The 2026 Website Checklist, 15 Essentials You Need to Know

Will Roberts | 5 December 2025

Is Your Website Ready for 2026?

The digital landscape is evolving faster than ever. User expectations are rising, AI-driven search is changing how people discover information, and brands are under pressure to deliver faster, clearer, more personalised experiences across every touchpoint.

To help organisations stay ahead, we recently delivered a webinar exploring 15 essentials your website needs to remain competitive in 2026. The session covered everything from user experience fundamentals to AI-powered opportunities, conversion drivers, and long-term future-proofing.

If you’d like to watch the full recording, you can catch up here, but in this blog, we’ve broken down the core insights into four key areas:

Foundations of User Experience (points 1 – 5)
AI-Enhanced Experiences (points 6 – 9)
Generating Conversions (points 10 – 12)
Future Proofing (points 13 – 15)

Whether you’re planning a refresh, a full redevelopment, or simply want to ensure your website keeps up with changing expectations, this checklist will help you prioritise what matters most.

Let’s get into it.

1. Mobile-First Design

Mobile isn’t just part of the user journey anymore. For many organisations, it is the user journey. A mobile-first approach means designing for the smallest screen before scaling up, rather than squeezing a desktop layout into a phone.

Think about how people actually interact on mobile: thumb zones, button spacing, text legibility, and navigation that works when someone is on the move. Testing across multiple devices and browsers is no longer optional.

Google continues to index and rank websites based on the mobile experience first, so a strong mobile-first design improves both user experience and SEO performance. If your site isn’t easy to use on a phone, it isn’t ready for 2026.

2. Clear Proposition

Users decide within seconds whether your website is relevant to them. A clear proposition helps them instantly understand who you help, what you do, and why it matters.

Your value statement should sit prominently above the fold and avoid vague marketing jargon. Instead of generic claims like “innovative solutions,” be specific and benefit-led.

A simple test? Show someone your homepage for five seconds, then ask them what your organisation does. If they can’t explain it clearly, your proposition needs refinement.

3. Forms that Convert

Forms are often the final step between a visitor and a conversion, and they’re also one of the biggest points of friction.

High-performing forms are:

Short and simple
Clear about why information is needed
Supported by helpful labels and error messages
Designed to minimise drop-off

Small changes can make a big difference. Testing single-step vs multi-step formats, varying button copy, or simplifying fields can significantly improve completion rates.

In a world of rising acquisition costs, improving form performance is one of the most cost-effective optimisation strategies you can invest in.

Our recommendation: Why not check out Typeform? They’re a great example of best practice with regard to form UI and UX.

4. Accessibility

Accessibility is no longer optional, or just for the public sector; it’s essential because it benefits all users. With the upcoming shift to WCAG 3.0, the focus moves from ticking technical boxes to ensuring people can genuinely complete tasks and navigate your website independently.

Good accessibility serves users with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive needs, but it also improves the experience for every visitor. Clear headings, logical navigation, alt text, transcripts, readable typography, and keyboard-friendly design all contribute to a more inclusive site.

Accessibility builds trust, widens your audience, strengthens your brand reputation, and increasingly affects search visibility. Organisations that prioritise it now will be well ahead of the curve as standards evolve.

Check out our blog post on this topic if you want to find out more about WCAG 3.0

5. Page Speed

Slow websites lose users, and fast websites convert them. Google’s Page Speed Tool measures how quickly your content loads, how soon users can interact with the page, and whether elements shift around as it loads.

Improving speed often comes down to:

Optimising images and video
Reducing unused scripts
Using a CDN
Lazy-loading content
Regular performance testing

Page speed isn’t something you fix once. As you add new content, plugins, or features, the impact accumulates. Also, Google continues to update the criteria (why not, hey?). Continuous monitoring ensures your site stays fast, stable, and search-friendly.

Section 2 AI-Enhanced Experiences

AI is reshaping how users search, browse, and interact with websites. In 2026, the focus is on using AI to deliver more relevant, intuitive, and connected experiences. These four essentials help you meet rising expectations and make your website feel smarter and more helpful.

