redesign or update

[jsm4182]

I have been doing freelance web design since 2003 and am currently getting my degree in web design. Yesterday I was approached by the first client I had about updating his site, his site went up in September 2003. He is very affraid of anything to do with computers and just does whatever I tell him I think is best for his business. I have learned alot about web design since I completed his site and know I can make a much better site than he has know but am not sure if that is what is in his best interest. The three options I am thinking of now are:
1- completely redesign the website
2- make minor changes to improve the current website(improve content, improve styling)
3- make the changes of option 2 and re-write some of the code to make it more standards compliant(the site was made with tables, I'd rather it be in all css)

the site is http://www.engelfuneralhome.com/
all feedback is appreciated

 

[Stampyhead]

The best thing to do would be to present the client with all of his options with as much information on each as you can give him and let him make the decision. If you feel that a redesign is the best way to go, do a mockup of a new design and present it to him along with reasons why this redesign would benefit his business. There's no shame in upselling your clients as long as you are genuinely doing it with their best interest in mind and not to just shaft them for more money.

 

[janitorC7]

no offence, but the site needs to be redesigned. like the guy above me said, mock it up and show it to him.

 

[wheezy]

That definately needs a redesign, the site needs to leave the 90's behind.

Also, there is no meta tags in the code, and I'm sure it's not very optimized for search engines at all.

 

[Cabbit]

when i looked at it, it looked too yellow and sunny for something to to with death and profetional stuff. A nice mix of blue would look nice something like the blue used in some iphone elements mixed with some grays to give it a nice profetional look.

 

[Verdanice]

I'd go for a redesign, no question - that can't very well be upgraded without revamping every tag of the code. I assume you've gotten into CSS and possibly XHTML since you started, so I'd definitely suggest using those standards compliant methods on the redesign. If you have and are an avid user of Photoshop, mock it up in there and send him a preview.

Naturally, since the client is often clueless as you seem to think yours is, you need to dumb things down and inform him in plain english of what needs to be done and why without omitting information that he might want to hear.

 

[giganten]

Yeah go for a redesign.