Redesign or new website in Senegal 2026: the 7-criteria decision matrix

In Dakar, I regularly meet owners with a 4-year-old WordPress site, slow and not converting, asking the same question: "Redesign or start over?" The answer depends on 7 objective technical and strategic criteria. Here's the matrix.

TL;DR

- Keep + redesign = 30-50% cheaper than starting over, but only if the foundation is healthy.

- 7 discriminating criteria: tech age, Core Web Vitals, existing SEO, CMS, design system, content, security audit.

- Score < 4/7 = start fresh. Score ≥ 5/7 = targeted redesign. Score 4/7 = case-by-case.

The 7-criteria matrix

Score each criterion 0 (bad) or 1 (acceptable). Total over 7.

Criterion 1 — Tech stack age

• 0 if site on non-Gutenberg WordPress, Joomla, Drupal 7, or proprietary builder (Wix without export)
• 1 if Next.js / React / Vue / Astro / modern WordPress (2022+) with headless

Criterion 2 — Core Web Vitals performance

Test on pagespeed.web.dev:

• 0 if LCP > 4s, INP > 500ms, CLS > 0.25 (mobile)
• 1 if all metrics in green (mobile)

Criterion 3 — Exploitable existing SEO

Test on Google Search Console:

• 0 if < 100 keywords ranked top 50, or no GSC history
• 1 if ≥ 100 keywords ranked or ≥ 1,000 organic visitors/month

Criterion 4 — Manageable CMS / content

• 0 if changing text needs a developer
• 1 if client can edit text/images/articles autonomously

Criterion 5 — Coherent design system

• 0 if each page has its own font / colors / different components
• 1 if reusable design tokens, homogeneous components

Criterion 6 — Quality content

• 0 if ≤ 10 pages, ≤ 5 blog articles, low-quality photos
• 1 if ≥ 25 pages, ≥ 30 articles, pro photos, FAQ, testimonials

Criterion 7 — Security audit OK

• 0 if critical vulnerabilities (outdated WP plugins, no HTTPS, unprotected forms)
• 1 if valid HTTPS, no known vulnerability, GDPR-compliant

The decision tree

Why redesigning sometimes costs more than starting over

Counter-intuitive but common: redesigning a WordPress with 25 custom plugins and 6 years of "patches" can take more time than a fresh Next.js. Signals it's better to start over:

• More than 15 WordPress plugins, 3+ unmaintained
• Child theme impossible to evolve without breaking parent
• MySQL DB > 500 MB for a site < 100 pages (cruft)
• Undocumented custom code by a dev gone for 3+ years
• jQuery + WordPress core + injected Vue/React mix = tech debt

The case that changes everything: existing SEO

If your site generates ≥ 1,000 organic visitors/month from Google, keep the URL and redirect smartly. Starting over = losing 6-12 months of SEO. Solution:

• Next.js migration with systematic 301 redirects (old URL → new URL)
• Migrated sitemap with Search Console announcement
• Existing content kept (rewritten, not deleted)

Additional SEO migration cost: 200-400K FCFA. ROI = near-instant.

The "cheap that ends costly" trap

I regularly see: "My cousin redoes it for 250K". 6 months later, site doesn't convert, SEO is broken, client pays 1.5M for a pro redo. Total = 1.75M instead of 1.2M direct.

Rule: if a dev offers 30-50% below market, ask what they're cutting. Answer: tests, perf, security, accessibility, technical SEO. Exactly what makes the difference at 12 months.

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Want your free 7-criteria score calculated?

Kolonell audits your existing site in 48h at kolonell.com/en/audit-gratuit or WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.

FAQ

How long for a redesign vs new site?

Targeted redesign: 4-8 weeks. New site: 6-12 weeks. Difference is more in complexity than duration.

Can I redesign only the look without touching SEO?

Yes, if you keep URL structure and content. That's the "visual refresh" scenario → 300-600K FCFA, no SEO risk.

What if the site has under 100 visitors/month?

No SEO capital to preserve → starting fresh is almost always more profitable than redesigning.

Is WordPress still relevant in 2026?

Yes for blogs > 200 articles with intense editorial needs. No for showcase + e-commerce where Next.js + headless Sanity/Strapi is superior.