6. AI-Powered Personalisation

Personalisation has grown up. It is no longer about inserting someone’s name into an email, it is about adapting the website experience in real time based on behaviour, intent, and context.

AI can analyse browsing patterns and previous interactions to recommend the most relevant content or action. For example, highlighting different information for a first-time visitor compared to someone returning with a specific goal.

The benefit is simple. More relevance creates more engagement, and that leads to higher conversion rates. The key is to keep it ethical and transparent so users understand how their data is being used and why it benefits them.

Our recommendation: Check out Personyze to integrate this functionality with your website.

7. AI-Powered Search

Website search has traditionally been a weak point. Users expect a Google-like experience, and anything less can quickly lead to frustration.

AI-powered search understands meaning rather than just matching keywords. It interprets natural language queries, suggests smarter results, and guides users more accurately to the information they want.

For content-heavy or product-based organisations, this can make a huge difference to engagement. When visitors can find what they are looking for quickly, they stay longer, explore deeper, and convert at a higher rate.

Our recommendation: Check out Recombee and other recommendation engines to integrate this functionality with your website.

8. Structured Data and AI-Friendly Markup

Your website is read by people, but it is also read by search engines and increasingly by AI systems. Structured data, often called schema markup, helps these systems understand the meaning behind your content.

Adding schema to pages like events, products, FAQs, or reviews improves your chances of appearing in rich results. It also strengthens how AI tools interpret your authority and topical relevance.

Structured data is now a foundation for AI-first search. If you want to be visible as AI summarises and recommends information, your content needs to be clear and machine-readable.

9. Analytics and Tracking

You cannot improve what you cannot see. Accurate tracking gives you the data you need to make confident decisions.

GA4 provides behavioural data, while tools like HotJar or Clarity reveal how users interact with your content. Bringing these insights together in dashboards, for example using Google Looker Studio, keeps your team aligned and removes the guesswork.

The focus should be on meaningful metrics that drive action. Where users drop off, which pages convert best, how mobile behaviour differs from desktop. When you understand the full picture, optimising your website becomes far easier and far more effective.Need a hand with GA4? Check out our guide on how to get the most out of Google Analytics.

Section 3 Generating Conversions

Getting people to your website is only half the job. The next challenge is turning that attention into action. These three essentials help you build trust, remove friction, and create conversion paths that work for users at different stages of their journey.

A person wearing a green shirt and earbuds sits at a desk with computer monitors, smiling and looking at another person standing close by.

10. Continuous CRO Mindset

Conversion Rate Optimisation should never be treated as a one off exercise. Websites evolve, audiences change, and your content grows, so your approach to optimisation needs to keep pace.

A continuous CRO mindset focuses on ongoing testing and refinement. This includes experimenting with page layouts, headlines, CTAs, and form designs, along with using heatmaps and session recordings to identify friction points.

Small improvements made consistently can deliver big results over time. Instead of waiting for a full redesign every few years, your website becomes a living system that adapts and performs better month after month.

As a HotJar Partner, we’d recommend installing HotJar (now part of Contentsquare) on your website to gather and analyse user behaviour data.

11. Primary and Secondary CTAs and Gated Content

Relying on a single call to action is one of the most common website mistakes. Not every visitor is ready to enquire, call, or buy. Secondary CTAs encourage earlier engagement, for example, document downloads, event sign-ups, or newsletter subscriptions.

Gated content still works, but users are more cautious about sharing personal data. Only about one in four B2B buyers is willing to complete a form to access content. This means your gated assets must offer clear value, and the form should be as light as possible.

Consider hybrid approaches, such as providing a preview before the form, or only gating your highest value resources. By offering a mix of CTAs across the funnel, you create more opportunities for users to engage when the time is right for them.

12. Trust and Social Proof

Trust has become a major factor in online decision-making. Users want reassurance that your organisation is credible, experienced, and capable of delivering what they need.

