I'm going to say something that might sound arrogant. But it's true, and I think you deserve to know.
We've audited dozens of websites built by other agencies in Yamhill County and the Willamette Valley. Not a single one comes close to the performance metrics we achieve. Not one.
And now, heading into 2026, we're still seeing new websites launch from competitors that underperform and underdeliver. The same problems. The same shortcuts. The same excuses.
Let me explain what's actually going on.
The Numbers Don't Lie
When we build a website, we target specific performance benchmarks:
- Lighthouse Performance Score: 90+
- First Contentful Paint: Under 1.5 seconds
- Largest Contentful Paint: Under 2.5 seconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift: Near zero
- Time to Interactive: Under 3 seconds
These aren't arbitrary numbers. Google uses these metrics to rank your site. Slow sites rank lower. Period.
When we audit competitor-built sites? We typically see scores in the 40-60 range. Load times of 5-8 seconds. Layout shifts that make users seasick.
And these are sites businesses paid good money for.
Why Most Local Websites Are Slow
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most web agencies use WordPress with bloated themes and dozens of plugins. It's fast to build, easy to sell, and the client can update their own content.
But there's a cost.
Every plugin adds code. Every theme feature adds weight. That "beautiful" template they showed you in the sales meeting? It's loading 40 JavaScript files and 2MB of CSS you don't need.
The result is a website that looks fine but performs terribly. Google sees it. Your bounce rate shows it. Your rankings reflect it.
What We Do Differently
We build on modern frameworks—React, Next.js, TypeScript. These aren't buzzwords. They're the same technologies powering Netflix, Airbnb, and the fastest sites on the internet.
**The difference:**
- We only load what's needed for each page
- Images are automatically optimized and lazy-loaded
- Code is compiled and minified for maximum speed
- Static pages are pre-built for instant delivery
- Modern caching strategies at every level
The result? Websites that load in under 2 seconds, score 90+ on Lighthouse, and actually rank on Google.
The Trade-Off (Let's Be Honest)
WordPress has one genuine advantage: content editing is easy. Log in, click around, change text, hit publish. Anyone can do it.
Our custom-built sites? If you want that same drag-and-drop editing experience, we have to build it. Admin interfaces, content management systems, user-friendly dashboards—that's additional development work.
**What this means for pricing:**
- A WordPress site might be cheaper upfront
- But you pay for it in performance, rankings, and lost customers
- A custom site costs more initially
- But it performs better, ranks higher, and converts more visitors
We're transparent about this. If you just need a simple brochure site and don't care about performance, WordPress might be fine. But if you're serious about competing online? The investment in a properly built site pays for itself.
Your Code Belongs to You
One more thing that matters: when we build your site, you own the code. Completely.
No proprietary systems. No vendor lock-in. No "you can't leave because we built it on our custom platform."
If you ever want to take your site somewhere else or hire another developer, you can. The code is yours. We'll hand over everything.
We've seen too many businesses trapped by agencies who hold their website hostage. That's not how we operate.
The Performance Gap Is Getting Wider
Here's what concerns me: even in 2026, we're seeing "new" websites launch that use the same outdated approaches. Bloated WordPress themes. Page builders that generate garbage code. "Modern" templates that are anything but.
The agencies selling these sites either don't know better or don't care. Meanwhile, Google keeps raising the bar on performance requirements. The gap between well-built sites and poorly-built sites is getting wider, not smaller.
Businesses with slow websites are becoming increasingly invisible in search results. And most of them don't even know why.
How to Check Your Own Site
Want to see where your website stands? Here's a free test anyone can run:
- 1Go to **pagespeed.insights.google.com**
- 2Enter your website URL
- 3Look at the Performance score
If you're under 70, you have a problem. Under 50? A serious problem.
Then look at your competitors. See how you stack up. The results might surprise you.
For Yamhill County Business Owners
If you're running a business in McMinnville, Newberg, or anywhere in the Willamette Valley, your website is competing against everyone else in Google's search results.
A slow, poorly-built site isn't just an inconvenience—it's actively costing you customers. Every day.
We offer free performance audits. No pitch, no pressure. We'll show you exactly where your site stands, what's slowing it down, and what it would take to fix it.
Sometimes the answer is "your site is fine, don't change anything." We'll tell you that too.
That's how we do business around here.
