A website is something that opens doors to new customers and business opportunities, but it is also a big investment that comes with a lot of responsibility. There are many moving pieces and procedures to website creation, so it is important to be done correctly. Here are the usual steps that a web designing firm would take to make sure that happens.
Stage 1: Research and Defining Expectations
The initial stage of website creation involves a lot of preparation between the client and the creative time. This is where the client prepares and defines their expectations, and it’s where the developers look into the client’s company, getting to know them better. This is where most of the market research is conducted. Things like the client’s competitors and target audience should be analyzed. Moreover, because of the many industry trends, this is where the content of the website should be discussed as things like text, images, and videos need some time to be found or created.
Stage 2: Initial Communication
After setting the expectations of the website, the client and the creative team should then discuss the client’s logistics and documents, collaborating to define brand identity, color schemes, visual aesthetics, and brand values. All of these are integral to initially shaping how the website will look, feel, and operate for the general public. Being transparent is essential here. The client should be upfront with what they want and with what they don’t, so the developers can smoothly start the many development processes. This is also where the client should understand what is going on in the background and the people leading their website’s development. Typically, it’s a team made of a Graphic Designer, Web Developer, Creative Marketer, and a Creative Director.
Stage 3: Action Plan
The action plan, otherwise known as a creative brief or mini brief, will serve as the roadmap for the website’s design and functionality. The action plan should be like an agenda for the rest of the project’s execution, and specifications for things like number of pages, desired images, and the design scheme should be fully realized. Moreover, from the previous stages, the action plan should outline other key elements like target demographics, navigation links, and contact information. While the action plan aims to layout about 90% of the website’s actual design and functionality elements, website developers should expect feedback from the client to make sure the client’s visions and expectations are met. The desired outcome for this stage is to cement the critical elements of the website so that an outline can be formed.
Stage 4: Wireframing
This is where the actual blueprint of the website is created, and it’s very important to establish a back-and-forth dialogue between the developers and the client. PDF wireframes should always precede the coding process as a website’s layout and other visual elements are much harder to fix if HTML, PHP, CCS, or JavaScript has been established. This is where visual design decisions come to life, and these should be finalized before the development stage as changes wanted in the future can be costly. To breathe an analogy, the wireframe is sort of like a first draft of an essay, where big things like the paper’s argument and pieces of evidence should be decided beforehand. In this stage, exact content and information is not that essential as adding them in the development stage shouldn’t be that difficult. It’s things like spatial issues and overall structure that should be determined before moving on. By meticulously working through the website’s aesthetic and design during the wireframe stage, many costly and challenging problems can be mitigated, and this should result in a much smoother and polished development stage.
Stage 5: Development and Testing
The development and testing stage represents the culmination of hard work and collaboration between the client and the developers, and this is the stage that will require the most amount of attention to detail and resource allocation. This is where the finishing touches will be made and where the website’s code will be tested. As stated beforehand, this is probably the most time-consuming and costly stage, but it is very critical to make sure that the website has a great user experience over many types of platforms and devices. It’s very important for a client to believe what’s on the website as it should be a representation of their core values, which is why it’s imperative for the client to be satisfied throughout the process as well. Additionally, before the website is officially launched, this is the stage in which the client should receive comprehensive training to run their website. This is very crucial to the website’s future. In this stage, the developers should teach the client the necessary knowledge on how to run the website, manage emails, access portals, renew domain registrations, and how to manage the website’s proper security protocols. Ultimately, the launch of a website is the company’s first impression to many new customers, and the website’s functionality and security measures should all be addressed to guarantee that it will stand the test of time.
Conclusion
While there are many steps to website creation, by making sure that these steps are followed, it will ensure that the project will be successful. Researching and defining expectations will help prepare both the client and the developers to set expectations for the project. Moreover, following an action plan and properly making a wireframe can lead to a smooth development phase which is where the website takes shape. By following these structured stages, clients and developers can work together to deliver a website that represents the client’s brand and effectively equips the client with tools to grow their business further.