Go beyond basic testimonials. Share video testimonials, verified reviews, case studies with measurable outcomes, team profiles, and any accreditations or memberships that strengthen credibility. These elements help visitors feel confident about moving forward.

As AI-generated content becomes more common, authentic content is more important than ever. Highlighting real people, real results, and real stories makes your organisation stand out and builds genuine trust.

Section 4 Future Proofing

Websites need to be more than just effective today; they need to be ready for what comes next. From scalable technology to secure infrastructure and a connected digital ecosystem, these three essentials help ensure your website remains resilient and relevant in 2026 and beyond.

A man sitting at a desk is smiling while looking at a computer monitor in an office setting with a green wall and a plant in the background.

13. CMS Flexibility

Your Content Management System should support growth, not restrict it. A flexible CMS makes it easy for non-technical teams to update content, build new pages, and launch campaigns without relying heavily on developers.

Modular content blocks, intuitive editing tools, and clear workflows help teams move faster and maintain consistency across the site. For organisations managing multiple brands, regions, or languages, CMS flexibility becomes even more important.

If your CMS slows you down or makes simple changes feel difficult, it will become a bottleneck. Choosing the right system ensures your website can evolve as your organisation evolves.

Need a hand with choosing the right CMS? Check out our guide on how to choose the most appropriate CMS for your requirements.

14. Scalability and Secure Infrastructure

A modern website must be prepared for increased demand and rising security risks. Scalability ensures your site can handle traffic spikes, for example, during campaign launches or major announcements. Using CDNs, scalable hosting, and load balancing helps maintain fast performance even under pressure.

Security is equally important. Regular testing, timely patching, and ongoing monitoring reduce the risk of breaches. It is also essential to know where user data is stored and that your hosting environment meets regulatory requirements.

Finally, a robust backup and disaster recovery process protects you if something goes wrong. When your infrastructure is both scalable and secure, your website becomes a reliable asset that supports long-term growth.

15. Think Beyond Your Website

Your website should not operate in isolation. It needs to connect with the wider digital ecosystem, for example, CRM platforms, email marketing systems, and other MarTech tools. These integrations streamline workflows, improve lead management, and create smoother user journeys.

When someone downloads a resource or signs up for an event, their data should flow automatically into the right system and trigger the right follow up. This creates a seamless experience for users and reduces manual effort for your team.

Thinking beyond the website ensures your digital channels work together to support marketing, sales, and customer experience in a unified way.

Wrapping Up

Preparing your website for 2026 is not about following the latest trends, it is about building a fast, accessible, intelligent, and resilient digital presence that works for your users and your organisation. These 15 essentials form a practical checklist you can use to identify where your site is strong, where it needs attention, and where the biggest opportunities lie.

If you would like to explore these topics in more detail, you can watch the full webinar recording on our website. We walk through each essential with examples, practical recommendations, and additional tips to help you take action.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the organisations that invest in clarity, performance, personalisation, and future proofing will be the ones that stand out. Now is the perfect time to review your website, make informed improvements, and ensure you are ready for the year ahead.

FAQs

What are the top website trends for 2026?

The biggest trends include mobile-first experiences, AI-powered personalisation, smarter search, faster page speed, improved accessibility, and stronger integrations with CRM and MarTech platforms. Websites also need to be more secure, scalable, and ready for AI-driven search.

How do I know if my website is ready for 2026?

Review your site against the 15 essentials in this article. Focus on UX fundamentals, speed, accessibility, AI-enhanced experiences, conversion paths, and future-proofing your CMS and infrastructure. If you identify gaps, prioritise the changes that will have the most impact.

Why is mobile-first design still so important?

Most users now browse on mobile devices, and Google indexes content based on the mobile experience first. A poor mobile layout can hurt both user experience and SEO performance.

What is WCAG 3.0 and how will it affect my website?

WCAG 3.0 shifts from technical rules to outcome-based accessibility. It focuses on whether users can complete tasks successfully, not just whether a site meets minimum standards. Websites will need stronger readability, clearer navigation, and more inclusive design. Read more in our blog post on What marketers need to know about WCAG 3.0.