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Most startup sites were fine when they shipped. They went stale because the product, the pricing and the positioning all moved and the site didn't — and every quarter that passes makes the update look like a bigger job.
Positioning changes faster than the site can
An early-stage company can go through several descriptions of what it does in a year. Each change should reach the homepage; almost none of them do, because updating it competes with shipping.
When a homepage rebuild costs an afternoon, it stops competing. That's the actual unlock — not a better first version, but a version that can keep changing.
Don't over-build for a stage you're not at
Pre-product-market-fit, an elaborate site is a liability: it's expensive to change, and you will need to change it.
A site that's easy to regenerate is worth more than one that's beautifully crafted, because the value is in being current rather than in being finished.
Be concrete before you're clever
Startup homepages reach for abstraction early — vision statements where a plain description should be. Visitors who can't tell what the product does leave, and they don't come back to find out.
Say the boring version first. The redesign can make it prominent; only you can decide to write it.
Common questions
How often should a startup update its site?
Whenever the positioning or pricing changes materially. If that's quarterly, update quarterly.
Is it worth investing in design pre-launch?
Enough to be credible and clear. Beyond that, changeability matters more than polish at that stage.
Can we integrate this with our existing stack?
Export React components into your front-end, or deploy the HTML export as a standalone marketing site.
What should the homepage lead with?
A plain description of what the product does and for whom. Positioning cleverness works better once people already know.
Regenerate your homepage against your current positioning and see how far it had drifted.