Township websites don't last forever. Technology evolves, design standards change, and what served your community well five years ago may now be holding you back. But website redesigns require significant investment—how do you know when it's truly time? This guide helps you evaluate your current site and recognize when redesign is the right choice.
The Typical Website Lifecycle
Understanding normal website aging helps set expectations.
Years 1-2: Peak Performance
A well-built website performs best in its early years:
- Modern technology and design
- Content is current and organized
- Staff training is fresh
- Security is up to date
Years 3-4: Maintenance Phase
With proper ongoing maintenance, sites remain effective:
- Regular updates keep security current
- Content needs regular review
- Design remains acceptable
- Some features may feel dated
Years 5-7: Evaluation Zone
This is when most sites need serious evaluation:
- Technology falling behind
- Design showing age
- Accumulated content debt
- Increasing maintenance burden
Years 7+: Replacement Priority
Websites beyond seven years typically need replacement:
- Technology obsolete
- Security increasingly risky
- User expectations unmet
- Maintenance unsustainable
Clear Signs You Need a Redesign
Some situations clearly call for a new website.
Accessibility Failure
If your site fails accessibility standards:
Warning Signs:
- Accessibility audit reveals major issues
- Complaints from residents with disabilities
- Legal threats or actual litigation
- Remediation would cost more than rebuilding
Why It Matters: Accessibility isn't optional—it's legally required. If your site fundamentally can't be made accessible, rebuild with accessibility from the start.
See our guide on accessibility mistakes on government websites.
Mobile Failure
If your site doesn't work on mobile devices:
Warning Signs:
- Not responsive (same layout on all screen sizes)
- Analytics show high mobile bounce rates
- Common tasks difficult on phones
- Staff hear complaints about mobile experience
Why It Matters: Over 60% of government website traffic comes from mobile devices. A desktop-only site fails most of your residents.
Security Risk
If your site poses security threats:
Warning Signs:
- CMS or server software no longer supported
- Unable to apply security updates
- Previous security incidents
- Security audit reveals critical vulnerabilities
Why It Matters: Government websites are targets. Outdated, insecure sites put resident data and public trust at risk.
Learn more in our guide to website security for municipalities.
Technology Dead End
If your underlying technology is obsolete:
Warning Signs:
- CMS version no longer updated
- Server software reaching end-of-life
- Can't integrate with modern tools
- Finding qualified support is difficult
Why It Matters: Obsolete technology becomes increasingly expensive to maintain and risky to operate.
Content Management Nightmare
If managing content is painful:
Warning Signs:
- Simple updates require technical help
- Staff avoid making updates
- Inconsistent publishing process
- No version control or workflow
Why It Matters: A website staff can't easily update becomes outdated, reducing its value and increasing frustration.
Warning Signs Worth Watching
Some situations warrant evaluation but might not require full redesign.
Dated Visual Design
Symptoms:
- Looks like a 2010-era website
- Feedback about unprofessional appearance
- Competitors/peers look significantly better
- Design doesn't reflect township's values
Consideration: Visual refresh might address this without full rebuild—evaluate whether underlying technology is sound.
Growing Content Chaos
Symptoms:
- Navigation has grown unwieldy
- Content duplicated across sections
- Nobody knows what's where anymore
- Search returns poor results
Consideration: Content audit and reorganization might help, but if the problem is structural, redesign may be necessary.
Missing Features
Symptoms:
- Residents expect features you don't have
- Staff workarounds for missing functionality
- Third-party tools band-aided onto site
- Self-service options lacking
Consideration: Some features can be added to existing sites. But if additions create complexity that degrades the whole, rebuild might be better.
Performance Problems
Symptoms:
- Slow page loads
- Frequent downtime
- Poor mobile performance
- Search engines ranking you poorly
Consideration: Sometimes hosting upgrades or optimization can help. But persistent performance issues may indicate deeper problems.
Staff Frustration
Symptoms:
- Content editors complain regularly
- Training doesn't help
- Workarounds everywhere
- Dread working on website
Consideration: User experience issues might be fixable, but consistent frustration often signals fundamental problems.
The Evaluation Process
How to systematically assess your website's condition.
Analytics Review
What data reveals about your site:
Traffic Patterns:
- Overall visit trends
- Mobile vs. desktop breakdown
- Most-visited pages
- High-exit pages (where people leave)
Search Behavior:
- What people search for
- Failed searches (no results)
- Search-to-visit ratios
Performance Metrics:
- Page load times
- Error rates
- Uptime records
User Feedback
Gather input from actual users:
Resident Surveys:
- Can you find what you need?
