Research
Technical brief
Creative brief
Site structure
Asset gathering
Starting a project off on the right foot cannot be underestimated as it creates the groundwork for success.
The planning and discovery process will also determine the project timeline and resolve any unclear project scope, so everyone is on the same page.
Planning &
Discovery
Content
Arguably the most significant part of a website is its content, meaning the content requires a lot of time and attention. The content must appeal to the sought-after audience and convince them of the desired outcome, in addition to allowing the site to do well with search engines.
Design
Moving along in conjunction with the content stage, next up is the design stage. The goal of this stage is to create the website’s look and feel that both the client is happy with and achieves the goals uncovered during discovery.
The design and content stages are to be completed before starting the next phase. Any changes to content or design after this point will be considered alterations outside the original project scope, so it’s important to take the time to thoroughly evaluate all mockups and content one last time.
Development &
Populating
Once the design and content are both approved, actually building the website can begin. This is a big stage in the process that will offer the client touch points to provide feedback on the site’s functionality and performance.
Quality Check
Now that the site is fully designed, coded and populated,
the last step before launch is to do a thorough and final quality check of the site. The site will be cross-referenced against the original objectives determined during the planning and discovery phase.
Launch
After passing the quality check stage, the website is ready for launch. The launch process is not something to be rushed but to be walked through carefully and meticulously to help prevent any downtime or errors. The size and complexity of the site and its hosting situation determines how long the process takes.
Ongoing Improvements
Launching a website should not be seen as the end of the story but the beginning of a new and exciting stage called ongoing improvements. In order to stay relevant and competitive, the site’s performance can be maintained and enhanced in numerous ways.
1. Planning and Discovery
Starting a project off on the right foot cannot be underestimated as it creates the groundwork for success. Some of this stage’s steps are done pre-estimate and some post-estimate, which are the following:
- Research
- Creative brief
- Technical brief
- Site structure
- Asset gathering and review
The planning and discovery process will also determine the project timeline and resolve any unclear project scope, so everyone is on the same page.
2. Content
Arguably the most significant part of a website is its content, meaning the content requires a lot of time and attention. The content must appeal to the sought-after audience and convince them of the desired outcome, in addition to allowing the site to do well with search engines. This stage will regularly overlap with other stages but must be completed before site population is started during the development stage. The content stage consists of the following:
- Key messages and calls to action
- Effective page titles and headings
- Review existing content (if available)
- Create new content (if necessary)
- Stock and non-stock photos<br>
3. Design
Moving along in conjunction with the content stage, next up is the design stage. The goal of this stage is to create the website’s look and feel that both the client is happy with and achieves the goals uncovered during discovery. To do so, visual mockups will be created and presented to the client for feedback and approval, which include the following:
- Theme and homepage design
- Homepage content
- Internal page designs (1-3 total pages, depending on site size)
The design and content stages are to be completed before starting the next phase. Any changes to content or design after this point will be considered alterations outside the original project scope, so it’s important to take the time to thoroughly evaluate all mockups and content one last time.
4. Development and Populating
Once the design and content are both approved, actually building the website can begin. This is a big stage in the process that will offer the client touchpoints to provide feedback on the site’s functionality and performance, which are as follows:
- Theme and homepage development
- Internal page development preview (1-3 total pages, depending on site size)
- Populate entire site
- Specialty features coding
5. Quality Check
Now that the site is fully designed, coded and populated, the last step before launch is to do a thorough and final quality check of the site. The site will be cross-referenced against the original objectives determined during the planning and discovery phase, as well as testing the following:
- Ensure proper responsive functionality and browser compatibility
- Disability compliance testing
- Final feedback from client
- Confirm launch date and wrap up any loose ends
- Pre-launch checklist, including backing up previous site if one exists
6. Launch
After passing the quality check stage, the website is ready for launch. The launch process is not something to be rushed but to be walked through carefully and meticulously to help prevent any downtime or errors. The size and complexity of the site and its hosting situation determines how long the process takes. Once the site is live, the following tasks are done:
- Post-launch checklist
- WordPress training (if desired)
7. Ongoing Improvements
Launching a website should not be seen as the end of the story but the beginning of a new and exciting stage called ongoing improvements. In order to stay relevant and competitive, the site’s performance can be maintained and enhanced in numerous ways. These improvements can consist of the following:
- Additional search engine optimization, both on- and off-site
- Protection plans (highly recommend for e-commerce sites)
- Ongoing WordPress maintenance
- New and updated content (blog posts, pages, etc.)
- Design tweaks to stay on-trend
