Your business probably needs a website makeover if the site is slow, hard to use on a phone, out of date, or simply not bringing in calls and inquiries. The nine signs below take about 10 minutes to check, and you only need a phone, a laptop and an honest eye.
Plenty of Maine businesses launched a website years ago and haven’t touched it since. That’s understandable when you’re busy running a restaurant, a crew or a shop. But customers judge you by your site before they ever call, so it’s worth a quick check-up.
Grab a notepad, open your website on your phone and your computer, and go through the list. Give yourself a checkmark for each sign that applies.
Sign 1: It’s slow to load, especially on a phone
Open your site on your phone using cellular data, not Wi-Fi. If you’re staring at a blank screen or a spinning wheel, your visitors are too, and many of them will leave.
Google’s web.dev team says a good Largest Contentful Paint, which measures when the main content appears, is 2.5 seconds or less. You can test your own pages for free with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.
Quick check: Does your home page show its main content in about the time it takes to say “Portland, Maine” twice?
Sign 2: It’s awkward to use on mobile
Pinching to zoom, tiny buttons, text running off the screen and menus that don’t open are all signs of a site built before mobile mattered. Google notes that mobile-first indexing means it primarily uses the mobile version of your content for indexing and ranking.
Quick check: Can you find your phone number and tap it to call within five seconds on your phone?
Sign 3: The information is out of date
Old hours, last year’s menu, a staff member who left in 2022, or a “Summer Specials” banner in November all tell visitors you’re not paying attention. Worse, wrong information leads to frustrated customers showing up when you’re closed.
Quick check: Are your hours, prices, services, photos and contact details all accurate today?
Sign 4: You can’t update it yourself
If changing a phone number means emailing a designer who might get back to you next week, your site is holding you back. Modern platforms like WordPress let you edit text, photos and hours yourself in minutes.
Quick check: Could you change your holiday hours today without help?
Sign 5: It doesn’t bring in leads
This is the big one. A website’s job is to produce calls, form submissions, bookings or sales. If you can’t remember the last time someone said “I found you on your website,” something is off.
Common culprits include no clear call to action, contact forms buried on one page, long forms that ask for too much, and no reviews or proof that you do good work.
Quick check: Does every page have a clear button or link to call, book or request a quote?
Sign 6: It doesn’t show up on Google
Search for your main service and town, like “electrician Saco” or “bakery Bar Harbor.” If competitors appear and you don’t, your site may be missing basic SEO: clear page titles, one page per service, location information and helpful content.
Google’s own guidance encourages helpful, people-first content based on real experience, which is something every local business owner has plenty of.
Quick check: Does your site appear on the first page when you search your top service plus your town?
Sign 7: The browser says “Not secure”
Look at the address bar. If you see “Not secure” instead of a padlock, your site doesn’t have an SSL certificate working properly. That warning scares people off, especially on pages with contact or payment forms.
Quick check: Does your web address start with https:// and show a padlock on every page?
Sign 8: The design looks dated or doesn’t match your business
Design trends change, and so do businesses. If your site still shows your old logo, stock photos of people who don’t work for you, or a look that doesn’t match the quality of your service, it’s sending the wrong message.
Quick check: If a stranger saw your site and your actual storefront or truck side by side, would they look like the same business?
Sign 9: It’s hard for some people to use
Low-contrast text, images with no descriptions, and forms that can’t be filled out with a keyboard make your site hard to use for people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice’s web accessibility guidance says businesses open to the public should make their websites accessible. This is general information, not legal advice.
Quick check: Can you read every bit of text easily, and does each important image have a short text description?
Your 10-minute website makeover scorecard
Add up your checkmarks and use this table as a rough guide.
| Signs that apply | What it usually means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | Your site is in decent shape | Fix the small issues and keep content fresh |
| 3–5 | It’s working against you in some areas | Plan targeted updates or a partial refresh |
| 6–9 | It’s likely costing you customers | Consider a full redesign |
For a deeper look at timing, goals and planning, read our website redesign guide for small businesses.
Refresh or full redesign: which do you need?
Not every website makeover means starting from scratch. Here’s how to think about it:
- A refresh fits when the structure is sound but the content, photos, speed or calls to action need work.
- A full redesign fits when the site isn’t mobile-friendly, can’t be edited easily, runs on outdated technology or no longer matches your business.
- A rebuild on a new platform fits when you’ve outgrown your current builder or need features like online booking or e-commerce.
Costs vary widely depending on scope. Our guide on website costs in Maine explains what affects the price. Morellis quotes every project individually after a free consultation, so you only pay for what you actually need.
What to do before you start
- Write down what you want the site to do: more calls, more bookings, more online sales.
- Collect current photos, reviews and up-to-date service details.
- Make sure you own your domain and know your hosting login.
- Note which pages get the most traffic, if you have analytics, so you don’t lose them.
- Talk to a designer about keeping your existing Google rankings during the switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a small business redesign its website?
There’s no fixed rule. Many businesses refresh content regularly and only redesign when the site stops working well, falls behind on mobile, or no longer reflects the business. Use the nine signs above as your guide rather than a calendar.
Will a website makeover hurt my Google rankings?
It can if pages are deleted or web addresses change without planning. A careful redesign keeps important pages, sets up redirects for any changed addresses and preserves helpful content. Done right, a redesign often helps because the site becomes faster and easier to use.
Can I fix some of these issues myself?
Yes. Updating hours, photos and text is often something you can do yourself if your site uses an easy editor. Speed, security, accessibility and structural problems usually need a professional.
How long does a website makeover take?
A content refresh can take days, while a full redesign usually takes several weeks. Timelines depend on the number of pages, features and how quickly content and feedback come together.
Want a second opinion on your site?
If you checked off three or more signs, it’s worth a closer look. Morellis helps small businesses across Maine turn tired websites into ones that bring in calls and customers. Book a free 30-minute consultation and we’ll review your site with you and suggest whether a quick refresh or a full makeover makes more sense. You can also browse our web design services.