- How would you rate the experience?
- What frustrates you?
- What would you add?
Staff Interviews:
- What's hard to do?
- What do you hear from residents?
- What would help you do your job?
Technical Audit
Assess underlying health:
Security Review:
- Software versions and update status
- Vulnerability scanning
- SSL/security configuration
Performance Testing:
- Load time measurements
- Mobile performance
- Stress testing
Accessibility Audit:
- Automated scanning
- Manual testing
- WCAG compliance level
Consider a professional website audit for comprehensive assessment.
Competitive Comparison
How do peers compare?
Evaluate Peer Sites:
- Other townships in your region
- Similar-sized municipalities
- Award-winning government sites
Compare:
- Visual design quality
- Feature availability
- Content organization
- Mobile experience
Total Cost Analysis
Understand ongoing costs:
Current Costs:
- Hosting
- Maintenance and support
- Security measures
- Staff time managing site
Projected Costs:
- Upcoming required upgrades
- Increasing maintenance burden
- Risk costs (security, accessibility)
Redesign Costs:
- Initial investment
- Ongoing maintenance
- Training and transition
Sometimes redesign costs less than continuing to patch an aging site.
Making the Case for Redesign
If you conclude redesign is needed, you'll need to convince decision-makers.
Document Current Problems
Specific, concrete examples work best:
- "The contact form has been broken for 3 months and we can't fix it"
- "Mobile users leave within 10 seconds—here's the data"
- "The accessibility audit found 47 critical issues"
- "Staff spends 5 hours/week working around system limitations"
Quantify Impact
Numbers help justify investment:
- Call volume that could be reduced with better self-service
- Staff time spent on workarounds
- Risk exposure from accessibility/security issues
- Comparison of current costs vs. modern solution
Show Peer Examples
Demonstrate what's possible:
- Screenshots of better peer websites
- Features others have that you lack
- Recognition/awards others have received
Present Options
Offer choices, not ultimatums:
Option 1: Continue as-is (with documented risks and costs) Option 2: Incremental improvements (with limitations noted) Option 3: Full redesign (with benefits and ROI)
Address Concerns
Anticipate objections:
"It's too expensive": Show total cost of ownership including current maintenance, risk, and staff time.
"It takes too long": Present realistic timeline expectations.
"What about our content?": Explain content migration process.
"Staff won't learn a new system": Emphasize usability improvements and training support.
Redesign vs. Refresh
Not every improvement requires full redesign.
When Refresh Works
A visual refresh or targeted improvements make sense when:
- Underlying technology is sound
- CMS is modern and maintainable
- Structure is solid, just dated visually
- Specific features can be added without disruption
What a Refresh Involves
- Updated visual design (new theme/template)
- Content reorganization
- Specific feature additions
- Performance optimization
When Full Redesign Is Necessary
Complete rebuild is needed when:
- Technology is obsolete or unsupported
- Structure is fundamentally flawed
- Major accessibility issues baked into architecture
- Security cannot be adequately addressed
- CMS doesn't meet needs
What Redesign Involves
- New platform selection
- Complete rebuild from ground up
- Content migration and improvement
- Staff training
- Potentially new hosting
For budgeting help, see our guide on municipal website costs.
Planning for Success
If you proceed with redesign:
Set Clear Goals
Define what success looks like:
- Specific problems to solve
- Measurable improvements
- Features required
- Timeline expectations
Engage Stakeholders
Include key voices:
- Elected officials
- Department heads
- Front-line staff
- Residents (through surveys/focus groups)
Choose the Right Partner
Select a vendor who:
- Understands township needs
- Has relevant government experience
- Prioritizes accessibility
- Provides ongoing support
Plan for Content
Don't underestimate content work:
- Audit existing content
- Plan what to keep, revise, or remove
- Assign content responsibilities
- Set realistic content timelines
Budget Adequately
Include all costs:
- Design and development
- Content migration
- Training
- First-year maintenance
- Contingency for unexpected needs
Post-Redesign: Maintaining Your Investment
A new website requires ongoing care:
Regular Maintenance: Updates, security, backups Content Governance: Keep content current and organized Training: Refreshers as needed, new staff onboarding Monitoring: Analytics review, accessibility checks Planning: Budget for future improvements
See our guide on website maintenance for local governments.
Getting Started
At CivicSitePro, we specialize in township website design and help townships evaluate their current sites and plan successful redesigns.
Not sure if you need a redesign? Request a free audit to get an objective assessment of your current website. Ready to discuss options? Book a consultation with our team.