What are the pros and cons of redesigning an existing Webflow website vs starting a brand new site in terms of publishing updates, functionality, and cost?

Published on
September 22, 2023

Pros and Cons of Redesigning an Existing Webflow Website vs Starting a Brand New Site

Redesigning an existing Webflow website or starting a brand new site both have their advantages and disadvantages. Consider the following points when deciding which approach is right for your situation:

Redesigning an Existing Webflow Website:

Pros:

  1. Familiarity: You are already familiar with the Webflow platform, making the redesign process more streamlined and efficient.

  2. Existing Content and Assets: You can leverage existing content and assets from your current site, saving time and effort in content creation.

  3. SEO Preservation: If your current site has good search engine rankings, redesigning within the same domain can help preserve your existing SEO efforts.

  4. User Experience Improvements: By redesigning, you have an opportunity to improve user experience based on feedback and analytics data from your existing site.

  5. Cost Savings: Redesigning an existing Webflow website can often be more cost-effective than building a new site from scratch.

Cons:

  1. Technical Constraints: Depending on the extent of the redesign, you may encounter technical constraints or limitations imposed by your existing site's structure.

  2. Legacy Issues: If your current site has underlying issues or outdated code, these may carry forward into the redesign process and need to be addressed.

  3. Uninspiring Design: If your existing website's design is dated or lacks impact, a complete redesign might be necessary to effectively refresh your brand.

  4. Content Restructuring: Redesigning a website often involves reorganizing and restructuring content, which can be time-consuming and potentially impact SEO if not managed properly.

Starting a Brand New Site:

Pros:

  1. Fresh Start: Starting a new site allows for a clean slate and the opportunity to reimagine your brand and website from scratch.

  2. Freedom and Flexibility: Without the constraints of an existing site, you have the freedom to explore new design concepts and experiment with different functionalities.

  3. Optimal Performance: Building a new site from the ground up allows you to optimize for performance, ensuring faster load times and better user experience.

  4. Scalability: Starting anew enables you to design and develop a site that can easily scale as your business grows.

Cons:

  1. Time and Effort: Starting a new site requires more time and effort. You will need to invest in content creation, design, and development from scratch.

  2. SEO Impact: Launching a brand new site may temporarily impact your search engine rankings, potentially affecting organic traffic until you build up SEO authority.

  3. Content Migration: If you have a significant amount of content on your existing site, migrating it to the new site can be labor-intensive and require manual effort.

  4. Cost: Building a new site from scratch is generally more costly than redesigning an existing Webflow website.

Overall, the decision to redesign an existing Webflow website or start a brand new site depends on your specific needs, goals, and resources. Consider your budget, timeframe, existing content, and desired improvements when making your decision.

Additional Questions:

  1. What is the general process for redesigning an existing website on the Webflow platform?
  2. How can starting a brand new site in Webflow help improve SEO?
  3. Are there any specific functionalities or features that can only be achieved through starting a new site rather than redesigning an existing one in Webflow?