Web design that converts.
Built for conversion, Core Web Vitals, schema, and the AI search era. WordPress when you need a CMS. Astro or Next.js when you need speed. No template farms, no shoehorned themes. From $6,000.
What a 2026-ready website actually requires.
Most agency-built SMB websites in 2026 are still optimized for 2018: pretty desktop hero, slow mobile load, no schema, generic copy, "we'll add SEO later." That site does not rank, does not convert, and does not get cited in AI search. A 2026-ready website needs five things stacked together: (1) conversion-first design with the messaging architecture proven before pixels are placed; (2) Core Web Vitals at the new thresholds (LCP under 2.5s, CLS under 0.1, INP under 200ms on mobile); (3) schema markup by default on every page (Service, Organization, Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList minimum); (4) AI-search-ready structure (passage-level citation shape, llms.txt, definition sentences); (5) copy written in your real voice from real customer interviews, not templates. We do all five. Investment: $6K for a 5-page conversion site, $12K-$25K for a CMS-driven site, $25K-$75K+ for custom apps. Timelines: 30-45 days for 5-page, 60-90 for CMS, 60-120 for full rebuilds. Every site ships with 60 days of post-launch support.
The full service.
1. Discovery + strategy (week 1)
Before any wireframe, we run discovery. 90-minute founder interview, 3-5 customer interviews (we do them; you do not), competitive teardown of 5 sites in your space, traffic + intent analysis on any existing site, conversion benchmark establishment.
- Founder interview: positioning, ICP, sales process, current bottlenecks, "what's the one thing this site needs to do"
- Customer interviews: 3-5 recorded calls with current customers about why they chose you, what almost stopped them, what their alternative was
- Competitive teardown: 5 competitors analyzed for messaging, page architecture, conversion patterns, technical implementation
- Traffic + intent analysis (existing site only): GSC export, GA4 review, identify which pages drive leads, which pages waste budget
- Conversion benchmark: current conversion rate by source, target conversion rate, gap analysis
- Deliverable: 1-page strategic brief approved by you before we go further
2. Sitemap + messaging architecture (week 2)
Information architecture and messaging before pixels. Most sites fail at this step. We build the message map before the visual design.
- Sitemap: every page mapped with primary intent, conversion goal, content depth
- Page-by-page messaging brief: hero proposition, supporting proof, primary CTA, secondary CTA, objections to address
- Keyword research + intent mapping: every page mapped to a target keyword cluster
- Internal linking architecture: how pages connect, which pages get authority flow
- Schema plan: which schema types per page (Service, Article, FAQPage, HowTo, Product, LocalBusiness, etc.)
- Deliverable: sitemap + page-by-page brief approved before copy starts
3. Copy (weeks 2-3)
Copy is the highest-leverage element of a website. We write it ourselves, in your voice, from the customer-interview transcripts. No templates, no AI-only drafts.
- Voice analysis: founder interview + 10-15 of your best existing posts/emails define the voice
- Customer-truth integration: pulled quotes and language patterns from interviews used in copy
- Headline + subhead production: hero, section heads, CTA microcopy
- Body copy: every page written from scratch in your voice
- SEO + GEO optimization: every page structured for passage-level citation
- Two rounds of revisions included
- Deliverable: full copy approved before design starts
4. Design (weeks 3-4)
Design follows copy, not the other way around. We design to serve the message, not to fill a template.
- Brand audit: existing logo, colors, typography, voice in visuals
- Visual system: design tokens for colors, type scale, spacing, components
- Mobile-first wireframes: every page wireframed mobile, then expanded to tablet + desktop
- High-fidelity mocks of every unique page (not just home)
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA color contrast, font sizing, focus states
- Two rounds of design revisions included
- Deliverable: design approved before build
5. Build (weeks 4-6 for 5-page, longer for CMS)
Platform picked for use case. We do not default to one platform; we pick the right one based on editorial needs, performance needs, scale.
- WordPress: when client needs non-technical CMS, blog editorial workflow, plugin ecosystem (most SMBs)
- Astro (static): when SEO + performance trump editorial flexibility, content is mostly stable, MDX or Markdown is acceptable (this site is built on Astro)
- Next.js: when dynamic data, gated content, user accounts, or React component reuse are needed
- Cloudflare Workers: for app-style sites needing edge compute, custom auth, custom data layers
- Shopify: for product-driven e-commerce SMBs (we do not push it for non-commerce)
- Webflow: for design-system-heavy brand sites where editorial control without a dev is a priority
6. Performance optimization (Core Web Vitals)
2026 thresholds. We measure throughout build, not as an after-launch fix.
- LCP under 2.5s on mobile (largest contentful paint)
- CLS under 0.1 (cumulative layout shift)
- INP under 200ms (interaction to next paint, replaced FID in 2024)
- PageSpeed Insights mobile score above 85 minimum, target 90+
- Critical CSS inlined, non-critical CSS deferred
- Images: AVIF or WebP with width/height attributes, responsive srcset, lazy-loaded below fold
- Fonts: self-hosted WOFF2, font-display swap, subset to characters used
- Third-party scripts audited; analytics + tag manager loaded async, marketing tags lazy
- CDN configured for static asset caching
- Monthly performance recheck for 60 days post-launch
7. Schema, on-page SEO, AI-search readiness
Schema and structured data are baked in from day one, not bolted on later.
