When you launch a website, it feels like it’s the most beautiful, functional, and modern site ever—and you assume it will always stay that way. But have you ever wondered what a website’s “expiration date” is?

Whether you like it or not, there will come a time when your website needs a redesign. Just like physical spaces—and really, everything in life—your virtual space will need to adapt to improve functionality and usability.

How often should you update your website?

The truth is, there’s no exact formula—you’ll know when it’s time to redesign your site. How? It’s simple.

To determine if it’s time for a redesign, you need to pay attention to certain aspects that you can easily spot yourself. For example: Does your website still represent you? Have you reinvented your business? Have you added new products or services?

In this article, I’ll share the 5 warning signs that indicate it’s time for an urgent design update.

How to know if it’s time to redesign your website: 5 warning signs you need a design update

✦ Your users get lost on your website:

Do your users often write to you saying they can’t find a certain service or don’t know how to buy a product? Having a beautiful website is essential, but having a functional site with good navigation is even more important.

User experience should be intuitive, allowing visitors to quickly understand what you offer, your value proposition, and your services. Make sure to feature your value proposition and the solutions you provide right on the home page, and include a clear top menu with sections like “Services,” “About,” or “Courses,” depending on your case.

✦ Your brand image and offerings have changed:

If you’ve updated your brand, you definitely need a new web design. Changing your business image takes time and careful planning, but it’s an exciting process that requires adjustments across all your platforms. If you’ve added new services or shifted your focus, it’s crucial that your website reflects this. Even a simple redesign communicates to your users and potential clients that your business has evolved.

✦ Your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices:

This point is extremely important. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it was already overdue for a redesign—at least eight years ago (and I’m not exaggerating!). Web traffic from smartphones keeps growing. If someone visits your site on their phone and can’t navigate properly, you’re losing potential clients.

✦ Your website loads too slowly:

When websites take longer than ten seconds to load, users tend to leave. Yes, ten seconds is almost all the patience an internet user has before clicking the “X.” In my case, it’s more like five seconds, haha. Your visitors need to access your site quickly and find the information they’re looking for in the shortest time possible.

Load time is a technical aspect related to your site’s architecture: oversized images, poor content organization, pages overloaded with unoptimized graphics, too many animations, or slow hosting—all add seconds that hurt performance.

Aim for a website with concise, focused information rather than overwhelming users with too much content.

✦ You don’t have testimonials or a portfolio:

Social proof is crucial. Most people buy something because they’ve heard great things about the product or service. Include a section on your site with positive client reviews to build trust and strengthen your brand image. If you have a portfolio, add it as well—everyone wants to see your work history before hiring you.