Website Design Process
Step 1
Information Gathering
The first step in designing a successful web site is to gather information. Many things need to be taken into consideration with the design, look and feel of your site. We need you to answer questions to help us understand your business and your needs in a web site so we have an online Questionnaire which we would ask a prospective client to fill in.
Certain things to consider are:
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Nature of your business
Basically what do you do. -
Purpose
What is the purpose of the site? Do you want to provide information, promote a service, sell a product…? -
Goals
What do you hope to accomplish by building this web site? Two of the more common goals are either to make money or share information. -
Taget Audience
Is there a specific group of people that will help you reach your goals? It is helpful to picture the “ideal” person you want to visit your web site. Consider their age, sex or interests – this will help us determine the best strategy and design style for your site. -
Content
What kind of information will the target audience be looking for on your site? Are they looking for specific information, a particular product or service…?
Step 2
Planning
Once you are ready for us to start work on your website we ask for a 50% deposit. Using the information gathered from Step 1 we put together a plan for your web site.
We develop a site map – a list of all the areas of content for your site. This will be our guide as to what content will be on the site, giving us the essential basis to develop a consistent, easy to understand system for users. In addition to the content planning this is also the point where we decide what technologies and features need to be implemented to achieve this, such as:
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CMS - Content Management System
Allows you, or someone you designate, to easily add or edit the content of your website. -
eCommerce – Online Shop
If you wish to sell products, via an online shop then this would be implemented. -
Image Galleries
If you have photos or images that you wish to share with visitors to your site then there are many choices. Together we will choose the gallery that complements your website perfectly. -
Online Forms
In addition to a ‘contact us’ form you may need additional forms, perhaps for quotations or additional information. We will implement the best form options for your needs.
Step 3
Design
Using the information gathered up to this point, we determine the look and feel of the site. Target audience is one of the key factors taken into consideration here. For example a site aimed at teenagers will look very different to one meant for a financial institution. To help strengthen your online identity we will integrate elements such as:
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Logos
Any corporate identity or specific images required. -
Colours
Corporate colours or perhaps just colours that you like or wish us to use on your website. -
Visuals
Product images, photos and visuals. -
Text Content
The actual copy text to be included in the website.
Once we’ve designed a prototype, you are given access to a secure area of our web site which allows you to view your project throughout the design and development stages. Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to express your likes and dislikes on the site design.
Communication is crucial with this step to ensure that the final web site will match your needs and taste. We work together in this way, exchanging ideas, until we arrive at the final design for the site. Then development can begin…
Step 4
Development
Once you are happy with the design we ask for a further 25% payment and then we set about creating the web site itself. We take all of the individual graphic elements from the prototype and use them to create the functional web site. We also take your content and distribute it throughout the site, in the appropriate areas.
This entire time, you will continue to be able to view your site in the secure are of our website and suggest any changes or corrections you would like to have done.
Step 5
Testing, Delivery & Launch
At this point, we check the final details and test your web site. We test things such as:
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Browser Compatibility
Users have many different ways of viewing websites so we check compatibility with the latest browser versions. -
Functionality
Any forms and scripts that have been implemented will be thoroughly checked to ensure there are no problems. -
Speed & Optimization
We check for any issue regarding speed or optimization to ensure your website can be viewed both easily and importantly quickly.
Once we receive your final approval (and dare we mention the final payment!), it is time to deliver the site. We upload the files to the server – in most cases, this also involves installing and configuring the content management system.
Again we will test thoroughly to make sure that all files have been uploaded correctly, and that the site continues to be fully functional. That's it, your website is launched and is fully viewable by the public.
Summary
We are often asked how long it takes to design and develop a web site. There is no exact answer to this as there are many variables to consider such as complexity, availability of content and communication.
As a guideline we do try and complete sites within 4 weeks. The timeframe obviously varies but can be summarized:
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Week 1
Information Gathering & Planning. Deposit Paid 50% -
Week 2
Design. -
Week 3
Development. Payment 25% -
Week 4
Testing, Delivery and Launch. Payment 25%
The development of your web site should be a dynamic and ongoing project. A website with regular updates attracts revisits and so we recommend that content should be managed on a regular basis.
If you are thinking that this may take up too much of your time do not worry, we will be more than happy to continue working together with you to update the information on your web site. We offer maintenance packages at reasonable rates, based on how often you anticipate making changes to your site. To discuss this with us please Contact Us.
