What makes a good website in 2026?
A good website loads in under two seconds, is accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA, answers the most important customer questions in clearly structured sections, and is built so that search engines and AI systems can unambiguously understand and cite its content.
The third audience: AI systems
For years websites were built for two readers: humans and Google. Now there is a third — ChatGPT, Perplexity and the AI overviews of search engines. They answer customer questions directly and cite sources. Whoever is absent there loses customers without noticing. The answer is GEO: content that is clearly structured, fact-rich and quotable.
Accessibility is no longer optional
Since the European Accessibility Act, an accessible presence is mandatory for many businesses. Beyond the obligation: an accessible site is faster, clearer and measurably favoured by Google. Contrast, keyboard operation, alt texts — that is craft, not magic. It just has to be built in from the start.
How fast must a website load?
Under 2.5 seconds to the largest visible element (LCP) — as Google demands in its Core Web Vitals. In practice: statically generated code, optimised images in modern formats and no superfluous scripts. Page-builder websites rarely reach these numbers.
Fewer pages, more substance
The trend moves away from bloated sitemaps towards few pages with real depth: one strong service page with process, proof and frequent questions beats five thin subpages. That serves all three readers at once — humans, search engines and AI.
Our conclusion: in 2026 a website is no longer a brochure but infrastructure. It deserves the same care as your accounting — and the same ambition as your best product.