TYPO3 Update or Relaunch?: Which Path to Choose

One of the most important points that many TYPO3 agencies and developers consider is whether to opt for a TYPO3 update or a TYPO3 upgrade, an important decision. With NITSAN's many years of TYPO3 development expertise, this comparison will help you decide whether you need a TYPO3 update for your website or a complete TYPO3 relaunch.

We have developed many TYPO3 websites and upgraded from TYPO3 update v10 to 11, TYPO3 update v11 to 12. In this article, we will give you an insight into which option is better for your TYPO3 site: an update or a relaunch - i.e. the topic 'update or relaunch'.

By the end of this article, you'll have the necessary knowledge about upgrades and relaunches to confidently assess which route makes the most sense for your website.

Ready to dive in? Let's go!

According to the latest researched data, it is very beneficial for you from a sales perspective if you regularly maintain your website. Those who upgraded their sites from older TYPOP3 versions to the latest version saw the following benefits,

• 55% more visitors
• 97% more inbound links
• 434% more indexed pages

That's a pretty good boost for a small investment. Isn't it?

Choosing between a TYPO3 update and a complete TYPO3 relaunch can be challenging for many organizations. Both options come with different benefits as well as potential hurdles. This guide will help you find the right path for your needs and goals.

Here are some comparisons to help you decide which is better for your website:

Update TYPO3 v10 to v11 or TYPO3 v10 to v13

If you want to upgrade from a very outdated CMS to the latest version - for example from TYPO3 v12 to v13 - we recommend a complete TYPO3 website relaunch. A re-launch ensures that your website is technically future-proof, stable and up to date. The following reasons speak for this:

• Outdated template structure: older templates can be damaged during the upgrade. A TYPO3 relaunch ensures a clean, modern implementation according to current design and system standards.
• Extension compatibility: Many extensions used in the old environment may no longer be available or are no longer being developed.
• Change in the company: If your business model or requirements have changed, a relaunch is often the more effective solution for optimally integrating new functions and content.

The internet is a fast-paced world, and outdated websites can quickly fall behind. If your website relies heavily on older HTML or feels clunky on mobile devices, a TYPO3 relaunch could be the perfect solution to optimize performance.

• Modern design: Breathe new life into your website with the latest design trends.
• Latest version: Benefit from the latest features and security updates for optimal performance.
• Mobile-friendly: Make sure your website looks and works flawlessly on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
• SEO boost: A modern site built with content management system can improve your search engine ranking, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
• Cost-effective options: Choose between a complete redesign with the latest templates or use a pre-built, trendy template for a budget-friendly refresh.

Creating an exceptional user experience can significantly increase conversion rates and demonstrate your commitment to representing your brand. Redesigning and rebuilding your website can achieve this. We recommend a TYPO3 relaunch to design your ideal website to the latest coding standards, which significantly improves seo. This approach ensures you utilize the latest TYPO3 extensions and benefits to improve both functionality and usability.

If your TYPO3 extensions are no longer compatible or are no longer maintained, you do not have to update or restart your website. Simply back up the data and switch to an alternative extension or have it updated by a TYPO3 service.

However, if the most important core extensions or template frameworks no longer work and need to be replaced, you should without hesitation opt for a TYPO3 upgrade without hesitation. This will ensure that your web remains functional and up to date with the latest CMS updates. Using the right TYPO3 plugins and extensions is crucial for maintaining the performance and security of your website.

If your hosting provider discontinues support for your current TYPO3 or PHP version, you should act immediately. If your system is still relatively up-to-date, an upgrade may make sense to improve performance and security. However, if your system is significantly outdated, a complete TYPO3 relaunch with a new design and the latest version is recommended. This will ensure compatibility with current PHP requirements and at the same time improve the functionality and user-friendliness of your site, which is crucial for companies. An up-to-date system protects against problems and guarantees smooth operation and better support from your hosting provider.

