The short verdict
- Fix when the structure is right and the problems are on the surface.
- Rebuild when the structure is wrong, or every edit breaks something else.
- Six questions settle it for most sites.
01Two different jobs
Fixing means keeping the site you have, on the platform it is on, and correcting specific things: spacing, type, mobile breakpoints, copy, metadata, a broken form, some motion.
Rebuilding means recreating the site properly, usually on a platform your team can edit, keeping the content and URLs that work and replacing everything underneath.
Neither is always the right answer. A rebuild is wasted money on a site that only needed a week of fixes. A week of fixes is wasted money on a site that will need a rebuild anyway in three months.
02The six questions
1. Is the page order right?
If the sections follow your buyers’ questions in a sensible order, the structure is sound. If they follow the template’s order, fixing the surface will not help much. Restructuring a page is close to rebuilding it.
2. Who will edit it?
If one technical person will keep prompting or editing code, staying put can work. If marketing or the founder needs to change text, add pages and publish posts without help, you need a proper editor and CMS.
3. Does every edit break something?
If prompting a change to one section regularly changes another, the codebase has become fragile. More fixes make it more fragile.
4. Is it found in search?
If the site is client-rendered and organic search matters to you, that is hard to fix in place. If search does not matter much yet, it can wait.
5. How many problems are there?
Two or three clear issues: fix. Problems on every page in every category: the problems are probably one problem, the system underneath.
6. Is the business going to change soon?
If you are still working out the offer, do not rebuild yet. Fix what embarrasses you and keep learning. Rebuild once you know what the site needs to say.
03Reading the answers
| Situation | Fix in place | Rebuild |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Right order, wrong details | Template order |
| Editing | One technical editor | Non-technical team |
| Stability | Edits are safe | Edits break things |
| Search | Not a priority yet | Matters now |
| Problems | A few, specific | Everywhere |
“Fix the site you have when it is the right site with the wrong details. Rebuild when it is the wrong site.”
04The middle path
It is not always all or nothing. Common in-between options:
- Rebuild the marketing pages, keep the app. The product stays where it is, the public site moves to a platform built for content.
- Fix now, rebuild later. Clear the urgent issues this month and plan a rebuild for when the offer settles.
- Rebuild in the same design. Keep the look, replace what is underneath. Less design work, all the editing and SEO benefits.
05What not to do
Do not rebuild because a new tool came out, or because you are bored of the design. Do not keep patching a site the team is afraid to touch. Both feel like progress and are not.
06Questions people ask
Will a rebuild lose my Google rankings?
Not if URLs are kept or redirected, and titles and content carry over. Most well-run moves see a short wobble and then hold or improve.
How long does each option take?
Fixes on a small site often take days. A rebuild of a small marketing site usually takes a few weeks, depending on design and content.
Can I keep using my AI builder after a fix?
Yes, if the fixes are made on that platform. Bear in mind that later prompts can undo them.
Which one does my site need?
That is the question our free verdict answers. Send us the link.
