If you run a trade or local service business, your website should be doing one main job: bringing in enquiries.
It should help customers find you, trust you, and contact you quickly. Ideally, it works in the background while you are quoting jobs, managing staff, or out on site.
But here is what many business owners are not told.
A website is not something you build once and keep forever. Websites have a lifespan. They do not necessarily break overnight. More often, they slowly become less effective until they are quietly costing you leads.
This is why we get asked the same question all the time. How long should a website last?
Most small business websites last three to five years
For most local businesses, a website will typically last around three to five years before it needs a serious refresh or redesign.
That does not mean the website suddenly stops working after three years. It means it could start falling behind what customers expect and what Google rewards.
The internet changes quickly. Customer expectations change quickly. Competitors improve their websites too.
And when someone is choosing between you and another business, they often decide in seconds. If your website feels slow, outdated, or hard to use, people do not complain. They just move on.
Why websites age faster than they used to
Years ago, a basic website could sit untouched for a long time and still do the job. Now, websites play a much bigger role in how customers judge a business.
Your website is not just a brochure. It is part of your reputation. It is part of your marketing. It is often the first impression a customer gets.
Even if your business is doing great, your website can fall behind because:
- Most visitors are now on mobile, and older sites often struggle on smaller screens
- Google regularly updates how it ranks websites, and old structures can slip over time
- Customers expect fast load times and simple layouts, especially when they are in a hurry
- Local competition is stronger than ever, and many businesses refresh their sites more often than people think
A website that looked fine a few years ago can feel outdated today.
A website can look okay and still be underperforming
It’s not uncommon for people to say, “Our website still looks fine.” And often, it does.
But looking fine is not the same as performing well.
An older website can still show your services, list your contact details, and look decent on a desktop, but still underperform in ways that matter, like:
- Loading slowly on mobile
- Making it hard to contact you quickly
- Not ranking well in Google
- Not guiding visitors towards an enquiry
This is where many businesses start losing enquiries without realising it.
Signs your website may be reaching the end of its lifespan
There are usually signs that a website is no longer doing its job optimally.
- Enquiries have slowed down
If leads have dropped and nothing else has changed, the site may not be converting well, or it may not be as visible in Google as it used to be. - It feels slow or clunky
If the site frustrates you on mobile, it is frustrating your customers too. People do not wait around. - Competitors look more modern
If other local businesses present themselves better online, trust shifts in their favour, even if your work is better. - Your business has outgrown the site
If you now offer more services, cover more areas, or want better quality work, the website should reflect that. - You are not showing up in Google like you used to
Gradual ranking drops can be caused by outdated structure, weak service pages, or a site that is slow on mobile.
The biggest cost of an outdated website is not the website itself. It is the work you miss out on. The tricky part is that this happens slowly. Many business owners do not notice until the website is well past its best. A strong website helps bring in steady enquiries, supports better quality jobs, and reduces the reliance on referrals alone.
AI search is changing how customers find local businesses
Search is changing quickly, and this is another reason websites are ageing faster.
People still Google things like “electrician near me” or “concreter Geelong”. But more and more, customers are also using AI tools to find businesses and make decisions.
This includes:
- Google’s AI results at the top of search
- Voice search on phones
- ChatGPT-style search tools
- Map-based search results
AI search tools pull information from websites that are clear, structured, and trustworthy. A redesign gives you the opportunity to build a website that is not only designed for people, but also easier for search engines and AI tools to understand.
A redesign is often one of the highest return investments
Many local business owners delay a redesign because they assume it will be expensive or disruptive.
In reality, a well-planned redesign is often one of the best investments a small business can make, because it improves the basics that drive revenue:
- First impressions you are the right choice to call
- Enquiry flow that is clear and simple on mobile
- Search visibility, called search engine optimisation (SEO), so you show up when locals are actively looking
- Better lead quality because the site explains your services, products and value properly
- Stronger results from ads if you are running Google Ads or plan to
It is not about chasing trends. It is about making sure your website still does what you built it to do.
What we recommend for most local businesses
If your website is more than three years old, it is worth doing a proper review. Not just a quick glance, but a real check of:
- Mobile usability
- Speed
- Structure and navigation
- Enquiry pathways
- SEO foundations and local targeting
- Competitor comparison
- Whether your content is structured for modern search and AI results
Sometimes a few smart improvements can extend the life of a website. Other times, it is clear the site has reached the end of its lifespan and a redesign is the best move.
Final thoughts
A small business website is not meant to last forever. For most local businesses in Geelong and Hobart, the lifespan is three to five years before it needs a serious refresh or redesign.
If your website is ageing, it does not mean it has failed. It simply means customer expectations and Google standards have moved on.
The key question is whether your website is still helping you win work, or quietly holding you back.
At GOOP Digital, we build and redesign websites for small local businesses in Geelong, Hobart and beyond. Our focus is simple: websites that look professional, perform well in Google, and generate enquiries.
If you are unsure where your current website stands, a review is the easiest place to start. If you have any queries or need assistance with this, get in touch.