The 7 Web Design Phases (Video)

Learn the Step-by-Step process of designing a Results-Oriented Custom Website by watching this 3 minute video!

Our Process: The 7 Web Design Phases on a Custom Site.

Web Design Phases #1: Analysis

Every project needs a goal. Each client has different objectives in mind, whether it be increasing calls, boosting traffic or creating leads. Understanding the needs of your web design is always our first task.

Once goals have been established, we dig deeper into your business. Our focus is to learn new things about your company, some of which you may not even be aware!

We develop a complete understanding of:

• Your Business
• Project Needs
• Your Customers
• Competitors
• Past Experiences

Why is all of this important?

Imagine hiring a lawyer. What if he/she filed a lawsuit without doing any research on the other party! Don’t expect to win the case. The same goes for web design phases. A “winning” website requires proper planning and thorough research. If the process is followed fully, by it’s completion you’ll have a successful product that exceeds your goals.

Web Design Phases #2: Planning

After we have a solid understanding of your business, we will begin work on a detailed proposal which will provide solutions to current problems and outline a custom strategy we will follow to achieve your targeted goals. This is is extremely important piece of the puzzle as it is the equivalent of an exact blueprint needed to build a house.

The proposal will include:

• Current Problems
• Proposed Solutions
• Website Build Time-frame
• Technologies to be Used
• Total Investment

Web Design Phases #3: Design

Drawing from the information gathered up to this point, it’s time to determine the look and feel of your site.

Target audience is one of the key factors taken into consideration. A site aimed at adventure seekers, for example, will look much different than one meant for a financial institution. As part of the design phase, we make sure the website colors and elements match your logo and help strengthen the identity of your company online.

Often times you will be provided with the mock-ups for your website which are professional sketches or previews of the final design. These previews will help ensure that the final website will match your needs, goals and taste.

Web Design Phases #4: Content

Most of our clients have a strong eye for design and a concern for the aesthetics, but what we’ve found that many are not not putting nearly as much dedication into their content as they are with the design.

Having a content rich website and updating this content on a regular basis is essential to to keep your visitors engaged and allow search engines to find and show your content to visitors who are looking for what you have to offer.

Pre-Writing Questions you can use:

• What is the goal of this page?
• Which audience/persona is this page targeting?
• Which phase of their buying cycle is this page addressing?
• Based on the topic you’re covering, what are the 3 primary benefits you want to communicate?
• What keywords and phrases do you need to include for SEO?

You may prefer to write the content yourself as you know your business better than anyone, in this case we will provide with the tools & resources you need to develop great content. In case you prefer to let professional content writers take care of this for you, we can add this service as needed.

Web Design Phases #5: Development

The developmental stage is where the magic happens! This is the point where the website itself is created. At this time, we take all of the individual graphic elements from the prototype and use them to create the actual, functional site.

Having the content ready before the web design phases start is crucial, as we meticulously design each layout, element and graphics depending on:

• The amount and context of content provided
• The specific purpose of that page (informational, lead generation, etc.)

We start by arranging the website's page structure and building the layout for each additional page. We like to leave the home page details for the end as the Home Page is the most important page of your site, therefore it should summarize what you do in a concise and creative manner;

If done right, the home page should entice the visitor to learn more and check out the rest of the site. If done wrong, most people will simply leave if they haven't been WOWED at the entrance.

On the technical aspect, elements such as the CMS (content management system) like WordPress, interactive contact forms, or E-commerce shopping carts are implemented and made functional during this phase, as well.

Throughout this entire phase, client communication is key; we accomplish this by allowing our clients to see and participate via our Online Project Management System. Here clients are able to:

• Check out specific tasks and overall phase progress
• See screenshots and/or live previous of the site
• Communicate directly with project manager, developer and designer.

Web Design Phases #6: Testing

There is nothing more frustrating than website bugs , or links that lead nowhere , this is why a thorough inspection of the site is so important. Unlike popular belief easy errors are easy to miss, since developers are so involved in the code, spotting larger more technical errors are easier to tackle, leaving the small errors unfiltered.

In order to avoid this, we have a separate team who is in charge of this phase, by having a separate set of eyes focusing solely on this process, we are able to spot and correct:

• Major and minor bugs
• Element incompatibilities on mobile
• Browser Incompatibilities  (although IE is pretty much obsolete)
• Forms Functionality
• Broken Links/Images
• Mispeled words (or is it misspelled)

By no means we are perfect, and you may find 1 or 2 things we missed, this is where communication via the Online Project Manager is helpful.

Whether is a small or large project, following this process allows us cut the development time in half, while making sure your web design is a success.

Web Design Phases #7: Deployment

CONGRATULATIONS, WE ARE READY TO LAUNCH! 

This is step without a doubt is the most exciting as it feels like you are giving birth to a new baby (well at least that's how we feel :). Once you give the final green light we can proceed with making the site live. Here are the exact steps:

• Perform Final Quality Control Review (yes another one)
• Make sure that the site is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) optimized
• Make sure the site is as Light as possible so its Faster (major file & database cleanup here)
• Apply Web Firewall to prevent heck attacks and spammers
• And finally give the new baby a home… (your domain)

If feasible, we can add a custom “Coming Soon” page so you can build expectation before the launch.

We like to top things off with (our cherry on the top):

• Provide Website & Email Access
• Managed Hosting
• Website Analytics
• Video Tutorials
• In person admin/staff training
• Actionable Follow-up Steps

Based on your needs, we can and will provide additional maintenance, marketing or consulting services to ensure you get the best out of your new baby.

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A METHODOLOGY THAT SUITS YOUR BUSINESS

We stick to this process because it works. With this process, we’re able to provide results, solutions, and a solid plan to help your business soar. Focus on your core business needs and leave the rest up to us! – Schedule Free Consultation >