- A redesign quote is mostly hours, and the hours follow the page count, the words and photos, the features and the old addresses that need redirects.
- Google says to map every old URL to a new one and keep the redirects for at least a year, so a quote that skips this can cost you search traffic.
- Google indexes the phone version of a site, and the ADA's web guidance names barriers like missing alt text and poor contrast, so both belong in the scope.
- Two quotes only compare when they price the same page list, so ask each company to write theirs out before you weigh the totals.
What a website redesign covers for a Chattanooga business
Chattanooga is the county seat of Hamilton County. It sits along the Tennessee River, which divides the city, and it borders Georgia to the south. In September 2010 the city-owned utility EPB launched the first government-provided one-gigabit internet service in the United States, which is where the Gig City nickname comes from. Plenty of offices here browse on fast fiber all day, and that can hide how a site behaves on the phone of a customer parked in Lookout Valley or out past Tyner.
A redesign rebuilds a site you already have. That usually means a new layout and look, rewritten or reorganized pages, new photos, and a new system underneath, while the business, the domain and most of the search history carry over. The carry-over is what separates a redesign from a first website, and it is also where most of the surprises in a quote come from.
Owners ask us for a number first, which is fair. The honest answer is a range that only narrows once the scope is written down, so this guide covers what goes into that scope and how to tell whether two quotes describe the same job.
The six things that move a redesign price
Almost every line on a redesign quote is somebody's time. These are the parts of the job that add or remove the most of it.
| What moves the price | Why it adds time | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Page count | Each page needs a layout, words, photos, a title and a description, and each one is tested on a phone. | Which pages are on the list, and what does one more page cost? |
| Words and photos | Writing pages from a conversation, or booking a photo shoot at your shop, takes longer than placing material you hand over. | Who writes the copy, who supplies the photos, and are both included? |
| Features | Online booking, a store, a customer login or a form that feeds your office software all need building and testing. | Which features are in the price, and which are quoted separately? |
| Old pages and redirects | Every address that changes needs a permanent redirect to its new page, checked one by one. | Will you list every old URL and redirect it, and who checks them after launch? |
| Accessibility and phone testing | Alt text, color contrast, captions, forms and keyboard use all take checking on real devices. | Which standard do you build to, and how is it tested? |
| Support after launch | Updates, backups, edits and fixes are ongoing hours that may or may not be in the quote. | What happens after launch, and is any of it a monthly charge? |
Design itself, the colors, fonts and layout, is often a smaller share than owners expect. The large swings usually come from content and features. A twelve-page site where you supply finished words and photos is a different job from a twelve-page site where the company writes every page and shoots every photo, even though the page list matches.
Words, photos and the work owners forget to price
Content is the part of a redesign that stalls most often. Pages wait for words, and launch dates wait for pages. Before you collect quotes, decide which of these you will hand over and which you want the company to do.
- Copy. Rewriting service pages so each one says what you do and where, in the words your customers use on the phone.
- Photos. Real pictures of your work, your space and the people a customer will meet. Stock photos are cheap and read as generic.
- Moving old material. Blog posts, PDFs, forms and menus from the current site, which someone has to copy, clean up and check.
- Accounts and access. The domain, the hosting, the email records and the analytics, which all have to be found and handed over before launch.
The last item deserves a firm answer. ICANN, the body that oversees domain names, says the registrant assumes sole responsibility for the registration and use of the domain and must keep the contact information accurate. Put the domain in the business's name, with an email address you control, before anything else changes.
Keeping your search traffic when the addresses change
A redesign that changes page addresses is what Google calls a site move with URL changes, and Google publishes steps for it. Its guidance says it is important to map the old site's URLs to the new ones, to use permanent redirects such as 301 where possible, and to keep the redirects for as long as possible, generally at least a year. It also says to update the sitemap with the new URLs.
Google is direct about the timing too. It says a small to medium-sized website can take a few weeks for most pages to move, and that rankings may fluctuate while Google recrawls and reindexes the site. A quote that leaves out redirects can look cheaper, and the gap shows up later as pages that used to bring calls and now return an error.
