So you’ve just built a new website and you’ve found yourself wondering when to start planning for the next version…

Nope. Nobody wonders that.

Websites take more time and cost more money than anyone really wants to spend, and the very last thing on your mind is when can we start this again?

But it is a good question to think about nonetheless. Investing in a well-designed website is straight-up good for business. Planning for and continuing to invest in your website is even better business.

So how long will it be before you need to redesign your website? I could tell you that there is no easy answer to that. Or that it depends on a bouquet of ‘factors’. Or that the general consensus is to redesign every 2 to 3 years.

But here’s the real answer:

You should redesign your website every 3 to 5 years.

Why every 3 to 5 years?

I struggle to understand the ‘general consensus’ to redesign every two to three years. We tend to design with simplicity and timelessness and develop with robust techniques meant to last. If we built sites with two-year shelf lives, we wouldn’t be providing our customers with good value.

The three to five-year timeline is a more reasonable approach, and most of our customers would be better served waiting until the end of that range. Why do we suggest this? Redesign any earlier and you’re missing out on value… but waiting much longer can start a trend toward irrelevancy.

The three to five-year window offers the best balance between value and remaining relevant in the market. Yes, you can wait longer, but here’s a few benefits of not:

• The opportunity to review, reflect, and revise
• The ability to keep on the front wave of trends rather than falling behind
• Rethink functionality and customer usability
• Review what has worked and what can be improved

What if my one-year-old site sucks?

A crappy website is worse than no website at all. If you had the misfortune of working with a bad agency or a fly-by-night freelancer, and you think the website you launched less than a year ago is an embarrassment then by all means, let us help you redesign it. Give us a call and see what our process of deep understanding and building relevance can do for your organization.