Laptop scren showing the choice of creating a new strategic website or having a Design Day to work on an existing site

Website Design Day or Strategic Website Design?

Published Updated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Choose a Website Design Day if you have a website that mostly works and needs fixing or improving within the platform it’s already on. Choose Strategic Website Design if your business has grown and the website no longer fits where you’re going, so it needs to be rethought and rebuilt from the strategy up. If you’re not sure which describes you, a Website Diagnostic is the quickest way to find out.

In short: the real question isn’t “how much do I want to spend?” It’s “is the problem with the details, or with the foundations?” This post explains the difference between a Website Design Day and Strategic Website Design, who each one suits, how to tell which you need, and what to do if you’re somewhere in between. It sits within the Action and Clarity pillars of The Website That Works™.

What is the difference between a Website Design Day and Strategic Website Design?

A Website Design Day is for fixing and improving an existing website, working within the platform it’s already built on. Strategic Website Design is for building a new website from the strategy up. One makes what you have work better. The other creates what your business needs now.

Here’s how I describe them:

  • Website Design Day (£699). A focused day on your existing website. If you built it yourself and it doesn’t match the picture in your head, or something has broken, this is for making it work, without starting again. There’s also a half-day version.
  • Strategic Website Design (from £4,000). For a business that has outgrown its website. It covers strategy, UX, design, a WordPress build, SEO and AI search foundations, and training, so that the site reflects where you are now and where you’re going.

Both are built on The Website That Works™: Clarity, Confidence, Action and Visibility.

Who is a Website Design Day for?

It’s for you if you built your website yourself, it’s nearly right, and you want it fixed quickly. You might be a self-confessed non-techy who doesn’t want to start from scratch, or you might have a site where the basics are fine but a few things aren’t working.

A Website Design Day makes sense when:

  • The platform your site is on is working for you, and you’d rather keep it.
  • The problems are specific, such as a confusing page, a layout that doesn’t work, or a feature that’s broken.
  • Your message is broadly right, and the site needs sharpening, not rethinking.

Who is Strategic Website Design for?

It’s for you if your business has been running for a few years, your services have evolved, and your website no longer reflects what you do. Often you feel a little embarrassed to share it, or you’ve noticed it isn’t bringing in the enquiries it should.

Strategic Website Design makes sense when:

  • Your services, your clients or your prices have changed and the website hasn’t caught up.
  • The problem isn’t one page but the whole site: how it’s structured, what it says, and who it speaks to.
  • You want to be found on Google and in AI search, with the foundations built in from the start.

How can you tell which one you need?

Ask yourself three questions:

  • Is the platform the problem? If the site is built on something you can’t work with, or it’s holding you back, patching it may only delay the decision. If the platform is fine, fixing what’s there may be all you need. Guides on this decision commonly make the same distinction: a full redesign tends to make sense when the platform is outdated or several problems stack up at once. If you’d like a wider view, a guide to redesigning a small business website is a useful read.
  • Is it the details or the direction? If you know what’s wrong, such as a page that doesn’t work, a Design Day may cover it. If you’re not sure what’s wrong, or it’s that the site says the wrong things to the wrong people, that points to strategy.
  • Does it reflect where your business is going? If you’ve outgrown it, a repair will only get you a better version of the wrong website.

If those answers don’t settle it, don’t guess. The Website Diagnostic is the entry point for exactly this reason. It scores your website against the four pillars and shows which one is holding it back, so the choice becomes clearer.

What if you’re somewhere in between?

That’s common, and it’s fine. A website can need more than a few fixes and still not need a full rebuild. This is where starting with the Diagnostic helps, because it tells you what’s actually going on before you invest.

And a Design Day isn’t a lesser option. If your site is working and just needs improving, it’s the right size of solution. Spending more than you need to is no better than spending too little.

Frequently asked questions

Should I redesign my website or just fix it?
If the platform works for you and the problems are specific, fixing it is often enough. If the site no longer reflects your business, or the problems are widespread, a new build is usually a better use of your money.

What is a Website Design Day?
It’s a focused day of work to fix and improve an existing website, within the platform it’s already on.

How much does a Website Design Day cost?
A Website Design Day is £699. There’s also a half-day version.

What is included in Strategic Website Design?
Strategy, UX, design, a WordPress build, SEO and AI search foundations, and training. It starts from £4,000.

Which should I start with?
If you’re unsure, start with the Website Diagnostic. It shows which pillar of your website is holding it back, and what kind of help would make the biggest difference.

If you know your site needs fixing within what you already have, take a look at a Website Design Day. If your business has outgrown its website, see Strategic Website Design. And if you’re not sure, start with the Website Diagnostic.

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