The $10,000 Question: Fix It or Flip It?
I see it every week here in Brisbane. A business owner—maybe a builder in Coorparoo or a law firm in the CBD—is frustrated because their phone isn't ringing. They look at their website, decide it looks a bit 'old', and immediately think they need to drop $10,000 to $20,000 on a brand-new site.
Most of the time, they are wrong.
In the world of business, we’re taught that newer is better. But in digital marketing, a shiny new website can sometimes be a massive step backward if you don't understand why your current one isn't working.
This guide is about the data-driven choice between a website refresh (fixing what you have) and a website redesign (starting from scratch). I’m going to show you how to stop guessing and start making decisions based on what actually puts money in your bank account.
What’s the Real Difference?
Before we look at the numbers, let’s get the definitions straight in plain English.
The Website Refresh (The 'Renovation')
Think of this like a kitchen renovation. You aren't knocking the house down. You’re keeping the plumbing and the walls where they are, but you’re putting in new cupboard doors, a fresh coat of paint, and maybe a better stove.In website terms, this means: Updating your photos to look professional. Changing the colours and fonts so it looks modern. Fixing the wording so it actually sells your services. Making sure your phone number is easy to find.
Cost: Lower ($2,000 - $5,000 typically). Time: Fast (2-4 weeks).
The Website Redesign (The 'Knock-down Rebuild')
This is starting from a blank sheet of paper. You throw away the old code, the old structure, and the old way things worked. You build a new foundation.Cost: High ($7,000 - $30,000+). Time: Slow (2-4 months).
The Data: Why New Sites Often Fail to Get Calls
Here is a harsh truth most agencies won't tell you: I have seen dozens of Brisbane businesses spend a fortune on a beautiful new redesign, only to see their phone calls drop by 50% the day the site goes live.
Why? Because they focused on 'pretty' instead of 'sales'.
When you redesign a site, you often break the things Google liked about your old site. You change the links, you move the pages, and suddenly, the 'Google juice' you built up over five years vanishes. If you are wasting money on a site that doesn't get calls, it’s usually because the foundation was built for an art gallery, not a local service business.
Trends We’re Seeing in 2024/2025
We track the numbers across hundreds of local accounts. Here is what the data is telling us right now:
1. Speed is the New 'Pretty': People in Brisbane are impatient. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load on a Telstra 4G connection in a patchy area, they’re gone. A refresh that focuses on speed often beats a slow, heavy redesign every single time. 2. The 'Thumb' Test: Over 70% of your customers are looking at you on a mobile phone while they’re doing something else. If they can't tap your phone number with their thumb easily, you're losing money. 3. Trust Over Flash: Customers don't care about fancy animations. They care if you're a real person. A refresh that adds a simple video showing your team will do more for your bank account than a $20,000 custom-coded animation.
When a Refresh is the Smart Move (The 80/20 Rule)
In 80% of cases, a refresh is all you need. If your website was built in the last 3-4 years, it likely has a decent foundation. It just needs a tune-up.
1. Your Site Works Well on Phones, But Looks 'Meh'
If you open your site on your iPhone and you can read the text, the buttons work, and it doesn't look broken—you don't need a redesign. You just need better 'skin'. New photos of your actual team (not stock photos of people who look like they live in LA) and better headlines will fix this.2. You Aren't Ranking on Page 1 of Google
Most people think a new website will magically put them on Page 1. It won't. In fact, it often makes it worse. If you have an old site that's been around for 10 years, Google trusts it. A refresh allows you to keep that trust while cleaning up the content to make Google happy.3. People Visit, But They Don't Call
This is a 'sales' problem, not a 'website' problem. If you’re getting 500 visitors a month but 0 phone calls, the layout is likely confusing people. You don't need a new site; you need to turn visitors into customers by moving your 'Book Now' button to the top right and making your offer clearer.When You Actually Need a Full Redesign
I’m not saying you should never redesign. Sometimes, the house is termite-ridden and needs to be razed. Here is when you should bite the bullet and pay for a full rebuild:
It’s Not 'Mobile Friendly': If people have to 'pinch and zoom' to read your text on a phone, your site is ancient. Google is likely penalising you, and customers are definitely leaving. This usually requires a total rebuild to fix properly. It’s Built on Dead Tech: If your site was built in 'Adobe Flash' (I still see this occasionally!) or some obscure system your nephew built in 2012 that no one knows how to update, it’s time to move to a modern system like WordPress. It’s Embarrassingly Slow: If you’ve tried everything and the site still takes 10 seconds to load, the underlying code is probably garbage. You are losing customers to a slow site every single day, and at some point, the lost revenue exceeds the cost of a new site. Your Business Model Changed: If you used to be a solo plumber and now you run a team of 10 with an online booking system and a shop selling parts, your old 'brochure' site won't cut it.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis: A Real Brisbane Example
Let’s look at two hypothetical businesses in Chermside.
