Your website is often the first impression a potential customer has of your business. In 2026, the bar for what “good” looks like has risen significantly. Here’s what actually matters.
Speed is non-negotiable
Google has been using page speed as a ranking factor for years, but in 2026 it matters more than ever. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, you’re losing visitors and rankings.
The biggest speed killer? Bloated page builders like Elementor and Divi. They load hundreds of kilobytes of CSS and JavaScript that your visitors never need. A clean WordPress site with custom HTML and CSS loads in under 1 second.
Mobile-first isn’t optional
Over 65% of Google searches now happen on mobile devices. If your site doesn’t look perfect on a phone, you’re invisible to most of your potential customers. Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means the mobile version of your site is what determines your rankings.
Content that answers questions
The days of thin, keyword-stuffed pages are long gone. Google rewards sites that genuinely help users. Every page on your site should:
- Answer a specific question your customers are asking
- Provide more detail than your competitors
- Include relevant keywords naturally (not forced)
- Link to related pages on your site
Technical SEO basics
These are the non-negotiable technical elements every small business website needs:
- SSL certificate — HTTPS is a ranking factor and a trust signal
- Meta titles and descriptions — Unique, keyword-rich titles for every page
- Schema markup — Help Google understand your business type, location and services
- XML sitemap — Tell Google about every page on your site
- Image optimisation — Compressed images with descriptive alt text
- Security headers — X-Frame-Options, Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy
The website-as-a-service model
The old model was: pay a developer $5,000 to build a site, then forget about it for 3 years until it looks outdated. The new model is treating your website like a living, breathing employee that gets better every day.
That’s exactly what AI-powered site management delivers. Your site isn’t a one-time project — it’s an ongoing investment that improves every week with fresh content, better SEO, and continuous optimisation.
Learn how Sally builds websites that tick every box on this list — and keeps improving them month after month.