Web Development Process

Download the Consultation Questionnaire and find
out what we'll talk about during our initial
conversation regarding your project.

Step 1: Consultation

The starting point for a web design project is the consultation. During this phase we'll establish what the main objectives are for your site and the overall size of the project.

consultation questionnaire

The consultation questionnaire is designed to help figure out the best strategy for your website. It will produce answers to questions that will help me to understand your needs and help us both better understand your customers needs.

partnership

Building the website requires a partnership between my design firm and your company. Your knowledge of your customers and products are what the site will be about. As the designer I'll be responsible for gathering this information from your employees, customers and your web project manager.

web project manager

There will need to be at least one person from your company that is responsible for signing off on all steps of the process. If the web project manager does not have the final word on content and design then the individual who does will also need to be a vital part of this process.

Step 2: Content

Developing content for your website needs to take place before the design process. If your site is being re-designed much of the content may simply need to be moved to its' new home. If your site is new, content will need to be developed.

moving content from current website

When moving content from your current website we'll go through it together and see if improvements can be made. Does it provide your visitors with the contact information they need? Does it answer as many questions as it should? Are each of your products and services covered in detail?

developing new content

When deciding what content to add to your website you'll need to determine who your online visitors are most likely to be. You'll also need to determine which visitors will be your primary focus and which will be your secondary focus.

The next step is to gather content you may have on hand and determine what parts may work for your website. For instance, you may have plenty of information and graphics explaining your products and services that can be repurposed for your website.

your visitors perspective

Your website visitors expect your website to improve the service they receive from your business. They want detailed information about all of your products and services. While developing content you should consider what you look for when you're seeking information about another companies products and services. Take notice of what helps your decision making process and make sure to include similiar content on your website.

Step 3: Design

During the design phase your site will begin to take shape onscreen. All or most of the written content will be finished and the visual elements will be agreed upon.

the project site

The project site is an important communications tool that you'll use to keep track of the web project. You'll use it to view and approve the web pages as they're in the design phase. There's also schedule which we'll use to post meeting times and meeting overviews. Once the material is posted it's left in place. So you can always check back and see what things looked like last week.

designing the navigation system

In order to know what needs to be navigated there has to be content. A navigation system for five web pages will be very different than one for one hundred pages. There are many menu system possibilities but some are heavily dependant on technology or plug-ins that may be undesirable for your audience.

designing the grid

Your site will be created on a grid. This grid structure will keep elements on each page consistent with elements on another page. A grid helps maintain a consistent look and feel throughout your site.

creating the written content

Your written content should conform to users online reading habits. Technical documents and troubleshooting guides may need to be reorganized for better online reading.

designing the graphics and layout

Consistency is important for all your graphics. They may all be unique but they should share visual design consistency that reflects the type of site you want. Take a look at different magazines and you'll see how the photography, graphics and text layouts are all consistent with the magazines' identity. The same principle applies to websites.

the final design

The end of the design phase happens when you approve the final layout and content. Once again this isn't a complete working model it's a graphical view of what the working site will look like. The actual working model is created during production. Once you approve of the design and production begins it can be time consuming and costly to make changes.

Step 4: Production

During the production phase your site will begin to be functional. You'll use the Project Site to test and approve the pages before they are publicly available. You'll also begin to get a real understanding of how your site will work when it's posted at your web address.

usability testing

During production it may be useful to test your site with customers or employees in order to get feedback. A usability test can let your customers provide feedback during the process.

graphic production

All of the graphical elements on your site will be optimized to download as fast as possible. The difference between proper and improper optimization can be the difference between a happy or a frustrated visitor. Some of the text on your site may also be in the form of a graphic due to the inability of most web browsers to display a wide range of fonts.

providing your written content

The written content on your site will also be formatted for easy reading. You may notice how text on some sites is difficult to read because it breaks all of the time-honored rules of good typography. One reason is the nature of HTML the language that web pages are created with. There are work-arounds for this and I'll present you with some options for your approval.

working with other contractors

If your site requires a database, shopping system or extensive written content all of these elements must come together at the proper time. Again the Project Site will facilitate this process allowing everyone involved, including you, to view the progress.

Step 5: Maintenance

Before your website is posted to its new address it will be thoroughly tested. Every link and graphic will be checked. All of the written content will be checked for grammatical errors.

user feedback

Getting user feedback should be part of your ongoing site maintenance. It may come in the form of emails or through an online form like the one this site uses. If you're getting lots of e-mail concerning a particular site feature that users want you'll know what to add next.

site updates

If your site requires daily or monthly updates of course you'll need to budget time and money for this. If you want to handle this in house training is available for showing your employees how to update content. Monthly maintenance contracts are also available.

maintaining your site

Your website should evolve with your business. It's my goal to provide you with a design that is flexible, up to date and expandable so you can make changes without starting the whole process over.