Once a client has made the decision to move forward with their web site project, they usually want it done yesterday and are surprised when I tell them that the web design process takes 2-3 months on average.
I understand the desire to have a beautiful, professionally designed web site up and running as soon as possible, but you want it done right – don’t you?
Prior to even beginning the web design process, you should:
- Identify your Brand – What is your brand identity? What makes you different from and better than the competition? Why should people choose you? You need to know what your unique message is before you can communicate it to others on your web site.
- Design your logo – Your logo sets the tone for all of your marketing materials, including your web site. It is important that you design your logo before you design your website. Don’t do it the other way around or you may end up paying your web design firm double to retrofit your new web design to match your logo!
I typically break down the web design process into the following 5 phases:
- Design Phase – Based upon information provided by the client, an image is created to show what the home page will look like. The client’s feedback is incorporated into the design and several rounds of changes may be required until the client is completely satisfied with the look & feel.
- Copywriting Phase – The copywriting should be done simultaneously with the design so that the copy is complete prior to the development phase. I highly recommend that a professional copywriter be used to keep the project on schedule.
- Development Phase – After the client has approved the design, the actual web site is built. If your web site is being built on a content management system, the CMS will be customized to match the design. The web site copy is inserted into the web pages and the on-page search engine optimization is performed during this phase.
- Acceptance Phase – The web site is now ready for review and approval. All changes will be completed and a final round of testing is conducted before launch.
- Deployment Phase – Your web site goes live and is submitted to the search engines for indexing.
Congratulations! Your web site is now live! Next you need to work on your Internet Marketing Plan to make the web site a true success and to see a return on your web site investment.