The Web Design Process
If you need a website and don't know where to start, this is the place.
We start with a consultation to find out about your business, it's needs, your expectations and budget. These can be done face to face, by phone, or email. The key is to give us as much relevant information as you can so we can determine the best course of action. Usually we will be able to offer suggestions for aspects or functions of the website that you haven't considered that may be beneficial. Based on the information we gather from the consultation we will put together a quote for your project that takes into account your goals, preferences, site functionality, and your budget.
Phase 1
Once the quote has been accepted a 50% deposit is required for work to begin. Your domain name will be registered immediately and email set up. A "coming soon" page with specific Search Engine Friendly key words will be viewable at the official domain name. You will receive a link to the temporary location of your website on our development server so you can see it as it evolves and provide real-time feedback. One of our experienced designers will be assigned to your project and will develop a draft with a few options for you to review. After the revision the designer will combine the elements you liked and take into account your comments/suggestions to create a working copy. The process is repeated until you are happy with the design and coding can commence.
Phase 2
As the design of the site nears completion the final copy of your content is due. We will already have an idea of the type/amount of content is going on the website from the consultation. The content should be descriptive, relevant, and be sure to contain the keywords you want to be listed for in search engines. Should you need assistance writing/editing or proofreading your content that is a service we can provide.
Phase 3
Your website design is now complete, with all of the content and functionality as agreed upon in the quote. The remainder of the design fees are due, and on receipt your website is published to the official domain name. We guarantee our sites for 3 months post-publication against bugs in all standards compliant browsers, and Internet Explorer 7/8. It is also guaranteed to render properly in all current browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Navigation
Navigation is of utmost importance for the user experience. A visitor to your site is much more likely to stick around if they can find what they're looking for. Novelty navigation systems that include mouse-over effects or clever animation must be done with care to ensure that they are intuitive to a new user.
Organized Layout
The different elements of a website must be placed in a way that makes sense to someone who hasn't seen it before. If a visitor can't find what they're looking for in a reasonably short time, they will usually go somewhere else.
Overall Usability
Whether its simply to get information, download a file, or purchase a product online, the easier it is for the user the more successful the website. Keeping it simple is key. Having the user experience in mind at all stages of development is what we do best.