Step 1 - Planning
Planning your website structure, purpose, goals, and link navigation is the most important step in creating a successful online business. If done with vision and foresight, it will save you considerable time and money down the road. In the planning process, we'll work with you to answer such questions as:
What's the purpose and goal (or goals) of the website?
What's the scope of the project?
Who's your online target audience?
Who's your online competition?
How will the site be structured and how many pages do you anticipate?
Who will provide photos and copy-content and how will it be provided?
Will you need any special interactive features? (e-commerce, database, forms, etc.)
Will you need a corporate identity and logo designed?
What are your deadlines?
What are your maintenance needs (how often will you be updating the content)?
The answers to these questions will be our guide throughout the web design and construction process. After the scope of the project is determined, we will then be able to provide you with a more accurate quote for implementing your plan.
Once we have a sound marketing plan, the next step is the design of your website.
Step 2 - Design
In the web design stage, the goal is to visually represent -- through web graphics, colour, style, and web page layouts -- the ideas discussed during the planning stage. The questions below will help us understand your design preferences.
Do you already have a certain image in print that you want to maintain online to create consistency? If not, will you need a corporate identity and logo designed?
What type of first impression do you want to make on your visitors?
What "feel and style" best suits your business? Hard-edged? Retail? Open-warm? High-tech? Clean?
Do you have particular colour preference for the site?
A good way to convey the kind of style you want is to provide the web addresses, or URLs, of other sites you like. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Which websites do you find attractive? Are there any you would like to visually emulate? Of course these websites won't be copied, but they're a great way for us to get an idea of the kind of style that appeals to you.
Custom Design Template:
Once we understand your design parameters, we will then create a custom template or shell design of just the home page. It will be posted online for you to review. We'll discuss likes, dislikes, possible changes, additions and modifications to the initial design. It's important at this stage to get the design exactly as you want it because it will serve as the style template for the remainder of the site. Once the template design meets your approval, it's time to move on to the construction phase of the project.
Step 3 - Development
The development phase encompasses the merging of your copy and image content with the approved design template. During production of your site we will post it on our server with a private address -- unknown to the rest of the world -- so that you can view it online from your home or business. You can watch the development stages of your site as it progresses. Any changes can be done via telephone, E-mail, or you can come to our office and work with us as your web presence is developed. The final step in the development stage is a complete review of all elements of the site. You'll need to double-check the contents of the site. We'll fine tune the entire site, ensuring all graphics are optimized, inserting the meta tags, running a hyperlink check, testing all scripts/forms and checking the site in all browsers and resolutions. Every effort is made by our team to ensure that your website is
error-free.
We consider the site temporary until you have given your final stamp of approval. Once completed, we provide site updates within 24 hours for our clients.
The answers to these questions will be our guide throughout the web design and construction process. After the scope of the project is determined, we will then be able to provide you with a more accurate quote for implementing your plan. 