Rewrite or redesign a homepage that does not convert

Key takeaways

In the homepage rewrite vs redesign decision, a rewrite is enough when the layout works and the words do not: vague headline, missing area, weak proof, unclear button. A redesign is needed when the platform blocks changes, the page fails on mobile or the visual design undermines trust. Most small business homepages need a rewrite first.

• Rewrite: new words and order on the existing design.
• Redesign: new layout, visuals and often new code.
• Most homepage problems are fixed by a rewrite.
• Redesign when the platform, mobile layout or look is the blocker.

What is the difference between a rewrite and a redesign?

A homepage rewrite changes the words and their order on the existing design: headline, subheadline, sections, proof and calls to action. A redesign changes the layout and visual design, and often the code or platform. A rewrite takes days; a redesign takes weeks and costs more. The wider site decision is covered in our guide to when not to redesign.

• Why your homepage is not converting visitors into customers
• When not to redesign your website

When is a rewrite enough?

A rewrite is enough when the layout has a clear hero, room for proof and a visible button, but the words fail: a slogan headline, no area, generic 'why choose us' points, a vague call to action. These are the most common homepage problems and they are fixed with words.

• Fix the words or the design? Where homepage problems sit
• A homepage rewrite, before and after

When do you need a redesign?

You need one when the theme or builder will not let you change the hero or add sections, when the page is broken or slow on mobile and cannot be fixed, when the look is so dated or inconsistent it undermines trust, or when the business has changed so much the structure no longer fits.

• Website redesign versus rebuild: which do you need?
• Embarrassed by your website? What that feeling means

How do cost and risk compare?

As indicative UK ranges, focused conversion work on existing pages, including a homepage rewrite, costs about £500–£3,000; a redesign on the same platform about £3,000–£12,000. A rewrite is also lower risk: it does not change URLs or code, so it rarely affects search rankings, and it is easy to reverse.

• What a homepage fix costs in the UK
• Traffic dropped after a website redesign? Recovery steps

Should you rewrite before a redesign anyway?

Often yes. Rewriting first shows which messages work, and that becomes the content brief for any later redesign. Redesigns built around a tested message are faster, cheaper and less likely to disappoint.

• Brief a designer to fix your homepage

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a firm budgets for a full redesign, but a rewrite of the hero, services and calls to action on the existing theme produces the improvement they wanted. The redesign is postponed and, when it happens, it starts from proven copy.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Rewrite or redesign checklist

• Run the plain-text test on your copy.
• Check whether your platform lets you edit the hero and sections.
• Test the page on several phones.
• Ask whether the look undermines trust.
• Rewrite first if the layout works.
• Use tested copy as the brief for any redesign.

• Fix the words or the design? Where homepage problems sit
• A homepage rewrite, before and after

Next step

Try editing your homepage headline and adding a section in your site's editor. If you can, start with a rewrite.