The Web Design Process
Designing and developing a web site is a process. It takes planning, information and collaboration. Learning how the process works is the first step in making it work for you to ensure you obtain the web site you desire. Your review and approval will be required at each phase of design and development.
Discovery | Planning | Design | Production | Testing | Launch | Maintenance
Discovery
The discovery phase is a vital first step that allows us to develop an understanding of the purpose and goals of the site. Particular attention is paid to the technical and functional requirements for the site, the intended audience or market, your business goals and overall vision for the site. This will typically involve a meeting or series of meetings and/or phone conferences with your team or representative to ensure a proper understanding of the project objectives. The priorities determined here will drive the development of customized solutions which are most appropriate for your site.
Basic preliminary information is typically gathered with our website questionnaire. Download it from the resources page here.
Planning
The planning phase is critical to successful design, production and launch. For your site to accomplish the goals you have set forth, careful planning must be in place. The features and technical requirements must be planned out and an organizational outline must be created for site content and navigation structure. While this phase is somewhat "behind the scenes," it is absolutely essential to the project. Our team will work to ensure that the proper foundation is laid for your project. Your input and review at this stage will be critical to the project moving forward into design and development.
Design
The Design phase is where the fun begins... at least for our creative teams! This part of development is centered on user experience... what your site will "look and feel" like to you, your visitors and returning clients. Design concepts and visual page layouts are created by our teams then reviewed and revised as needed.* Corporate identity, brand consistency and the integration of existing marketing materials are coordinated at this time. Proof sheets are digitally supplied for your review and feedback. *Standard Contract Terms apply.
Production
Once final design concepts are in place, production begins. Web pages are developed and organically optimized for the web. This includes building the pages, coding, style sheets, optimizing graphics for faster download, adding content (ie: text and images), adding handicap accessibility tags and other metatags used for SEO purposes.
Testing
Prior to the launch of your new web site, you will have the opportunity to review it privately. This will allow you to preview site pages, proof content and test links and features prior to the site being open to the public. Once we have tested and reviewed the site and you have reviewed and approved it, it will be ready for launch.
Launch
Once approved, your new site is uploaded to your hosting account on server and made available to the public. When your domain name is entered, it will now display your site! It will be submitted to major search engines for indexing. It may be a few days to a few weeks before you see search engine results. Some engines index sites quickly, others can take up to 6 weeks to process submission requests. As an added bonus, we also provide our clients with a list of key online directories and assist them in creating listings for their companies and web sites.
Maintenance
We offer a 30 Day Grace Period for free corrections and minor adjustments to content* from the date your site is launched. Following the 30 Day Grace Period, any changes you request will fall under the provisions of Site Maintenance. Depending on the format and construction of your site and your preferences, you can maintain the content of your site, or we can maintain it for you. In many cases, our clients find that it is more cost effective for them to have us maintain their site's content than for them to have in-house staff manage their site. For more detailed information on maintenance options, see our maintenance page.
*30 Day Grace Period includes minor text changes, text edits, and replacement
of up to 5 images. Design changes and significant modifications are not included.