The verdict in three sentences
If your site is under 3 years old, technically sound and already converts above 1.5%, a redesign at 3,000 to 7,000 EUR (roughly 2,600 to 6,000 GBP) is enough. Past 4 to 5 years, with no structured quote form and conversion under 1%, a full rebuild at 12,000 to 28,000 EUR pays back faster than it looks. The deciding factor is the number of qualified quote requests per month, not the look.
Redesign or rebuild: what you are really buying
A redesign refreshes the surface: visual identity, fleet photos, copy, a few pages. A rebuild reworks the architecture, the CMS, mobile performance and technical SEO, and adds business journeys such as an online quote request. For a refrigerated haulier, that module changes what the site is: it moves from brochure to sales channel.
| Item (2026 order of magnitude) | Redesign | Full rebuild |
|---|---|---|
| Budget excl. VAT | 3,000 to 7,000 EUR | 12,000 to 28,000 EUR |
| Delivery time | 3 to 6 weeks | 10 to 16 weeks |
| Architecture and CMS | Kept | Rethought, modern CMS |
| Mobile performance (Core Web Vitals) | Partial improvement | Target "good" on all 3 metrics |
| Online quote module | Simple form | Structured form, about 3,500 EUR |
| Technical SEO (redirects, markup) | Minimal | Full 301 redirect plan |
| Expected lifespan | 1.5 to 2 years | 4 to 5 years |
A redesign pays off when the structure still holds. On a site running an old WordPress theme that was never updated, it often amounts to repainting a trailer whose fridge unit is failing.
The six-point decision grid
Before signing anything, score your current site on these six points. Three or more "red" answers clearly point to a rebuild.
| Criterion | Green: redesign is enough | Red: rebuild advised |
|---|---|---|
| Site age | Under 3 years | Over 4 years |
| Visitor-to-quote conversion | Above 1.5% | Under 1% |
| Mobile load time | Under 2.5 s | Over 4 s |
| CMS and plugins | Up to date, maintained | Outdated versions, known flaws |
| Quote request | Business fields (temperature, pallets, route) | Plain contact form |
| Mobile traffic share | Pages adapted | Pages unreadable on a phone |
In cold-chain transport, shippers often compare three providers in under an hour. A form that asks upfront for origin, destination, pallet count, temperature range (0 to 4 °C, or -18 °C) and frequency produces requests operations can act on, and cuts phone back-and-forth.
The real cost over 5 years
Comparing entry prices distorts the decision. Reason in total cost over the site's lifespan, maintenance included, then relate it to the requests generated.
| 5-year scenario (estimate) | Redesign x2 | Single rebuild |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment | 5,000 EUR | 20,000 EUR |
| Second redesign at 2.5 years | 5,000 EUR | 0 EUR |
| Maintenance (150 EUR/month) | 9,000 EUR | 9,000 EUR |
| Unplanned emergency fixes | 3,000 EUR | 800 EUR |
| Total cost | 22,000 EUR | 29,800 EUR |
| Average conversion achieved | 1.0% | 2.0% |
The 7,800 EUR gap over 5 years must be weighed against the extra requests. That is where the rebuild is justified, or not.
Mini case study
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Mark runs a 40-truck refrigerated transport company near London (Thurrock area) and gets 1,500 qualified visitors a month on a 2018 site. Current conversion: 0.8%, so 12 quote requests per month. His sales team closes 1 in 6, and a new regular customer brings on average 18,000 EUR of gross margin per year.
With a rebuild at 22,000 EUR including the quote module, a realistic target is 2%, or 30 requests a month. That is 18 extra requests, so 3 new customers a month at the same close rate. Even dividing that by three to stay cautious, one extra customer a month means 18,000 EUR of annual margin: the investment is covered in just over a month of signings. A 6,000 EUR redesign lifting conversion to 1.1% would only have added 4 to 5 requests a month.
FAQ
How long does a website rebuild take for a haulier?
Allow 10 to 16 weeks from scoping to launch. The quote module and the 301 redirect plan alone take 2 to 3 weeks of work.
Will we lose our Google rankings during the rebuild?
Not if every old URL is 301-redirected to its new page. A temporary 5 to 15% dip in organic traffic over 4 to 8 weeks is common, then traffic recovers if the structure is better.
Can a redesign include an online quote request?
Yes, as an enhanced form, for 800 to 1,500 EUR. A real quote module with business logic and hand-off to your operations tool costs closer to 3,500 EUR.
What conversion rate should a B2B transport site target?
Between 1.5% and 2.5% of visitors sending a quote request is a good level in 2026. Under 1%, the issue usually lies in the form, mobile speed or missing proof (fleet, certifications, areas served).
Should we rebuild before or after a Google Ads campaign?
Before. Sending paid traffic at 2 to 4 EUR per click to a site converting at 0.8% wastes roughly half the ad budget compared with a site at 2%.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site address, your monthly request volume and the areas you serve: we price redesign and rebuild side by side, with scope, timeline and indicative budget. 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.
