When it is time for a new website: 7 signs and a two-minute check

When a website still does its job

A website still does its job when it reads and opens quickly on a phone, shows the right rooms and prices, gives people a clear way to contact you and you can change it yourself. If any of this is not true, look for it in the seven signs below. Each has a two-minute check that you can do without help.

Seven signs

For the checks you only need your phone with mobile data switched on and access to your email.

1. It is hard to use on a phone

It is a sign if the text is small, the buttons are awkward or you have to zoom in and move the screen sideways. The mobile version matters for search too: Google uses the content shown on it for indexing. Two-minute check: open the website over mobile data, not the venue's wireless network, read the first screen, open the menu, find the rooms and tap the phone number.

2. It is slow on a phone

It is a sign if the first screen appears with a visible delay. Two-minute check: search Google for “PageSpeed Insights”, enter the website address and read the result for phone. Google measures three main metrics (Core Web Vitals) and considers them good when:

• the largest part of the first screen (a photo, a block of text or a video) appears within 2.5 seconds;
• the page responds to a tap within 200 milliseconds;
• elements do not shift around (a value of up to 0.1).

3. The browser warns about the connection

It is a sign if Chrome shows “Not secure” next to the address or a warning page opens instead of the website. “Not secure” means the website does not use a private connection (HTTPS). From Chrome version 154 (stable from 22.09.2026), the browser by default asks the user before opening a public website without HTTPS for the first time. Two-minute check: open the website in Chrome and read what it says next to the address.

4. Rooms, prices and photos do not match reality

Any difference between the website and what you sell today is a sign. Two-minute check: open the rooms page and, for each room, compare the number of beds, the photo and the “from” price with your current price list. Note the differences on a sheet of paper. How to prepare photos and texts is described in a separate guide.

5. There is no clear way to contact you with one tap

It is a sign if the phone number or the form is not visible straight away, or the number cannot be dialled with a tap. Two-minute check: from the home screen tap the number, then send a test enquiry through the form and check that it reaches you.

6. You cannot change the website yourself

It is a sign if you wait for the contractor, or pay for every change, to update a price or a photo. Two-minute check: log in and try to change one price. If you do not know where the login is or you have to phone someone, that is your answer.

7. Nobody knows who has the access details, or the website cannot be found by the venue's name

It is a sign if you do not know whose name the domain and hosting are in or where the logins are. Two-minute check: search Google for the name of the venue and the town and see whether your website is among the results. Then search your email for “domain” and “hosting”: renewal emails show where the domain is registered. If you cannot find a trace, start with the guide to domain, hosting and email. If the website does not appear under the venue's name, there is a separate guide to getting found on Google.

When a new website is not needed

A few repairs are often enough. Correct prices, texts and photos, lighter photos for a faster page, a secure connection or a more visible phone number can usually be sorted out without a new website. A new website makes sense when there are many signs, when you cannot change the website yourself or when every repair is slow and expensive. Compare the cost of the repairs with that of a new website before you decide; what the price of a website depends on is described in a separate article. What a good website should contain is described in the separate checklist.

How it works with ISKA Website

ISKA Website is built to a brief for the venue, either as a new website or as a new look and new solutions for your current one. You maintain it yourself through ISKA: draft, preview, publishing and going back to a previous version; it is not on WordPress and there are no plugins for you to maintain. It is offered by individual quote, with no standard price. If your checks show that a change is needed, you can request a quote.