Microbiology Laboratory

The Challenge

The lab needed a site that reads as credible on first scroll. Referrers and patients should see what they offer, skim a few articles, and find contact details without hunting. Their old presence wasn't doing that.

We weren't aiming for a full CMS. They publish short pieces now and then, not a daily newsroom. WordPress felt like overkill. Speed and local search mattered too, so the stack had to stay light.

The Solution

I built a multi-section landing page plus a small articles area the lab can update themselves.

Most pages ship as static HTML from Astro. That keeps mobile loads snappy and avoids shipping JavaScript just to show copy. Service blocks sit high in the hierarchy so tests and workflows are obvious. PagesCMS handles news, methodology notes, and seasonal guidance. Editors work in Git-backed Markdown instead of logging into a heavy admin panel. Certifications and methodology get room without turning the page into a brochure wall. Contact and location stay visible. No carousel, no chat widget.

Technical Architecture

Astro drives the build. Tailwind handles layout and type. TypeScript catches dumb mistakes early. Articles live in PagesCMS, compile at deploy, and land as plain routes.

I picked Astro because the default is almost no client JS, and meta tags are easy to control at build time. PagesCMS was the compromise for "sometimes we post": enough structure for a collection, no PHP runtime to babysit. On SEO we wired semantic headings, per-route meta and Open Graph, canonicals, article index routes, and hooks for structured data. Sitemap and robots behavior were tuned with local discovery in mind, not generic defaults.

My Role & Contributions

I owned the front end end to end. That meant mapping which sections referrers hit first, then building responsive layouts in Astro and Tailwind. I set up the PagesCMS schema and build wiring so publishing doesn't need a developer in the loop. I also ran through contrast, landmarks, focus states, and the usual on-page SEO checklist before handoff.

Challenges & Learnings

There's no public URL yet while the client reviews. Preview builds and a short SEO/performance checklist had to carry the sign-off conversation. It seems Astro is still my go-to when trust and speed beat app-like UI. We'll see after launch whether the articles workflow actually gets used.

Impact & Results

The site is launch-ready pending final approval. Static delivery should help Lighthouse and crawlers alike. Stakeholders cared most about clinical clarity and sane SEO hygiene. I think we're in good shape on both once it goes live.