The verdict in three sentences
Rebuild or redesign is not a matter of taste but of technical state and accumulated debt. Simple 2026 rule: beyond 40% of pages needing rework or if the CMS is unmaintained, a new build (7,000-14,000 EUR net) becomes more cost-effective than a partial redesign (3,000-6,000 EUR). The real risk is not the budget but the loss of organic traffic, 20 to 60% without a serious redirect plan.
The costed decision tree
Before choosing, measure three things: the share of pages to rework, the CMS state, and the design age. Here is the 2026 decision grid.
| Situation | Recommendation | Budget net | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 20% pages to rework, CMS current | Partial redesign | 3,000-5,000 EUR | 3-4 weeks |
| 20-40% pages, CMS current | Heavy redesign | 5,000-8,000 EUR | 5-6 weeks |
| > 40% pages OR obsolete CMS | New build | 7,000-14,000 EUR | 6-9 weeks |
| Unmaintained CMS + design > 6 years | New build priority | 10,000-14,000 EUR | 8-9 weeks |
| Abandoned tech (Flash, PHP 5) | New build mandatory | 9,000-14,000 EUR | 7-9 weeks |
A partial redesign on an obsolete base is like repainting a house with cracked foundations: the apparent cost is low, the real cost explodes at the first change.
The critical item: not losing SEO
The number-one risk of a new build is a traffic drop. Here is the impact of a migration plan.
| Migration element | Without plan | With structured plan |
|---|---|---|
| Organic traffic loss | 20-60% | < 5% |
| 301 redirects | absent | 100% of URLs mapped |
| 404 errors | numerous | near zero |
| Traffic recovery | 6-12 months | 1-2 months |
| SEO plan cost | wrongly skipped | 800-2,000 EUR |
The 800-2,000 EUR of a redirect plan is the cheapest insurance in the project: it protects years of accumulated ranking.
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Mini case study
Thomas, manager of a services SME in Toronto, has a 7-year-old site with 55% of pages needing rework and an unmaintained CMS. A 5,000 EUR partial redesign would fix neither security nor structure. He chooses a new build at 11,000 EUR with a 1,500 EUR redirect plan. Without a plan he'd have risked -40% on his 3,000 visits/month, i.e. 1,200 potential leads lost over the year; with the plan, the loss is 3%, recovered in 6 weeks. The 1,500 EUR plan protects a channel generating ~30 leads/month.
FAQ
When should the whole site be rebuilt? As soon as more than 40% of pages need rework or the CMS is unmaintained. Below that, a partial redesign suffices and costs less.
How much is a new build for an SME in Toronto? Between 7,000 and 14,000 EUR net in 2026 depending on page count and bespoke level. A partial redesign stays between 3,000 and 6,000 EUR.
What's the real migration danger? Organic traffic loss, 20 to 60% without a 301 redirect plan. A structured plan brings the loss under 5%.
How long to recover traffic after migration? 1 to 2 months with a good plan, versus 6 to 12 without. URL mapping quality makes all the difference.
Can we keep the old content? Yes, high-performing content is kept and reformatted. Only what doesn't convert or is outdated gets dropped.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site URL and analytics; we'll audit the technical state and recommend redesign or rebuild, redirect plan included. 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.
