Foundation PLAN
Before growth, there's groundwork. A focused 60–90 day sprint that gets your WordPress or WooCommerce website properly built and performing — so that everything that follows is built on something solid.
Every client starts here. Not because it’s a formality, but because growth built on a poor technical foundation doesn’t hold.
Built for what's right, not what's easy to deliver
Most web projects are built around what's easy to deliver — templates, page builders, off-the-shelf fixes that look fine at launch. The Foundation Plan is built the opposite way: open-source development, no bloated plugins, and no shortcuts that resurface a year later — a website engineered to keep performing long after it goes live.
How does a Foundation Plan work?
The Foundation Plan is the groundwork. Before you spend a dollar on Google Ads or Meta campaigns, your website needs to be fit, fast and healthy — there's no sense sending traffic to a site that can't convert it. Here's how we get the fundamentals right, checked every step of the way in Cardo, and set you up to move into the Growth Plan.
Full technical audit & action plan
We start by understanding exactly what's happening under the hood — performance, structure, security, tracking. You get a clear picture of what needs fixing, and why, before any work begins.
Everything managed in Cardo
Every task is tracked and ticked off inside Cardo, your single source of truth. See the progress any time, month by month — no chasing, no wondering where things are at.
Built & tested in secure staging
Your site is built and tested in a private staging environment, never live until it's ready. We run it through our own Site Audit tool across six pillars, so nothing ships until it passes.
Launch, then handover to Growth
Once your website is proven and live, you move to the Growth Plan — baseline set, plan in place. The only handover is a deliberate one.
Nothing ships until it passes
All the way through your build we run your site through Cardo's Site Audit — checking your site across six pillars and catching problems long before they ever reach your visitors. Every one has to pass before we go live.
Performance
Page speed and Core Web Vitals measured and tuned to hit a 90+ score before you ever go live.
Responsive & CSS
Layout and styling checked across every screen size, so your site looks right on mobile, tablet and desktop alike.
Accessibility
Checked against WCAG 2.1 AA, so your site is usable for every visitor — and compliant from day one.
SEO & AI readiness
Structure, metadata and schema checked, so you’re found on Google and surfaced in AI search from launch.
Security
Headers, configuration and vulnerabilities checked and hardened as a core part of the build.
Errors & broken elements
Broken links, console errors and missing assets — surfaced and fixed before launch, not discovered by your customers afterwards.
The right approach depends on your site
After your Website Performance Report and a full audit, we recommend the right approach — a technical overhaul where your design still works, or a data-led redesign and rebuild where it doesn't. Either way, the outcome is the same: a website that performs the way your business deserves.
For a site that needs more than a tune-up. We take 12 months of your GA4 and Search Console data, map a new sitemap, and design a fresh, conversion-focused wireframe and UI — then build it clean, fast, and ready to scale.
- Sitemap & structure — shaped by 12 months of GA4 + Search Console data
- New wireframes & UI design — built around how your visitors actually behave
- Performance-first architecture, fast and efficient from day one
- Clean, lightweight build on open-source tech — no page builders
- Conversion-focused page structure and design
- Integration with CRM, tracking, and third-party tools
- Accurate tracking and analytics from launch
A fast, stable, freshly designed website built on real data — one that looks the part, scales with traffic, and lifts conversion over time, ready to move into the Growth Plan.
For a site that looks right but underperforms. We keep your existing design and rebuild the engine underneath — resolving the speed, stability, and structural issues holding it back, with no unnecessary redesign.
- Website speed and load time improvements
- Resolving technical issues, conflicts, and inconsistencies
- Plugin and code clean-up to reduce inefficiencies and system strain
- Performance tuning including caching and server-level optimisation
- Stability improvements for real-world traffic
- SEO structure alignment — page hierarchy, internal linking, crawlability
- Tracking and analytics validation to ensure data accuracy
A faster, more stable website that performs consistently, is easier to use, and is properly structured to support SEO and ongoing growth — ready to move into the Growth Plan.
Not sure which path you need? Start with a free Website Performance Report — and we'll work with you to find the right fit.
Get started* Prices exclude GST. Foundation is a one-off project fee; Growth is billed monthly.
What comes next
Growth PLAN
Once the Foundations Plan is complete, most clients move into the Growth Plan — for on ongoing content, SEO, AI search visibility, and Google Ads, managed month by month.
We act as an extension of your business, providing the technical, content, and performance expertise you need to grow — without the cost or complexity of hiring in-house.
* Prices exclude GST. Foundation is a one-off project fee; Growth is billed monthly.
Your Digital Growth Partner
Start with a free website health check — see where you're fast, where you're not, and how to grow.