Takeover or redesign: how do you know what you really need?

You've noticed technical, visual or strategic problems with your website, but you're hesitating between a complete redesign or a simple reworking of the existing site? Understanding the differences between these two approaches is crucial to adopting the best strategy.

To clearly determine the need for action on your site, we advise you to read our parent article When should you consider a website redesign? which will give you the first keys to an objective analysis of your situation.

1. What's the difference between redesigning a website and taking it over?

Redesigning and reworking are two very different issues. Whereas a site redesign involves starting from scratch (ergonomics, design, technical architecture, content), a rework involves a more limited action: solving specific technical problems, slightly upgrading the design or refreshing existing content.

Choosing between a complete overhaul or a simple redesign depends very much on the results you want to achieve, your budget and the current state of your website. An in-depth analysis or preliminary audit can quickly clarify your choice. If you're still wondering why you should go ahead with a website redesign, this video gives you the main reasons why.

When should you consider simply taking over the site?

A simple overhaul is appropriate when your website is still generally effective, but needs targeted adjustments:

Bug fixes and technical issues

‍Ifyour CMS is recent and your content still relevant, but a few features have bugs, a simple overhaul is all you need. For example: updating WordPress plugins, optimizing scripts or fixing faulty forms.

Partial visual refreshment

‍Ifyour site has good SEO and a clear architecture, but some pages are visually outdated, a moderate graphic overhaul (new visuals, color adjustments, revision of a few landing pages) is ideal.

When should you opt for a complete overhaul?

A complete redesign is required when a site no longer meets current standards, in terms of SEO, user experience and overall technical performance.

Technically obsolete site

‍Ifyour website is based on aging technology, incompatible with modern browsers, or slow, a complete overhaul to a modern CMS (WordPress, Webflow or other) is necessary to start again on solid foundations.

Outdated brand image and strategy

‍Ifyour strategic positioning has changed significantly, a complete redesign allows you to adopt a new graphic charter, optimized ergonomics, and new features to reinforce your brand image.

2. Advantages and disadvantages of both approaches

When choosing between a light redesign or a complete overhaul of your website, it's essential to weigh up the pros and cons of each option, taking into account key criteria such as your CMS, responsive design, visual identity and search engine visibility.

Advantages of a simple site takeover :

• Controlled budget: a partial takeover requires less investment, as you retain the overall structure of your current CMS. If you're happy with your current solution (e.g. WordPress), a trade-in allows you to make minor improvements at a lower cost.
• Fast turnaround: this rapid solution limits the downtime of your website. You continue to benefit from the SEO performance already acquired on search engines.
• Reduced technical risks: by retaining the essentials of your existing site (technical structure, domain name, well-referenced content), you limit the risk of losing traffic, while benefiting from minor adjustments to your visual identity.

Disadvantages of a simple site takeover :

• Persistent technical limitations: if your current CMS isn't sufficiently scalable, it will limit your possibilities for adding new features or making your site perfectly responsive. As a result, you may not be able to take full advantage of a site that is perfectly adapted to mobiles or tablets.
• Limited improvements: minor corrections don't allow you to transform your website in depth, particularly in terms of user experience, visual identity or the customer experience on an e-commerce store.
• Barrier to strategic evolution: a simple takeover doesn't offer the same opportunities as a complete overhaul in terms of strategic repositioning, SEO evolution, or modernization of your digital storefront.

Benefits of a complete redesign :

• Total modernization: a complete redesign gives you the opportunity to completely change your visual identity and digital strategy. You can opt for a solution like WordPress or another high-performance CMS, facilitating day-to-day content management.
• In-depth SEO optimization: the perfect opportunity to rethink your entire SEO strategy. Starting with a new site, you can optimize all pages for search engines, effectively integrate Google Analytics, and improve your SEO performance over the long term.
• Perfectly optimized responsive site: you can completely rethink the responsive design to offer an optimal user experience on all media (mobile, tablet, desktop). A fully responsive website greatly improves visitor retention and conversions.

Disadvantages of a complete redesign :

• Higher budget: creating a new site requires a greater investment, as it usually involves a web agency specialized in website creation, UX/UI design and in-depth technical development.
• Longer lead times: a complete website redesign requires rigorous project management. Design, content migration, full SEO optimization, and domain name redirection involve significant lead times, during which my site may be unavailable or limited.
• Temporary SEO risk: without good SEO management (precise redirects, careful indexing), a site redesign may generate a temporary drop in search engine results. This effect can be limited by good tracking via Google Analytics, but requires careful SEO work.

Conclusion

Whether you opt for a complete overhaul or a redesign depends entirely on your current situation and your medium- and long-term objectives. A complete redesign generally allows you to start afresh on a solid footing, with a site fully optimized for SEO and user experience. On the other hand, a rework allows you to improve your existing site at a lower cost and in a shorter timeframe.

If you would like to find out more about the strategy you should adopt, read on with these two complementary articles:

Top 5 signs that your website is outdated
Why is Webflow so attractive for modern redesigns?

Need personalized advice? Contact our team directly to carry out a free SEO audit and define together the best strategy for your web project.