Behind the build.
Most of what makes a website work happens where you can’t see it.
Analytics that show who’s actually visiting. Code that lets a screen reader use the page. Tags that let Google and ChatGPT find you at all. None of it is magic. It’s the part most people skip.
What actually goes into a build.
How the site is built before a single visitor arrives. The same foundation under everything we ship.
- Consistent 12-column grid and spacing scale
- Clean, absolute paths so nothing 404s
- Tested in Safari first, then on real phones
So you know who shows up and what they do, instead of guessing in the dark.
- Traffic and events tracked properly
- Session recordings and heatmaps of real visits
- Your own visits filtered out so numbers stay honest
So Google, and now ChatGPT, can find you and know exactly who you are.
- Structured data so engines read your brand right
- Verified in Google Search Console
- Submitted to Bing, which powers ChatGPT search
So people who rely on assistive tech can use the site. It is also the law.
- Keyboard navigation with visible focus
- Color contrast that passes AA
- Screen-reader pass and reduced-motion support
So a link to your site looks deliberate everywhere it gets posted, not like a broken preview.
- A proper preview image for each key page
- Title and description written for previews
- Tested in Messages, Slack, X, and LinkedIn
Clear about what you collect and how visitor data is handled.
- Privacy policy that names the tools in use
- Terms of service
- Cookie and tracking disclosure
So it feels quick on a real device and connection, not just a designer’s laptop.
- Core Web Vitals checked for speed and stability
- Responsive on every screen size
- Images optimized so pages load quickly
The last checks before it goes out to the world.
- Submitted to security and reputation services
- Every page and file confirmed serving on the live domain
When someone hits an old or mistyped link, a blank browser error loses them for good. A branded 404 catches them and points the way back.
- Custom 404 page in your brand, not the browser’s
- A clear path back to home and key pages
- Broken links logged so they get found and fixed
This is the floor, not the ceiling.
Every site we build passes this list before it ships. If your current site doesn’t, that’s exactly what an audit is for.