Ask for the redirect map as a document: every old address on one side, its new page on the other. Then ask who tests it after launch. Google suggests the URL Inspection tool for single pages and scripts for large numbers of URLs, and either way someone should own the check.
Phones and accessibility belong in the scope
Google says it uses the mobile version of a site's content for indexing and ranking, and it asks that the mobile site carry the same content as the desktop one. A redesign that looks right on the big monitor in your office and trims content on a phone is working against how Google reads it.
Accessibility is the other line to settle early. The Justice Department's web guidance says Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by businesses open to the public, and that a website with inaccessible features can limit their access to a business's goods. It lists common barriers: missing alt text on images, poor color contrast, videos without captions, online forms that do not work with assistive tools, and navigation that only works with a mouse.
The usual yardstick is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The W3C published version 2.2 on 5 October 2023, with success criteria at three levels, A, AA and AAA. Ask each company which version and level it builds to and how it tests, because fixing these things during a build costs less than fixing them after launch.
How to compare two redesign quotes
Totals only compare once the scope underneath them matches. Ask every company for the same things in writing, and lay the answers side by side.
- The page list. Every page by name, so you can see whether the lower quote simply has fewer pages.
- Who writes and who shoots. Copy and photos either included, quoted separately or left to you.
- Features by name. Booking, a store, forms and any connection to software you already use.
- The redirect map. Old addresses, new pages and who tests them after launch.
- The accessibility standard. The WCAG version and level, and how it is tested.
- Ownership. Whose name is on the domain, the hosting account and the code when the job is done.
- After launch. What is included, what is billed by the hour, and any monthly charge with what it covers.
- The schedule. What the company needs from you and by when, since late content moves the launch date.
Many redesign quotes bundle search work, so Google's own advice on hiring an SEO is worth reading before you sign. It says no one can guarantee a number one ranking on Google, and that if someone guarantees first place you should find someone else. It also suggests asking whether the company will share every change it makes to your site and explain the reasoning.
How Nooga Tech prices a redesign in Chattanooga
Nooga Tech is a web design and engineering team based in Chattanooga, and redesigns are part of our Web Design & Growth work. The price depends on the page count and the features, such as online booking or a store. You get a written scope and a fixed price before any work starts, and the domain, code and hosting are in your name from day one.
If search is the main reason for the redesign, our guide to SEO in Chattanooga covers the Business Profile and the page work that go with it. If the office work behind the website is the real bottleneck, AI automation for Chattanooga businesses covers where software can take some of it. For a business just outside the city, our Cleveland and Hixson guides cover those towns. Send us the address of your current site for the free consult, and we will tell you what we would change and what it would cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website redesign cost in Chattanooga?
It depends on the page count, who writes the words and supplies the photos, the features and how many old pages need redirects. Ask for a written page list with the price so two quotes can be compared on the same job.
Why are two redesign quotes so far apart?
Usually because they describe different jobs. One may include copywriting, photos, redirects and accessibility testing while the other leaves them to you. Compare the page lists and the included work before the totals.
Will a redesign hurt my Google rankings?
It can if page addresses change without redirects. Google says to map old URLs to new ones, use permanent redirects, keep them for at least a year and expect some fluctuation while it recrawls the site.
How long does Google take to catch up after a redesign?
Google says a small to medium-sized website can take a few weeks for most pages to move, and larger sites take longer.
Does my redesigned site need to be accessible?
The Justice Department's guidance says the ADA covers businesses open to the public and that inaccessible website features can limit access to their goods. Most builders work to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, so ask which version and level a quote includes.
Should I write the content myself to save money?
You can, and it often lowers the price. Agree on a date for each page, because late content is the most common reason a redesign launches late.
Who should own the domain after a redesign?
The business. ICANN says the registrant assumes sole responsibility for the registration and use of the domain, so it should be registered in your name with contact details you control.
Does Nooga Tech give a fixed price for a redesign?
Yes. You get a written scope and a fixed price before any work starts, as our [Web Design & Growth](/marketing) page describes, and the domain, code and hosting are in your name from day one.