1 We'll Talk
We'll have a conversation with you about your project. We will ask questions to try to figure out what's working or not working currently, and think of some possible solutions to help you reach your goals. Maybe you need a redesign of an existing website. Maybe you're starting a brand new business. Whatever the project is, we will talk through it with you to determine your needs, your goals, and come up with a solution. We'll learn a bit more about your business and what you need from your new website. During our initial talk, we can usually provide a ballpark estimate for what it will take to bring your vision to life.
2 Proposal
Once we've determined if we can accomplish your project within your budget, we will then write up a proposal for the project which includes the scope of work to be completed, the timeline for the work, and a more accurate estimate. Once you have reviewed the proposal and are ready to move forward with your website project, we'll collect the signed agreement and a retainer of 1/3 of the project estimate to get your project into our schedule.
3 Design
Now for the fun part. We will carefully consider your needs, your content, the calls to action you want to present to your users and craft a solution that takes those items into account. We will think through how your website design will work on a range of device and screen sizes, ensuring that your new site will be as useful to mobile users as it is to desktop users.
We will generally present you with a home page mockup and at least one secondary page mockup, and show you what that design will look like on a mobile phone, a tablet or small laptop screen, and a larger desktop screen so you can get a sense for how your site scales for a variety of users. These mockups are image representations of what the site will look like. If there are complex user interactions involved, we will generally also mockup wireframes which can simulate interactivity, but aren't pretty, in addition to the image based design mockups.
We will take feedback and make adjustments to your site design. This phase generally takes 2-3 rounds of feedback from our clients.
Once you're happy with the design, you will you sign-off on the design and send a second 1/3 of the estimated project cost as a retainer to move to the next stage of the project.
4 Development
Your design, which at this point is just an image, is ready for coding. We code the elements of your design into a working website. If your new site is based on a Content Management System like Wordpress, we'll also begin developing the tools necessary to manage your content.
We also test your new site in a variety of browsers and at a variety of screen widths. We will perform optimizations to ensure fast load times as we develop.
This is by far the longest part of the project, but it is where all the magic happens and your new site goes from being a concept to a reality.
5 Content Entry
Now that the basics of your site have been built, it's time to fill it with content. If training is necessary because your site includes a Content Management System, we'll provide that training at this stage. Generally an hour of training is included with any Wordpress site we build.
Sometimes this is something our clients do, sometimes it's something we do. It all depends on the project, the budget, and whether or not the content is all ready at this stage. If the site is based on a Content Management System, this is when you'll receive your final invoice for the actual project cost minus the two previous retainers. Final payment on web design projects is due within 14 days.
6 Launch
When you give us the green light, we will launch your site. If your site is not based on a Content Management System, this is when you'll receive your final invoice for the actual project cost minus the two previous retainers. Final payment on web design projects is due within 14 days.
7 Ongoing Maintenance and Updates
Necessary maintenance and updates for your site are handled on an hourly basis in 15 minute increments with only a 15 minute minimum at our current hourly rate. There are no expensive maintenance agreements that charge you for a set number of hours whether you use them or not. We like to keep things simple and affordable. Most simple updates are handled within 48 hours of receiving an email from you with instructions. More complex or time consuming updates can be estimated for you ahead of time if requested, and will be completed as scheduling allows.