The development process

Creating a web site from scratch can be a lengthy process, and involves all sorts of components before the web site is ‘finished’ and live on the internet. The example below outlines the typical process for creating a small-to-medium web site from start to finish.

1. Determining requirements

This is one of the most crucially important stages, and is where you, the client, decide what you want from the web site. This includes:

We like to do this stage face to face, as we find it much more productive to discuss these options in person than over the phone or by e-mail. It is important to have this stage absolutely clear at the beginning, as everything else will be built on top of it, so be prepared to spend at least an hour or so talking through all the options.

2. Structural design

This stage may be incorporated into step 1, and involves mapping out exactly which pages go where, what will be on them, and how they link together. The result will be a diagram showing the connections between pages, and brief summaries of the content of each page.

3. Technical design

If there are any special parts of the site that need developing, such as interactive maps or databases, these will be developed and tested to ensure they will work when integrated into the web site.

If the web site will be using a Content Management System, this will be installed and set up on your web space, ready for the web site to be put in. All of this will be developed offline, so that the public don’t see it until it’s ready.

4. Interface design

How the site looks is often one of the most important parts of the user experience, so getting it right is paramount. We aim to take the impression of mood, style, target audience and direction from our first meeting and create some suitable designs from that, which we will send to you as static previews (usually a JPG image). This will give you an idea of what the site might look like, but also gives you a chance to pick and choose which design elements you like or don’t like, with the aim that you end up with a site design that you like completely.

5. Template coding

Once you are happy with the design, we will transfer that into a web template for use on the web site. All HTML and CSS is hand-coded for efficiency and accuracy, using cutting-edge techniques to ensure a consistent and enjoyable user experience. Sites will be tested on all popular web browsers, including Firefox, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer. Once the template has been coded and tested it will be integrated into the CMS, if you are using one, ready for content to be added.

6. Content writing

The text that appears on your site is what it’s all about: you can have the best-looking site in the world, but without good content no one will look at it. If you are writing the content yourself, you may find it useful to refer back to the page structure diagrams created in stage 2 to help you. Alternatively, we are now offering copywriting services, where we will write the content for you based on notes you provide, sending it to you for approval before putting online.

7. Integration, testing and tweaking

There are often last-minute changes and alterations that need to be made to a web site before it is published, which only become apparent when it is all laid out and can be previewed on-screen. This can be changes to colour schemes, choices of fonts, inclusion of custom icons, alterations to the text, moving of pages, even the addition of an entirely new section of the site. Careful planning in earlier stages will reduce the time spent in this stage.

If you purchase a domain name and web space through us we will also optionally set up e-mail addresses for you as required.

8. Training and maintenance

We do not force you into paying for updates to your web site, and if you are happy to take care of the web site once it’s up and running then you are more than welcome to. We will provide any training necessary in order to equip you to keep the site up to date, and can provide support if you come across any problems.

If you would prefer, we can maintain the site for you. This means less work for you, and ensures a professional feel to the web site no matter how many alterations are made. Simply send us the details of what needs changing, and we will do it for you.