Stalling on Your Website Redesign? Here’s What It’s Costing You!

by Tom Snyder on Feb 13, 2025

Twenty-nine years ago, when I opened the doors of our agency, the internet was still a novelty for many businesses. Dot-com skepticism was real. 87% said they would NEVER have a need for the web. So, convincing companies to invest in a website often took years. One of our most prestigious, longest-standing clients today was among the first businesses we approached and it took years of discussions before they finally decided to get online.

Back then, hesitation was understandable. The internet was new and unproven. Investing in a website felt like a leap of faith. Today, the situation is completely different. Nearly every business has a website, so the problem isn’t whether they have one. It’s if the one they have is actually helping them, or if it's actually costing them revenue, credibility, and opportunities.

Yet, some of the same hesitations remain. Many businesses think their outdated website is “just fine.” Many worry about the cost of a redesign. Many are stuck on deciding who should do the work.

While the reasons may vary, they are all really just symptoms of a malady we call Corporate Indecision Disorder: a condition that keeps decision-makers stuck in a cycle of hesitation, second-guessing, and endless internal discussions while ignoring the cost of lost opportunities, and struggling to commit to an agency out of fear of making the wrong choice.

The result? Missed revenue, declining credibility, and competitors pulling ahead. The only cure is recognizing that not making a decision is, in itself, a decision, and it's one that’s costing them more than they realize. And unlike 29 years ago, there’s no excuse for waiting today. Delaying a website redesign is losing...not saving...money!

The True Cost of Delay: What Businesses Are Losing

Data consistently shows that an outdated or poorly designed website directly impacts customer trust, search engine rankings, and revenue. Businesses that prioritize a strategic, modern web presence see significantly higher engagement, conversions, and long-term growth, while those that delay often face mounting losses. A study from Forbes...backed up by our own historical data...highlights key industry trends that demonstrate the financial and competitive risks of waiting too long to redesign a website.

1. Lost Customers & Missed Revenue

A bad website is a 24/7 liability. Slow load times, poor UX, and clunky, non-strategic conversion paths frustrate potential customers, leading them to leave before engaging. Every lost visitor is a lost sales opportunity.

Industry Data:

88% of users won’t return to a site after a bad experience.
A one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%.
Companies with optimized websites generate 2.5x more revenue per visitor than those with outdated sites.

2. SEO Decline & Reduced Visibility

Google prioritizes fast, modern, mobile-friendly websites. If your site is outdated, search engines assume it’s less relevant—pushing you lower in rankings and costing you organic traffic.

Industry Data:

75% of searchers never scroll past the first page of Google.
A site that drops from Page 1 to Page 2 loses 80% of its organic traffic.
53% of mobile users will leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

3. Brand Credibility Takes a Hit

A company’s website is often the first impression a potential customer gets. An outdated, clunky, or unprofessional-looking website instantly raises red flags.

Industry Data:

75% of consumers judge a company’s credibility based on its website.
57% of users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site.
Companies with strong branding and modern UX outperform competitors by 3x in revenue growth.

4. The Rising Cost of Waiting

Technology evolves fast. The longer you wait, the more expensive it is to fix.

Industry Data:

The average website lifespan is 3-5 years before it needs a refresh.
Companies that delay a redesign often spend 40% more later because they require a full rebuild instead of an update.
Businesses that redesign sooner (before tech debt builds up) reduce future web maintenance costs by 30-50%.

What Your Indecision is really Costing You. Let’s Do the Math

Now, let’s put this into perspective.

What’s the lifetime value of a new client for you?

For Trivera’s manufacturing clients, this number typically ranges between $1 million and $6 million. Let’s use an average $3 million CLV for this example.

How many clients are you losing per year because of a bad website?

Let’s say your outdated site is costing you just one lost client per quarter. That’s four lost clients per year.

That’s a $12 million cost due to your indecision

And this doesn’t include all the lost referrals and repeat business that come from those lost clients.

Why Now is the Time to Act

Whether you're still exploring your options or letting a website proposal gather dust, Corporate Indecision Disorder might be setting in. Waiting for the "perfect time" is just another symptom, one that’s already costing you more than you think.

Every day you delay is a day you’re losing customers, revenue, and credibility.

Trivera is entering its 30th year, and we’ve seen it all—businesses that waited too long and paid the price, and others that made the leap and saw immediate benefits. The difference? Those who act now position themselves ahead of the curve, while those who wait will find themselves scrambling to catch up.

The cost of waiting will always outweigh the cost of action.

About Tom Snyder

Tom Snyder - Trivera Tom Snyder, founder, president and CEO of Trivera, a 29-year-old strategic digital marketing firm based in suburban Milwaukee. Tom has been blogging since 1998, sharing the insight gained from helping businesses and organizations reinforce their brands by taking full advantage of digital and web technology as powerful tactics.