When TYPO3 LTS support expires, you should consider TYPO3 Extended Long Term Support (ELTS) for another three years. After TYPO3 ELTS expires, it is advisable to upgrade TYPO3 to fix compatibility issues, adapt to modern website trends and improve security. While a TYPO3 relaunch is an option, it can be more costly. A CMS upgrade will keep your site up-to-date, secure and fully functional.

Security is the most important concern in the website business; your data, clients and visitors are your assets. To address these concerns, the TYPO3 security teams continuously release security updates. By updating regularly and taking the right steps, you can avoid security issues. In this case, a major content management upgrade is preferable to a re-launch.

Congratulations on upgrading your site with the latest technologies like headless TYPO3 or Progressive Web Apps (PWA). To implement these innovations, you will probably need to opt for a website relaunch, as older standards and structures are not compatible with these open source modern solutions. For a seamless upgrade, at least TYPO3 v10 is recommended. By relaunching your website with these innovative technologies, you can improve performance, usability and compatibility.

The conversion of your website to a TYPO3 store can be a good idea. You don't need a major relaunch for this. All you need to do is integrate the Aimeos Shop extension into your existing website. The only thing you need to consider is that your version of the current website is compatible with the Aimeos extension, i.e. TYPO3 v10,11,12,13.

For a noticeable increase in the speed and overall performance of your site, a comprehensive TYPO3 upgrade is essential. This involves not only updating to the latest TYPO3 version, but also optimizing the code, removing outdated elements and using modern extensions and SEO structures. Improved template methods and powerful plugins also contribute to performance. All these measures lead to faster loading times, better SEO rankings and a significantly improved user experience.

If you ask for a quote for custom development for a re-launch or major upgrade, we bet the cost will be much higher than for a pre-built TYPO3 template.

The custom design and development is of course that the starting price is much higher, typically between $2,000 and $8,000, depending on your needs and desired outcome. Of course, the more pages, forms and templates you have, the more expensive your web-page will be. Let's understand it with one of our client case studies,

• Customer requirement:
  • A parent company needed a site re-launch with a new design and latest TYPO3 version to showcase various niche services like textile, automotive, retail, education, stock market and manufacturing centrally.
  • The solution: A main page that presents all companies clearly and redirects to the respective individual page with an individual look but uniform structure when clicking on a company.
• Approach to developing user-defined templates:
  • This was followed by the time and cost estimates for the requirement to develop everything from scratch,
  • Development time: 2.5 to 3 months (approx. 300 hours)
• Costs: 9000 euros (300 hours of development at 30 €/hour)
• Approach with ready-made template (T3 Karma):
  • When the customer T3 Karma the ultimate multipurpose template with hundreds of elements and site layouts, the estimates were as follows,
  • Development time: 0 hours
• Cost: €499
  • The template was the fruitful option for the client and he happily went for it. Why pay more price than it actually is.

We hope this case study has cleared your confusions and you have a right direction to think!

Check pre-built TYPO3 templates

To check TYPO3 compatibility, you currently have to manually create a project report on third-party extension compatibility by checking the specifications of each extension from the TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER). And well, this is a very time-consuming task.

To save time and energy in project planning and estimating, TYPO3 agency NITSAN has developed a clever CMS extension that automatically generates an extension compatibility report - with impressive results. This makes the estimation process fast, efficient and virtually painless, while meeting all requirements.

Download TYPO3 Extension Compatibility Report Generator

The answer to the question TYPO3 rebuild or upgrade is not straightforward, as it depends on two main things:

• The state of your current web-page and whether it helps you achieve your business goals.
• The changes and features you want or need to incorporate to better engage your audience and drive visitors further into the sales cycle.

Whether an upgrade is enough or a complete relaunch is necessary depends on your goals and the state of your site. Outdated HTML sites usually require a relaunch, while modern sites can often get by with minor upgrades, which is a valuable opportunity.

If you want to upgrade your current system, our TYPO3 Upgrade Service can guide you through the process and ensure your site benefits from the latest features, security and performance improvements.

NITSAN - Your TYPO3 agency is happy to work with you to review your current website and determine how a redesign could help you achieve your business goals.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below! See you soon ;)