- Organization + WebSite schema sitewide
- Service, Article, FAQPage, HowTo, BreadcrumbList per page as applicable
- Person + AggregateRating schema where appropriate
- Sitemap.xml + sitemap-index.xml generated at build, submitted to GSC + Bing
- llms.txt at apex listing canonical URLs for AI crawlers
- IndexNow integration for instant indexation pings (Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver)
- OG image generation per page (auto or manual)
- Canonical tags handled programmatically
- Robots.txt + meta robots configured for crawler access without exposing staging
8. Conversion tracking + analytics
If you cannot measure what's working, you cannot improve it. We wire tracking before launch, not after.
- GA4 with enhanced measurement + conversion events
- Google Tag Manager for flexible event tracking
- Google Ads + Meta pixel for paid attribution (when applicable)
- Call tracking integration (CallRail, WhatConverts, native)
- Form attribution: which page / source / campaign drove each form fill
- Heatmap + session recording (Microsoft Clarity, free) for first 90 days
- Monthly analytics digest in plain English for 60 days post-launch
9. QA + launch
- Cross-browser QA: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, on real mobile devices not just desktop emulation
- Accessibility audit: axe DevTools, manual keyboard nav test, screen reader spot-check
- SEO audit: every page passes RustySEO, Screaming Frog equivalent, no orphaned pages, no broken links
- Schema validation: Rich Results Test + Schema.org validator on every page
- Forms tested end-to-end: submission, email notification, CRM write, thank-you page
- Redirect map (rebuilds only): every old URL mapped to a new one, 301s in place
- DNS cutover with TTL pre-lowered, monitored for 24 hours post-launch
Pricing + timeline.
| Scope | Timeline | Investment | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-page conversion site | 30-45 days | $6,000-$12,000 | SMBs starting fresh or replacing a thin existing site |
| CMS site (15-30 pages + blog) | 60-90 days | $12,000-$25,000 | SMBs needing editorial workflow + ongoing content publishing |
| Full rebuild with content migration | 60-120 days | $15,000-$40,000 | Established SMBs with 50+ existing pages worth preserving |
| Custom app / e-commerce | 90-180 days | $25,000-$75,000+ | Product catalogs, gated content, user accounts, custom workflows |
| Landing page (one-off) | 10-21 days | $2,500-$6,000 | Campaign-specific lead capture for paid traffic |
| Post-launch maintenance | Ongoing | $200-$800/mo | Security, updates, content edits, performance monitoring |
Pricing includes strategy, copy, design, build, schema, performance optimization, analytics setup, and 60 days of post-launch support. Hosting recommendations included; hosting fees billed separately at cost.
Common mistakes (avoid).
- Picking the platform before the requirements. WordPress is not the default. Astro is not the default. Use the right tool for the job.
- Designing before the copy is written. Design that serves message wins. Design that fills a template loses.
- "We'll add SEO later." Bolt-on SEO never matches built-in SEO. Schema, sitemap, internal linking, AI-search structure must be in from day one.
- Skipping customer interviews. The best copy comes from real customer language. Founders alone produce inside-out copy. Customers produce outside-in copy that converts.
- Optimizing desktop and hoping mobile follows. Mobile-first or mobile-broken. Pick one.
- Ignoring Core Web Vitals until Google emails you. CWV thresholds are SEO + UX signals. Build to them, do not retrofit.
- One round of revisions then "client signed off." Two rounds minimum, plus a 30-day post-launch tuning window. Sites need real-traffic data to truly converge.
- Forgetting redirects on rebuilds. The fastest way to lose existing SEO authority is missing 301s. Every old URL must map.
Tools we use.
- Astro, Next.js, WordPress, Cloudflare Workers, Shopify, Webflow as build platforms (use case-dependent)
- Figma for design + design-system management
- Tailwind CSS or vanilla CSS depending on project
- Hostinger as default hosting for SMBs (Cloudflare Workers / Vercel for app-style)
- Cloudflare for CDN, WAF, image optimization, and Turnstile bot defense
- Google Search Console, GA4, GTM for measurement
- Microsoft Clarity for heatmaps + session recording (free)
- PageSpeed Insights, CrUX, Lighthouse for performance verification
- RustySEO for desktop crawl + technical audit
- Schema.org validator + Rich Results Test for structured data validation
FAQ.
- What platforms do you build on?
- WordPress for CMS-heavy. Astro for SEO + performance. Next.js for dynamic. Cloudflare Workers for app-style. Shopify for e-comm. Webflow when design system control matters.
- How long?
- 5-page 30-45 days, CMS 60-90 days, rebuilds 60-120 days.
- Core Web Vitals?
- Every site hits 2026 thresholds (LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, INP < 200ms) and mobile PSI 85+.
- How much?
- $6K for 5-page, $12K-$25K for CMS, $25K-$75K+ for custom apps.
- Do you write copy?
- Yes. Included by default. From customer interviews, in your voice.
- SEO during build?
- Built in. Schema, sitemap, llms.txt, IndexNow, internal linking from day one.
- AI-search-ready?
- Yes. Passage-level citation shape, FAQPage schema, llms.txt at apex.
- Hosting + maintenance?
- 60 days post-launch included. Optional ongoing $200-$800/mo.
Related reading.
- SEO services for ongoing rank + AI-search optimization after launch
- Content marketing for the editorial layer on CMS sites
- Google Ads for paid traffic driving to optimized landing pages
- Our process for how engagements actually run
- Pricing for full transparency across all services