Signs it is time to revisit rebuilding versus refreshing

The advice here is unglamorous, which is probably why it gets skipped. A few signals that rebuilding versus refreshing is due some attention.

Clear scope protects the client at least as much as it protects the agency. If it only works because one person remembers to do something, it does not work yet.

The signals

• Nobody can say when it was last reviewed
• The answer depends on who you ask
• A rebuild is not always the answer
• If the structure is sound, styling and content may be enough

Where to start

Rebuild when the platform blocks what you need to do. The reasoning matters more than the rule, because the rule has exceptions. If it only works because one person remembers to do something, it does not work yet.

How to tell if yours is fine

Strategy work is mostly deciding what not to do, and writing it down so it stays decided. Three things worth confirming about rebuilding versus refreshing before you move on:

• Someone can say what the current setup is without going to look
• A rebuild is not always the answer — and you know whether that is true here
• There is a way to tell whether the last change to this helped

If you want a second opinion on how yours is set up, ask.