The technology that makes SEO and AI possible.

Web development at 404MEDIA

404MEDIA has built websites for companies in Berlin, Brandenburg and across Germany for many years. Today we no longer sell web development as a stand-alone service. It is the technical basis for everything else we do: a website has to be fast and clean so that search engines and AI systems can read it, it has to offer interfaces so that AI and software can connect to it, and it has to be secure and maintainable so that it does not become a risk after two years.

This website is an example of our approach. It is fully static, has no CMS, no plugins, no external scripts and no cookies. Fonts and scripts are self-hosted. All old blog URLs were preserved during the relaunch.

What we build

• Static company websites. No CMS that can be hacked, no plugins that need updates. Load times under one second. Content as files, versioned and traceable. Multilingual with correct hreflang. Forms via a small script on your own server.
• WordPress websites and WordPress replacement. We maintain existing WordPress installations, keep them secure and fast, or migrate them to static websites when the risk and cost of the CMS are no longer proportionate. With a complete redirect map so that rankings and backlinks are preserved.
• Integrations (APIs). Connecting shop, ERP, CRM, newsletter, marketplaces and AI services. With logging, error handling and retries.
• Web applications. Custom tools for internal processes, customer portals, configurators, dashboards. More under SaaS and software development.
• Landing pages and microsites. For campaigns, products or regions, built for speed and conversion and measured.

Our standards

• Performance. Lighthouse scores above 90 in all categories as the target, Core Web Vitals in the green, HTML under 50 KB per page, images in modern formats.
• Security. Security headers (CSP, HSTS), no unnecessary dependencies, regular updates where needed, backups with tested restore.
• Privacy. Fonts and scripts self-hosted, no third-party services embedded without consent, analytics without cookies where possible. Prepared for the GDPR and German law.
• Accessibility. Semantic HTML, keyboard operation, sufficient contrast, reduced motion respected.
• Maintainability. Documented code, Git versioning, handover to your team possible at any time.
• SEO built in. Clean URLs, structured data, sitemaps, meta data, fast rendering. Every website we build is ready to rank from day one.

Static or CMS?

A static website is generated once and delivered as finished HTML files. There is no database, no server-side code and therefore almost no attack surface. It is extremely fast and cheap to host. Content is edited in files or through a simple editor and then re-generated. This suits most company websites.

A CMS such as WordPress makes sense when many people edit content daily, when the website needs user accounts or when functions change frequently. It requires updates, security monitoring and more hosting resources. We run both and advise you honestly which option fits your situation and budget.

Technology

Fast load times are the result of the technology, not an accident.

Static websites with Astro, HTML, CSS and as little JavaScript as necessary. WordPress where a CMS is needed. PHP and Node.js with TypeScript for scripts, APIs and applications. MySQL and MariaDB as databases. Hosting in Germany or the EU. We choose technology by task and running costs, not by fashion.

When to talk to us

• Your website is slow, insecure or expensive to maintain.
• You plan a relaunch and do not want to lose rankings and backlinks.
• Your WordPress installation causes more work than it is worth.
• You need an interface between your website, your shop and your systems.
• You want a website that is prepared for SEO and AI search from the start.

Why 404MEDIA

We are developers and SEOs at the same time. Every website we build is fast, secure and ready for search engines and AI systems. We know WordPress, static generators, PHP and Node.js from the inside and have migrated many websites without losing a single ranking. And we combine web development with AI, SEO and e-commerce so that your website does not only look good but works.

Frequently asked questions

Does 404MEDIA still do web design, logos or print?

No. Design, logos, flyers and print are no longer part of our offer. We focus on AI, software, SEO and e-commerce. Design is implemented when it is part of one of these projects, or we work with design partners.

Static website or CMS: what do you recommend?

For company websites whose content changes a few times a month, a static website is usually the better choice: faster, more secure, cheaper to run. A CMS makes sense when several people edit content daily or when the website has dynamic functions. We advise based on your requirements.

Can you take over our existing WordPress website?

Yes. We maintain, update and secure existing WordPress installations. If the effort and risk of the CMS are no longer proportionate, we migrate the website to a static version while keeping all URLs and rankings.

How fast will the website be?

Our target is a Lighthouse score above 90 in all four categories and Core Web Vitals in the green. For static websites that is the rule. We measure before and after and show you the numbers.