How to Evaluate the Quality and Performance of a Website in 2026: The 7 Essential Criteria

You can judge the quality of a website without technical expertise, using seven criteria that are verifiable in public or in the project specification: performance (testable with Google PageSpeed Insights), accessibility (keyboard navigation and contrast), source code ownership, real editorial autonomy, form and GDPR compliance, readability by AI engines, and real cost over five years. These criteria make three seemingly incomparable quotes suddenly readable and help you avoid the "we take care of everything, it's transparent" trap.