5 Signs it’s Time for a Website Redesign

Whether you’re part of a mission-driven nonprofit, a higher education institution, or a privately owned business, your website often serves as the first impression and touchpoint for your audience. When it’s working, it’s seamless. When it’s not, everyone feels it — from frustrated users to overburdened internal teams.

Here are five signs it might be time to hit refresh:

First impressions matter.

If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, users will search elsewhere. Think about the impact this could have on key users: students searching for application deadlines, donors exploring initiatives, and potential customers browsing your services. A slow site doesn’t just frustrate users; it also hurts SEO performance and undermines a user’s trust.

In a recent project we did for a regional nonprofit, performance testing showed that their mobile load time was over six seconds. After the redesign, we reduced that to under two seconds, causing a significant increase in engagement rates.

If it’s a scavenger hunt for your audience, it’s also a red flag for your content management system (CMS).

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying, “I know we have that post somewhere…” it might be time for a redesign. With outdated navigation, bloated content libraries, or a disorganized information structure, critical information becomes nearly impossible to find.

This challenge is just as common for a university directing prospective students to program details as it is for a business showcasing case studies or services. User Experience (UX) paired with a thoughtful content strategy makes information easier to access for both your users and your team.

Patching together tech debt is not a long-term strategy.

Are your editors relying on workarounds or crossing their fingers every time they update a plugin? If so, that’s a major warning sign. Legacy platforms or outdated CMS tools often create more problems than they solve — and worse, they leave you vulnerable to potential security risks.

Take one of our higher education clients, for example. They were maintaining five separate plug-ins just to manage event calendars on their website. To remedy this, we consolidated the five plug-ins into a single, custom-built module. This helped reduce time spent on maintenance and improve website reliability overall.

People are telling you something, even if it’s not with their words.

Sometimes feedback is direct: “I couldn’t find what I needed.” Other times, user feedback can reveal itself in more subtle ways, like a drop in site traffic, fewer conversions, or a shorter time spent on pages on your site. If your students, donors, customers, or community are struggling to navigate your site, they’re less likely to return.

We’ve seen this with nonprofits that noticed a donor drop-off during a campaign season, and with businesses experiencing an increase in support tickets related to account access. When the digital experience falters, trust begins to erode.

Your website is an extension of your story; it should feel personal.

Brands evolve. Missions shift. Messaging matures. But if your website still looks, feels, or sounds like it did five years ago, it might not be telling the right story anymore.

For one private-sector client, a rebrand meant updating not just logos and color palettes, but how they spoke to their customers. Their new site aligned visuals with values and helped reposition them in a competitive market.

Don’t wait for a complete breakdown to rethink your digital experience

Redesigning a website isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about clarity, functionality, and creating space for growth. Whether you’re driven by a need for better performance, simplified editing, or a desire to reintroduce yourself to the world, these signs point to opportunity.

At Spry Digital, we specialize in transforming outdated digital experiences into assets that are seamless and dependable. If you recognize any of the signs above, it might be time to start a conversation. 

We’re here to help you rethink what’s possible and build a digital foundation that supports your future.