Business A: The Redesign Addict Action: Spends $15,000 on a 'cutting edge' custom website. Timeframe: 6 months of back-and-forth with designers. Result: The site looks like a piece of art. But because the designer didn't understand local SEO, they lost their ranking for 'Electrician Chermside'. Enquiries stay the same or dip. ROI: Negative in the first year.
Business B: The Practical Refresher Action: Spends $4,000 on a refresh. They keep the old site but hire a pro to write better headlines, take new photos of their vans, and add a clear 'Get a Quote' form at the top of every page. Timeframe: 3 weeks. Result: The site looks 100% more professional. Google rankings stay steady. Because the 'Call' button is easier to find, their conversion rate jumps from 2% to 5%. ROI: Paid for itself in 2 months through increased bookings.
Expert Insight: The "Broken Bucket" Theory
Think of your marketing like a bucket. You are pouring money into the bucket (through Google Ads, Facebook, or your time) to get 'water' (customers).
If your website is 'broken'—meaning it's confusing, slow, or doesn't work on phones—your bucket has holes in it.
A redesign is buying a brand-new bucket. A refresh is plugging the holes in the one you already have.
Most business owners spend all their time trying to pour more water in (buying more ads) without realising they’re losing 90% of it through the bottom. Whether you refresh or redesign, your #1 goal should be plugging those holes.
Predictions for 2025: What Small Businesses Need to Know
If you are planning your budget for the next year, keep these three things in mind:
1. AI Search is Changing the Game
Google is starting to answer questions directly on the search page. This means fewer people will actually click through to your site. When they do click, they want an answer FAST. A bloated, slow redesign will kill your chances of being the answer Google picks.2. Video is No Longer Optional
I’ve seen a 30% increase in enquiries for Brisbane tradies who simply put a 30-second video of themselves on their homepage. People want to see who is coming to their house. In 2025, a 'refresh' that doesn't include video is a waste of money.3. Accessibility is the New Legal Battleground
We are seeing more talk about websites being usable for people with vision impairments. While it hasn't hit small Aussie businesses hard yet, a modern redesign ensures you're protected from future regulations. A refresh can often miss these deeper technical requirements.What Should You Do First? (Your 3-Step Plan)
Don't call a web designer yet. Do this first:
1. Check Your Numbers: Look at your Google Analytics (or ask someone to check it for you). How many people visit your site? How many actually call? If you have plenty of visitors but no calls, you need a Refresh focused on sales. 2. The 'Mum' Test: Hand your phone to someone who isn't tech-savvy (like your Mum or a neighbour). Ask them to find your price list or book a quote on your site. If they struggle for more than 30 seconds, you have a problem. 3. Check Your Speed: Search for 'Google PageSpeed Insights' and plug your URL in. If your score is red (under 50), you are losing money. If a developer tells you they can't fix it without a rebuild, then it’s time for a Redesign.
What is a Total Waste of Money?
Paying for 'Custom Coding': Unless you are building the next Uber, you do not need a custom-coded website. Use a standard platform like WordPress. It's cheaper to maintain and easier to fix. Stock Photos: If I see one more Brisbane plumbing site with a photo of a guy in a pristine white hardhat that clearly isn't from Queensland, I’ll scream. Pay a local photographer $500 to take photos of your team. It will make you more money than any fancy design feature.
- Over-Designing for Desktop: 70-80% of your customers are on mobile. If your designer spends weeks showing you how the site looks on a giant 27-inch monitor but ignores the mobile view, fire them.
The Bottom Line
At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about awards for 'prettiest website'. We care about your phone ringing.
If your current site is a solid workhorse that just looks a bit tired, refresh it. Save your money and put the extra $10,000 into Google Ads or better content.
If your site is a clunky, slow mess that makes your business look like a backyard operation, redesign it. But do it with a focus on results, not just aesthetics.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? We help Brisbane businesses figure out exactly what they need to get more calls and more customers. Whether it's a quick tune-up or a full digital overhaul, we focus on the stuff that actually makes you money.
Contact Local Marketing Group today for a straight-talking assessment of your website.