried, edits are painful | Slow report driven by large images, plugins, hosting or missing caching | Enquiries arrive, nothing is broken, your report is healthy |
| What changes | Layout, copy structure, mobile design and often the platform, with redirects for any changed URLs | Images, plugins, caching, PHP version and hosting settings, without changing the look | Nothing for now. Check it every few months |
| Main risk | Losing search visibility if old URLs are not redirected | Fixing speed on a site that still does not explain your services | Drifting into an outdated site without noticing |
| Where to read more | This page | Why is my WordPress website so slow? | Website support in Surrey |
A guide to the decision, not a diagnosis of your site. We say plainly when a speed fix or no change is the better answer.
Is an old WordPress website a candidate for redesign?
Often, but not automatically. WordPress sites built several years ago commonly run an old theme or page builder, many plugins and ageing hosting. If the speed report points at images, caching or hosting, a speed fix is usually the cheaper first step. If the theme itself is unsupported, updates keep breaking things, or the layout fails on a phone, an old WordPress website redesign is worth scoping.
A WordPress website redesign does not have to leave WordPress. We assess whether to keep it, with a lighter theme and clean-up, or move to a platform that suits how you update the site. We choose on your needs, not a preferred logo, and we do not claim certified-partner status for any platform. Our web design page lists the platforms we can scope, and the UW Immigration case study shows a documented WordPress recovery.
How does a website redesign work with Luminary?
- Free review. Send your website link, or your business name and city. We email three practical observations on what a customer sees and the enquiry path.
- Audit and scope. We list which pages earn their place, which URLs have search history, how forms deliver, and who owns the domain and hosting. You get a written scope: pages, content responsibilities, revisions and acceptance checks.
- Plan the customer path. We organize services, areas served and questions customers ask, with a clear action on every key page.
- Build and review. We build the agreed pages for phones first, and you review them before anything goes live.
- Redirect and launch. Where web addresses change, we set up redirects. Google explains why in its guidance on site moves with URL changes. We test links, mobile layouts and that form messages actually arrive.
- Hand over. Domain and platform accounts stay in your name, and the handover is documented.
What is included in a redesign?
- A written scope agreed before work starts
- Page structure and copy organized around your services and customers’ questions
- Mobile-first layouts and a visible contact route
- Basic search structure: page titles, descriptions, a sitemap and Search Console set-up
- Redirects for changed addresses, and checks that forms deliver
- A documented handover with accounts in your name
Not included by default: online stores, booking systems, migrations of large content libraries and integrations with business systems. These need separate discovery. After launch, ongoing updates and local SEO can sit inside the Local Growth Plan, CAD $250/month before tax, which is not a complete new website for $250.
What does a redesign cost, and is there a free option?
New builds are quoted separately, after we agree pages, content, features, migration needs and revisions. We do not publish a price list for redesigns because the scope varies too much.
There is also a limited free website offer: a site of up to 5 pages with free hosting, where you pay only for your domain, about CAD 20 a year, registered in your name. It has conditions: only 2–3 spots a month, chosen from applications, with priority for businesses on an old or slow website. It is not a full redesign for every business, and applying does not guarantee a spot.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website redesign cost?
New builds are quoted separately once we agree pages, content, features, migration needs and revisions. We do not invent a price before we know the scope. A free website review is the first step and carries no obligation.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I redesign?
It is a risk if old addresses are not handled. We list your existing URLs, keep the ones worth keeping and redirect any that change, following Google’s site-move guidance. No one can promise rankings stay the same.
Do I have to leave WordPress?
No. We assess whether to keep WordPress with a lighter theme and clean-up or move to a platform that is easier for you to update. The choice depends on your content, booking, selling and ownership needs.
How do I know if I need a redesign or only a speed fix?
Run PageSpeed Insights on your key pages. If the slowness comes from images, caching or hosting, a speed fix is usually enough. If the theme is unsupported or the layout does not work on a phone, consider a redesign. Our WordPress speed guide walks through the checks.
Is the free website offer a redesign?
It can replace an old site for the right business, with conditions: up to 5 pages, free hosting, you pay only your domain (about CAD 20 a year), 2–3 spots a month chosen from applications, no obligation. See the free website page.
Who owns the new website and domain?
You do. The domain is registered in your name and platform accounts stay under your control, with access and handover documented.