Boreal Lab Studio · Small business website guide
What a website redesign costs.
When to rebuild, when to fix what you have, and how to change the site without losing the visitors you already get.
The short answer
A redesign costs about the same as a new site of the same size, because most of the work is the same: design, pages, forms and testing. For a small business that usually means $1,500 to $3,500 CAD for five to ten pages.
It costs less when the words, photos and structure are already good and only the look changes. It costs more when the site moves to a new platform or has years of pages to sort through.
Redesign, or fix what you have?
Not every tired site needs to be rebuilt. A fix is enough when:
- The site looks fine, but a form, a menu or the phone layout is broken.
- The words are out of date: old hours, old prices, staff who have left.
- It is slow because of a few oversized photos.
A redesign is the better spend when:
- Visitors cannot tell what you do from the first screen.
- The site was built for desktop and is hard to use on a phone.
- Nobody in the business can edit it, or the person who built it is gone.
- The business has changed and the site still describes the old one.
Keeping your Google rankings through a redesign
- List every page address on the old site before anything changes.
- Keep the same address for each page where you can. Where you cannot, redirect the old address to the new one.
- Carry over the page titles and the text that already brings visitors.
- Submit the new sitemap in Google Search Console on launch day, and check for missing pages a week later.
What to ask before you sign
- Will I see the new design before I pay for the build?
- Who moves the content, and who checks it afterwards?
- Does the domain stay in my name?
- What happens to my old page addresses?
- What does an edit cost after launch?
Boreal Lab Studio builds small business websites
Boreal Lab Studio is a website studio in Toronto, Ontario. It builds websites for small businesses across the GTA, Ontario and the rest of Canada, including home services, professional practices, health and wellness, hospitality and retail, with a specialty in trucking and logistics.
- What it builds
- Custom websites for small businesses with enquiry or booking forms, logos and matching email signatures, plus builds on Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and Framer.
- Starting prices (CAD)
- Launch, one page: from $399. Starter: from $750. Full site, up to 6 pages: from $1,500. See every plan.
- How it starts
- A free homepage concept of your own site, on desktop and phone. You pay only after you approve it.
- Platforms
- Custom-built sites hosted for you, or Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and Framer when one of them suits you better.
- Contact
- hello@boreallab.ca · (647) 547-7709
See the studio’s work and every plan, with full sites you can click through.
Common questions
How much does a website redesign cost?
About the same as a new site of the same size. For a small business in Canada that is usually $1,500 to $3,500 CAD for five to ten pages. Boreal Lab Studio redesigns start at $750 for one page and $1,500 for up to 6 pages.
Is it cheaper to fix my website than to redesign it?
Yes, when the problem is small. Boreal Lab Studio fixes a broken form, menu or phone layout on an existing site from $99.
Will a redesign hurt my Google ranking?
It can if page addresses change without redirects. Keep the same addresses or redirect each old one, carry over the titles and text, and resubmit the sitemap on launch day.
How often should a small business redesign its website?
When it stops doing its job, not on a schedule. If visitors can find what you do, reach you on a phone and the facts are current, the site does not need a redesign yet.
More small business website guides
- How much a small business website costs in OntarioBuilder, freelancer, studio or agency, and our own prices in plain numbers.
- Hiring a Squarespace, Wix or WordPress designerWhen to keep your platform, what a designer should do on it, and who owns what.
- Professional email signatures for a small businessWhat a signature should hold, and how to make it look right in Gmail, Outlook and on phones.
- Logo design for a small businessWhat you should get from a logo project, the files you need, and how to brief a designer.
- How much a website costs in CanadaPrice ranges by who builds it, what moves the number, and the yearly costs after launch.
- A free homepage mockup before you payWhat a free concept should include, what it does not, and how to tell a real free offer from a deposit.
- How to choose a web designerFreelancer, studio or agency, and twelve questions about ownership, price and the work.
- What website maintenance costs each monthWhat a care plan covers, what hosting alone covers, and what happens when nobody looks after a site.
- Shopify store design and setupWhat a store needs before it opens in Canada: theme, products, taxes, shipping and payments.
- Hiring a Webflow or Framer designerWhich of the two fits your site, what each is good at, and what stays in your name.
- Website design for contractors and tradesWhat a plumber, electrician, roofer or landscaper needs online to get calls from the right jobs.
All guides · Guides for trucking companies: What the best trucking company websites have · How much a trucking website costs in Canada · Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or custom for a trucking company · A website for an owner-operator · A driver recruiting page that gets applications · How to choose a trucking website designer · Trucking company website design in the GTA