10 things each website should be optimised for in 2025
Once upon a time, all you needed to build a website was basic HTML knowledge and a decent eye for design.
Today's websites need to work for search engines, AI systems, screen readers, mobile phones, tablets, and dozens of different browsers. They need to load fast, stay secure, and ideally not destroy the planet in the process.
Many of these optimisations are invisible until something goes wrong. Your website might look great to you but be completely unusable for someone with a disability, penalised by Google for slow loading times, or ignored by AI tools because the structure is unclear.
Whether you're building a new website or wondering if your current one measures up, here are the ten things every modern website needs to get right.
1. Performance and speed
If your website takes too long to load, visitors will leave before all the content appears. Even worse, when Google notices your slow loading times, it can drop your search rankings accordingly.
Page speed isn't just about user experience anymore – it directly affects your search engine visibility, conversion rates, and even your carbon footprint. A slow website uses more energy to load and frustrates visitors before they can learn about your important work.
To improve performance and speed, focus on:
Image and file compression – making images smaller and using formats like WebP that load faster than heavy PNGs
Caching systems – storing copies of your website content so it loads faster for repeat visitors
Clean, efficient code – removing unnecessary features and plugins that slow things down
Content delivery networks (CDN) – serving your website files from servers closer to where your visitors are located
Core Web Vitals monitoring – tracking specific measurements for how fast your site loads and responds
At SmartAlpaca, we build websites with performance in mind from the start. We keep the codebase lean and avoid cluttering pages with bloated features that slow things down. We also set up monitoring tools so we can catch performance issues before they affect your visitors or search rankings.
2. Search engine optimisation
Search engines decide which websites to show based on how well they understand your content and how trustworthy your site appears. Without proper SEO, even the most important conservation work can stay hidden from people who are actively searching for ways to help.
When optimising your website for search engines, you might consider:
Keyword research and implementation – finding the terms people actually use when searching for your work, and including them naturally in your content
Technical SEO foundations – making sure search engines can crawl and index your site properly with clean URLs, sitemaps, and proper redirects
Content structure and hierarchy – organising your pages with clear headings that help both readers and search engines understand your content
Meta descriptions and title tags – writing compelling summaries that appear in search results and encourage people to click through
Local SEO setup – making sure people in your area can find you when searching for local conservation efforts or volunteer opportunities
We approach SEO strategically, determining whether extensive keyword research and competition analysis will benefit your organisation - or if a simpler approach focusing on foundational optimisation makes more sense for your goals and audience.
3. Large language models and AI systems
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google's AI responses are becoming the go-to way for people to research organisations and get answers to their questions.
If your website isn't structured in a way these systems can understand, you're missing out on an increasing number of referrals and mentions.
AI systems work differently than search engines – they need clear, well-structured content to understand and accurately represent your work. When information isn’t clear, AI tools may give users incorrect details – or miss your organisation entirely when someone asks about conservation groups in your area.
Here’s what helps your content show up accurately:
Clear content structure – use proper headings, logical page organisation, and descriptive section breaks that show how information is related
Factual accuracy and citations – make sure all information is correct and link to sources when possible, as AI systems prioritise reliable information
Key information in obvious places – include your mission, location, contact info, and major projects in clear, easy-to-find spots
Marking up your content – adding metadata that tells AI what kind of organisation you are and what you do
Regular updates – keeping your content up-to-date helps AI systems provide the most relevant information about your work
We structure websites so AI tools can pick up the right facts and context, and help the public find accurate, up-to-date information about the topics you care about.
4. Accessibility and screen readers
Around 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, but many websites are completely unusable for people who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies.
In many places, accessible websites are also a legal requirement, and a lack of accessibility can block funding or lead to complaints (and lawsuits, if you’re in the US).
To make your website more accessible:
Alt text for images – describe images so screen readers can read them out loud
Proper structure – use H1, H2, and H3 heading tags in order so screen readers can navigate the content
Keyboard navigation – make sure all interactive elements can be accessed without a mouse
Colour contrast – check that your text is easy to read for people with visual impairments or colour blindness
Form labels and error messages – clearly explain what’s required and what went wrong if a form submission fails
Video captions and transcripts – provide alternatives for visitors who can’t hear or prefer to read
We build accessibility into every site from the start and test using real tools to make sure your content is available to everyone who needs it.
5. Responsive design for all devices
Your website visitors aren't just using desktop computers anymore. They're browsing on phones during their commute, tablets while lounging at home, and everything in between – from tiny smartphone screens to massive desktop monitors.
A website that looks perfect on your laptop might be completely unusable on a phone, with tiny text, overlapping buttons, or forms that can't be filled out properly. This makes it hard for people donate, sign up, or share your content.
