The verdict in three sentences
A B2B manufacturer whose 2018 website produces 3 quote requests a month does not automatically need a full rebuild: the decision can be made on measurable criteria. In the Toronto market in 2026, a redesign costs 15,000 to 25,000 CAD and a rebuild 25,000 to 40,000 CAD. In both cases, skipping a redirect plan costs 10 to 30 % of organic traffic for several months, which often outweighs the budget gap.
The decision grid
Score your site on each line. Three or more answers in the right column point to a rebuild.
| Criterion | Redesign is enough if | Rebuild is justified if |
|---|---|---|
| Stack age and version | CMS up to date, supported PHP version, under 6 years | abandoned CMS or theme, unsupported version, proprietary page builder |
| Technical debt | fewer than 10 plugins, readable code | more than 25 plugins, stacked patches, pages breaking on updates |
| Organic traffic at stake | over 40 % of visits from Google | under 15 %, few ranking pages |
| Mobile performance | Core Web Vitals fixable by optimisation | theme forces over 3 MB per page |
| Offer structure | same capabilities and markets | new markets, new product lines, US export |
| Accessibility | close to WCAG 2.0 AA | far from AODA requirements |
In Ontario, the AODA requires private organisations with 50 or more employees to make public websites conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. A 2018 site that fails it badly is often cheaper to rebuild than to retrofit.
Organic traffic is the most underestimated criterion. A site getting 2,500 monthly visits from Google, 1,200 of them on capability pages such as CNC machining Mississauga, holds a real asset. Throwing it away without a migration plan means starting from zero on those searches.
Cost and risk comparison 2026
The figures below are 2026 Greater Toronto Area market orders of magnitude for a B2B site of 30 to 80 pages.
| Item | Redesign | Rebuild |
|---|---|---|
| Total budget | 15,000 to 25,000 CAD | 25,000 to 40,000 CAD |
| Timeline | 6 to 9 weeks | 12 to 16 weeks |
| Content rewrite | partial, 20 to 40 % of pages | full, with new capability pages |
| 301 redirect plan | 800 to 2,000 CAD, few URLs changed | 2,000 to 4,500 CAD, every URL mapped |
| Traffic loss without redirect plan | 10 to 15 % | 20 to 30 % |
| Traffic loss with redirect plan | under 5 % over 2 to 3 months | 5 to 10 % over 3 months |
| Expected lifespan | 2 to 3 years | 5 to 6 years |
| Annualised cost | 5,000 to 12,500 CAD a year | 4,200 to 8,000 CAD a year |
Annualised cost often flips the decision: a rebuild that costs more upfront can be cheaper per year of use than a cosmetic redesign you will redo in 30 months.
How to go from 3 to 8 quote requests a month
Whichever route you choose, gains come from the same levers. One page per capability (machining, fabrication, welding, finishing) with tolerances, materials and machine capacity. A quote form that accepts drawings (PDF, STEP, DXF). Concrete sector references: aerospace, food processing, energy. A stated response time, for example 48 h. A redesign that adds these pages beats a rebuild that copies old pages as they are.
Mini case study
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Mark, CEO of a 60-person metal fabrication firm in Mississauga (illustrative example), receives 3 quote requests a month through his 2018 site. His stack is dated, with 28 plugins, and 45 % of visits come from Google. He picks a 32,000 CAD rebuild with a 3,000 CAD redirect plan. Target: 8 requests a month, so 5 more. With a 20 % close rate and an average order of 26,000 CAD at 25 % margin, the gain is about 6,500 CAD of margin a month. The 35,000 CAD pays back in 5 to 6 months.
FAQ
How much does a B2B website redesign cost in Toronto?
Between 15,000 and 25,000 CAD in 2026, over 6 to 9 weeks. A full rebuild runs 25,000 to 40,000 CAD.
How do we avoid losing search rankings?
Map every existing URL and 301-redirect it to its equivalent. With that plan, loss usually stays under 5 to 10 % over 3 months, versus 10 to 30 % without.
At what age should a site be rebuilt?
Age alone is not enough: a 6 to 8 year old site on a maintained CMS can be redesigned. A rebuild is needed if the theme is abandoned or more than 25 plugins make every update risky.
How many quote requests should we expect afterwards?
Doubling within 6 months is a realistic target when the site adds capability pages and a drawing upload form. Measure 3 months before and after.
Does Kolonell take on this kind of project?
Yes, with a quote in EUR or CAD: Kolonell websites range from 800,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (1,220 to 5,340 EUR) by tier, with maintenance from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA (50 to 180 EUR) a month.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site address and your monthly quote request figures: we will tell you whether a redesign is enough, with budget, redirect plan and timeline. 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.
