The verdict in three sentences
For a 60-employee injection moulding SME in Berlin whose 2017 website no longer generates enquiries, a visual refresh on the existing site (EUR 5,000 to 9,000 excl. VAT) looks cheaper than a new website (EUR 11,000 to 22,000 excl. VAT). Over 4 years, the technical debt of an ageing stack often reverses the gap, because a rebuild is frequently needed after 2 or 3 years. The right decision comes from an 8-criteria grid, not from the initial quote alone.
Why a 2017 industrial website no longer produces enquiries
In nine years, industrial buyers have changed their habits. A buyer at an automotive supplier or a medical device maker searches for "plastic injection subcontracting Germany", "overmoulding technical parts" or "two-component mould", compares three suppliers on mobile and expects a clear capability sheet: press tonnage, materials, certifications, batch sizes. A 2017 site usually suffers from four problems: mobile load times above 4 seconds, overly generic capability pages, no structured request-for-quote form, and a CMS or plugins that are no longer updated.
Cost comparison: refresh versus new website
| Criterion | Visual refresh on existing site | New website |
|---|---|---|
| Initial budget | EUR 5,000 to 9,000 excl. VAT | EUR 11,000 to 22,000 excl. VAT |
| Timeline | 5 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Technical stack | 2017 CMS and theme kept | Recent, maintained stack |
| Capability pages (presses, materials, certifications) | Restyled existing pages | Rewritten and structured for SEO |
| Request-for-quote form (drawing, material, volume) | Simple form | Structured form with 3D file upload |
| Mobile performance | Partly improved | Target load time under 2.5 s |
| Residual technical debt | High | Low |
| Risk of rebuild within 3 years | High | Low |
Technical debt can be costed. On a 2017 site you often need ad hoc compatibility fixes (abandoned plugins, server language version, security flaws) estimated at EUR 1,500 to 3,000 excl. VAT per year as an order of magnitude, on top of routine maintenance, which is identical in both scenarios and therefore excluded from the calculation below.
Total cost over 4 years
| Item (excluding routine maintenance) | Refresh scenario | New website scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 investment | EUR 7,000 excl. VAT | EUR 16,000 excl. VAT |
| Technical debt fixes, years 1 to 3 | EUR 6,000 excl. VAT | EUR 0 |
| Forced rebuild in year 3 | EUR 14,000 excl. VAT | EUR 0 |
| Enhancements (new pages, translations) | EUR 2,000 excl. VAT | EUR 2,000 excl. VAT |
| Total over 4 years | EUR 29,000 excl. VAT | EUR 18,000 excl. VAT |
| Lost enquiries during 2 years of an underperforming site | High | Low |
This median scenario is not inevitable: if your stack is still healthy, a refresh remains the best choice. That is what the following grid is for.
The 8-criteria decision grid
| Criterion | Lean towards refresh if | Lean towards new site if |
|---|---|---|
| 1. CMS age and maintenance | CMS up to date, plugins maintained | Obsolete version, abandoned plugins |
| 2. Mobile performance | Load time under 3 s | Load time over 4 s |
| 3. Content structure | Capability pages already detailed | Generic pages to rewrite |
| 4. Current SEO rankings | Useful positions to preserve | Little or no organic traffic |
| 5. Forms and quote requests | Easy to evolve | Impossible to structure |
| 6. Multilingual (English, French) | Not required | Required for export |
| 7. Security | No known flaw | Alerts or past hack |
| 8. Usage horizon | 2 years at most | 4 years or more |
Rule of thumb: with 4 or more criteria in the right-hand column, the new website is almost always more profitable over 4 years.
Mini case study
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Katrin, CEO of a 60-employee injection moulding SME on the outskirts of Berlin, receives two proposals: a refresh at EUR 7,000 excl. VAT delivered in 5 weeks, or a new site at EUR 16,000 excl. VAT delivered in 11 weeks. The audit finds 6 of 8 criteria in the right-hand column. She chooses the new site. With an average order of EUR 45,000 per new tooling and production project and an 18 % margin, a single additional order per year from the site brings EUR 8,100 in margin. Two orders in the first year cover the investment.
FAQ
How much does an industrial website refresh cost in 2026?
A visual refresh on the existing site costs EUR 5,000 to 9,000 excl. VAT and takes about 5 weeks. A new site costs EUR 11,000 to 22,000 excl. VAT for about 11 weeks.
How do I know whether my 2017 site can simply be refreshed?
Apply the 8-criteria grid: CMS, performance, content, SEO, forms, languages, security and horizon. Beyond 4 unfavourable criteria, a new site is generally more profitable over 4 years.
Will I lose my rankings with a new site?
Not if 301 redirects are prepared page by page before go-live. This step takes 1 to 2 days on an industrial site of 30 to 60 pages.
Do I need a multilingual site for export?
If more than 15 % of your revenue comes from abroad, yes. Capability pages and the request-for-quote form are the first to translate.
What should an injection moulder's capability page include?
The press fleet with tonnages, processed materials, certifications (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 13485 where relevant) and batch sizes. These are the 4 facts a buyer checks in under 30 seconds.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site address: we apply the 8-criteria grid and price a refresh (EUR 5,000 to 9,000 excl. VAT) and a new site (EUR 11,000 to 22,000 excl. VAT) side by side. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