We make sure your website is fully responsive by:
Designing layouts that adapt to different screen sizes and orientations, and prioritise key content on smaller screens
Creating touch-friendly elements like buttons, forms, and menus that work well on mobile
Prioritising key content so it’s easy to access on smaller screens
Optimising for mobile loading speed and usability
Testing on a wide range of real devices and browsers
We test every website on multiple screen sizes before launch, so that people get the best experience, whether they’re on a phone or a computer.
6. Modern browser compatibility
When your site launches, it should work smoothly across all major modern browsers — including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Brave.
Some newer features might look or work slightly differently on different systems, and that’s okay. What matters is your site doesn’t rely on experimental features that break when you open it in the wrong browser.
To ensure browser compatibility, we test your site in the most-used modern browsers - and when we handle ongoing maintenance on WordPress, we also keep an eye on browser changes and make sure your website stays fully compatible.
7. Security and privacy
Website security isn't just about protecting your own data; it's about safeguarding your visitors' information and maintaining their trust. A hacked website can damage your reputation and compromise supporter data. A secure prevents data leaks, defacement, spam attacks, and other problems that could damage your credibility.
Data privacy is just as important, and regulations like GDPR give us clear ground rules for protecting our visitor’s user data. Even simple contact forms collect personal information that needs proper processing.
Here’s how we build security into every project:
Https encryption – protecting data sent between your website and your visitors
Software updates – keeping your platform and plugins patched and secure
Secure logins – using strong passwords and two-factor authentication for staff and users
Data protection compliance – properly handling, storing, and protecting any personal information you collect
We use premium plugins to secure your website. And if you’re on a maintenance plan, we keep your software up-to-date and take regular backups, so your website can be restored if something goes wrong.
8. Sustainability and carbon footprint
Every website uses energy — to store its files on a server, deliver its content worldwide, and load on someone’s device. Digital sustainability matters to our clients, and it matters to us.
To reduce your website’s environmental impact, we:
Choose green hosting providers, who use servers powered by renewable energy
Keep file sizes as small as possible without compromising on quality, to reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred for each page visit
Use clean, efficient code and avoid unnecessary scripts or clutter code
Using lazy loading (only loading images and features when they’re actually needed) and smart asset management (avoiding duplicates and repetition)
Conduct regular content audits to remove outdated files and unused features
We’ve shared more about our approach to digital sustainability in this article.
9. User experience (UX) design
A beautiful website is worthless if visitors can't figure out how to use it. User experience (UX) design focuses on making websites intuitive, helpful, and easy to navigate – regardless of whether someone comes in with a clear goal in mind, or is simply browsing.
A good user experience means visitors can find what they’re looking for without having to think too hard. It means your website draws them into a journey, they follow the path laid out for them, and everything (words, imagery, and layout) works together to get your visitors where you need them to go. When done well, UX design makes your site feel intuitive and trustworthy. If not, people will leave without taking action.
Good UX design addresses:
Clear navigation – making it easy to find things on a website
Logical information architecture – organising content in ways that make sense to your visitors
Intuitive user flows – structuring pages to match how visitors think
Focus on readability – Using readable fonts, sizes, and strategic use of white space to make pages easy to scan
Consistent design – using similar layouts and patterns throughout the site
We approach every website project by first understanding your audience and their needs, then designing experiences that make it easy for them to engage. We also apply StoryBrand principles to help guide your visitors through a clear narrative that builds trust and encourages action.
10. Future-proofing and scalability
Your website shouldn’t need a rebuild every time something changes. But it also shouldn’t be so rigid that you can’t grow.
Too often, we encounter websites built without scalability in mind: they break when you try to add new features, need new elements hosted on third-party platforms, can't handle traffic spikes during campaigns, or become impossible to maintain as your scope expands. For growing organisations or those with large amounts of content (blogs, resources, directories), we typically use WordPress (with the Divi builder); when the foundations are solid, this platform can handle growth in content, features, and traffic.
Other organisations need the exact opposite - they need a platform we can “set and forget” so they can focus on their mission, not a website that might break if they don’t get to update it for a few months. That’s where Squarespace is the perfect choice, as it doesn’t require upkeep (Squarespace handles everything from security to performance updates).
Learn more about when we recommend WordPress vs Squarespace in this article.
Aside from the above, here’s how we approach future-proofing:
Flexible content management – making it easy for you and your team to edit pages, posts, and other elements
SOPs and training – so you don’t need outside help for every little change
Evergreen copy - so you don’t need to review your whole website every time something changes
Timeless visual design, so your site doesn’t look out to date a year from now
These aren’t details, so don’t skip them
Every one of the areas above is essential when you’re building or rebuilding a website. Skipping them might save time or money in the short run — but it usually leads to higher long-term costs, or the need for a rebuild far sooner than expected.
If you're looking for a team that knows how to get it right from day one, schedule a call to talk through your project.
If you're handling it internally, we offer free website consultations for nature and conservation organisations — read more here and see if it’s a fit.
