New Custom Web Sites
Customers ask me all the time what is involved in having a custom web site created. I have
created a basic outlined of my process for creating a custom web site.
Custom Web Sites
I have also put together a web page about good web site design. To see this information, click here.
Discovery Phase
- I'll meet with you and we'll discuss your web site needs.
- I will ask a series of questions to help determine what your needs are. Click
here for a list of questions that will help you to prepare for our
meeting/discussion.
- I"ll ask you to consider what you would like to accomplish with a new website. Think about any special functionality or
interactivity with your visitors that you may need. For example, email forms, animation, etc. What navigation links will
you want (Home, About Us, Gallery, Products, Contact, Ordering, Home). Get together all text, images, and product information to
be used on your site. I'll need to know if you
have thought about what type of design style for your web site you may
want/like. I'll need you to share with me what your thoughts.
- Based on our dialogue, I will come up with a recommendation and once we are in agreement, I'll draw up a contract.
- The contract will need to be signed at this point. The contract will contain a detail list of work. Once contract is signed, work will be scheduled.
Design Phase
- Work closely with you to come up with a design that meets your requirements.
- The design will be created in the form of images.
- Once a designed is chosen, the images will be recreated in html web pages.
Creating the Web Site
- Obtain hosting space and domain name for the project. I use a hosting company that is cost effective, supports all the features and
technology needed for the custom web sites I create, and has great server uptime.
- Configure new hosting plan and domain name for this project.
- Obtain any content (images, text, etc) from you that will be used on web pages.
- Create CSS Style Sheets that will control the fonts, color, and layout of web pages.
- Perform any graphic work – creating and/or modifying images as needed.
- Create favicon image for web site – this is a small image that displays in the address bar.
- Create templates of the new layout of the web site that will contain navigation, page headers, and page footers.
- Create static and dynamic web pages.
- Create any needed email forms.
- Write any needed custom code.
- Create sitemap which will include easy one-click access to all pages of your site.
Testing the web site.
- Search Engine Friendliness – Meta Tags, Titles, Page Titles, Page Heading, Alt Image Tags, Links, and Text on all web pages. I do not
guarantee when or where the search engines will place your website within their search results or directory.
- Testing all links, to ensure there are no dead links.
- Testing any forms.
- Testing any custom code.
- Have you test the web site also.
Wrapping up the Project
- Create any necessary documentation for the web site.
- Create CD that contains all the new web site files and any
documentation/instructions that was created for the project.
- Hand submission of web site to search engines.
- Sign off on project.
Below are some other links that you may find helpful when you are considering your web site needs.
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