Web Design Process
Every website I design, however simple or complex, goes through the same process from start to finish. To help illustrate this process, throughout this page I will draw on the example of HollandContracting.co.uk, a website which I designed recently.
I have developed my web design process over several years, and I find it the most efficient way of understanding exactly what it is you want your website to achieve, and then turning that understanding into reality. Hopefully this page will explain how we take your website from the drawing board to the internet, but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Stage 1 - Planning: Requesting a Quote/Submitting a Specification
The Highlight Quote Request Form shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to complete, but should give me a very clear picture of what you want to achieve with your website. I find this to be a very effective way of getting all the information I need to cover the whole spectrum of planning your web presence; the speed and simplicity of the form mean that in most cases, the entire planning stage can be completed within 48 hours and a couple of emails/phone calls, often without having to take time out to conduct face to face meetings.
Stage 2 - Designing: Putting together an initial design
After the planning stage, I put together an outline of a website based on your specifications. This is the stage where I either create a brand for your business that twill translate to your other types of marketing, or incorporate any branding you already have. Often this stage only takes 48 hours; in most cases, my clients go from requesting a quote to having an initial design in under a week.
The image on the right shows the initial design created for Holland Contracting (click it to open the full size version in another window). If you have visited their website, you will see that it is very similar to the first design I showed them. In this case, the clients had a very clear idea of what they wanted their site to look like, and so it was fairly easy to realise what they had requested.
Stage 3 - Finalising: Refining the design
If the initial design isn't quite what you'd expected don't panic; I impose no limit on the number of changes made before we finalise a design; in most cases it only takes one or two sets of revisions, but on occasion I have produced a number of designs from scratch until we achieved what the client was looking for.
There is no extra cost for producing further revisions of the design, but a deposit of £50 is required to continue from stage 2 to stage 3 (or for stage 2 to stage 4 if you don't require further changes to the initial design). The deposit is included in the price of the packages however, and is not an additional charge.
Stage 4 - Construction: Building the website
Once the outline is complete, I get to work constructing the website, which typically takes around 5 days. This is normally the stage where my customers begin to get excited, as they get to see their website taking shape in a web browser for the first time!
Occasional minor tweaks are made to the design at this stage, when clients notice things in a web browser that they might not otherwise have spotted in a static image. Thoroughness during stages 2 and 3 makes sure that this is an infrequent occurrence however.
Stage 5 - Creation: Writing or adding the content
This stage is where I create the content for the website, or add any content that you have created yourself. The way your website is written can have a huge bearing on its future success, and so I endeavour to use my copy writing experience here to ensure that your message is properly communicated to your customers. This stage usually takes up to 5 working days.
Stage 6 - Bells & Whistles: Making it beautiful
Obviously the bulk of the work that goes into making the site look beautiful is done in stages 2 and 3, but stage 6 is where I add the finishing touches. Photo galleries are assembled, header images are completed, and any animation is finalised. This stage usually takes up to 5 business days, although on websites which are particularly image intensive it can take a little longer; with HollandContracting.co.uk for example, which includes a large number of photographs and seven image galleries, it took almost two weeks to complete this stage.
Stage 6 is also where I do all of the W3C compliance checks, to make sure that the website looks the same regardless of what web browser someone uses to visit it.
Stage 7 - Launch: Putting the website online
Once the finishing touches have been applied to the website's aesthetics in stage 6, it is ready for launch. Up to this point the website will have been hosted temporarily at HighlightWebDesign.co.uk, but at this stage, once the balance has been paid on the project (minus the deposit), the website goes live at its own domain name.
Stage 8 - Publication: Getting people to look at it
Once the site has gone live, the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) comes in to play. Site-maps are created, pages are indexed with search engines and directories, and any link building and PPC campaigns are initiated. This stage is usually completed the same day that the website is launched, although the time it takes for a website to appear in Google searches can vary from 2-8 weeks from date of launch.
Stage 9 - Completion: Finishing touches
Once the website is completed and uploaded, the finishing touches are applied. Naturally this varies widely from project to project, but usually is no more complicated than setting up email accounts on the client's computers.
Every website package includes 12 months of hosting and support, so you're not left high and dry after stage 9 is completed!
If there were any terms used on this page that you didn't understand, be sure to check the web design FAQ, which outlines the basics of web page construction. Alternatively, you can call me directly on 01562 546106, and I'll be happy to explain anything featured here.
