PIPELINEGuide
Website relaunch for small businesses and sole proprietors
Most examples come from companies with their own IT departments. What can be transferred to a business with three to fifteen people — and what cannot.
For businesses with three to fifteen people, a website relaunch is often more effective than for large companies, because the same person has multiple roles. But the design must be different: small scope, few moving parts, maintenance without technical expertise — not a solution designed for growth to fifty employees.
01 — Business size
What this means for small businesses
Most examples online come from companies with their own IT departments. In a business with three to fifteen people, different rules apply: there's no one to maintain a system on the side, and every hour spent on implementation is taken directly from day-to-day operations.
This does not mean that a website relaunch is unsuitable for small businesses — on the contrary, the effect is often greater there because the same person has multiple roles. It does mean that the design must be different: small scope, few moving parts, maintenance without technical expertise.
A sole proprietorship doesn't need a solution designed for growth to fifty employees. Anyone who buys something like that pays for complexity that will never be used.
02 — Fit
When it's worth it
- The process in question occurs at least weekly.
- It follows rules you can write down — even if there are exceptions.
- Today it's manual work that no one enjoys doing.
- There's one person who decides, not three who need to coordinate.
- You can name what would tell you it worked.
03 — Calculation
How to calculate it
Four numbers are enough: How often does the process occur? How long does it take? What does an hour cost internally? And what does the solution cost — one-time plus operation over three years?
An example: A process that occurs twice a week and takes 40 minutes each time ties up around 69 hours per year. At an internal hourly rate of 45 euros, that's roughly 3,100 euros per year locked in there. If a solution reduces this effort by two-thirds, it often pays for itself — depending on the actual quote — within one to two years. We'll give you the exact figure for your case after the initial meeting.
This calculation is deliberately conservative: it only accounts for the time saved, not the errors avoided or the orders that come through due to faster response. In practice, the benefit is usually higher — but you shouldn't count on it before you've measured it.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Will we lose Google rankings with a relaunch?
Only if you do it wrong. Short-term fluctuation over two to four weeks is normal, a lasting drop is not. The cause is almost always the same: missing or incorrect redirects. We create the list before the move and check it afterward.
When is a relaunch overdue?
When the site doesn't work on mobile, the content management system no longer receives security updates, or you can't change content yourself. A merely outdated appearance is the weakest reason of all.
What happens to our existing Google Business Profile?
It remains untouched as long as the website address doesn't change. If the domain changes, the link stored in the profile needs to be updated — we take care of that.
Is a relaunch worth it if we're renaming soon anyway?
Not in that order. Clarify the renaming first, then relaunch — otherwise you build a site that needs adjustment again shortly after.
What happens to our email addresses?
They remain untouched as long as the domain stays the same. We still check the settings before the move, because an incorrectly set record can stop mail delivery.
Can we switch over gradually?
For larger sites, yes — section by section. It takes longer but spreads the risk and cost.
Do we have to go offline during the relaunch?
No, the old site stays online until the switchover day. The change happens on a set date, usually outside business hours, and typically takes only a few minutes.
05 — Decision
How to move forward
The most affordable next step is a conversation, not a quote. Twenty minutes is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense, what scope it involves, and whether we're the right fit.
If we're not, we'll say so. An honest no costs less than a project you abandon after three months — for both sides.
06 — Next
Related pages
- Website relaunch — Overview
- Website Relaunch — Value for Money
- Website Relaunch — Integration
- Website Relaunch — Pros and Cons
- Website relaunch — Do it yourself
- Website relaunch — Provider comparison
- Website relaunch — Funding
- Website relaunch — Common mistakes
- Have a website created
- SEO
- Web design
- All guides
Website relaunch by region
Next step
We'll look at your starting position.
Tell us what's eating up time today. That becomes an assessment with effort and benefit — and only then an offer.