The Process - basic steps
a brief outline:
I am often asked, "How do you build a website?" "What does it take?" So, I have created a very brief outline of the steps involved for a very simple website. Please keep in mind that your site may include other steps.
- Create and register your domain name. This costs between $5.00 and $20.00 depending upon the registrar used. I can help you do this or do this for you.
- Think about how you want your site to appear, look for links to sites whose design you like.
Fill out the questionaire as it will help us both focus on your needs. A consultation will take place next, 1/2 hour free. Pricing will be considered at this point.
- Gather your content, this includes any current logos, graphics, photographs, and text. This is the content of your site, and having it available in a digital form (on disc) will speed the design process. I will not create your 'content' for you. Also, if you want a graphically created website, this is when we would buy or create those graphics, as well as the logo.
- Pricing will be determined at this point, as well as having a contract signed and first installment payment due.
- Consultation - this will determine the scope of your site, what will be needed to implement it, and some design choices will be discussed. Layout of the material will be discussed and agreed upon.
This is where your vision will be turned into functioning form, a page template. A site layout will be decided, a navigational system, and how the content will be presented will be determined. Will there be a splash page? What type of navigation will best suit this site? What fonts/colors/images/graphics will be used? - Mock ups of the design will be created, more consultations, and a final design template will be ok'd. The second installment payment will be due.
- With the template ok'd, the content will be added.
Testing on all browsers and platforms will be conducted. - If you haven't already obtained a web hosting service, one will be needed now. They are many to choose from and I can help you find a reliable host to suit your sites needs.
- Final installment payment will be due. Your site will be uploaded to your server, final testing conducted, and your site will now be live.
It is very important that the marketing and promotion (including search engine optimization) of your website is started during the design process (or your site will not be found on the Internet) and that arrangements have been made for website maintenance. Extra changes or additions after the project has been completed are deemed to be maintenance and are charged at the appropriate hourly rates.
I hand code sites to the latest W3C web standards, what this means to you, is that your site will be viewable in the newest of browsers and operating systems, as well as being backward compatible in the older browsers. I place a lot of importance on the useablity of your website, insuring it is fast loading, even on slow dial-up connections, that it has cross browser compatibility with clear, concise navigation and clean, crisp lines.
In recent years I have been developing sites with the content management/blogging software called WordPress. These sites are usually for people who want to have some 'hands-on' capability, such as posting a blog post. WordPress is also great for sites which will have a lot content being added regularly. The sites 'look and feel and function' come from WordPress theme templates, so finding something to suit your sites needs is a given. WordPress will allow you to do many things much faster and easier than doing the same thing by hand.
BobbiWisby.com has affliations with many graphic and flash designers and programmers, and will, if the need arises, outsource some of the graphical or programming work.