Web Site Development Process
Web Site Development Process
"Thanks for all your help with our website and your
suggestions. We get so many comments on our web site.
Web reservations are going great. Your other marketing
advice is working well too!"
Thanks
-Kathy, Innkeeper
Inn at The Rostay, Bethel, Maine
PREPARING YOURSELF
Before you approach a designer, you should give some
thought to the items presented below. Your
forethought will result in much more enjoyable
interaction with your designer, facilitate the
knowledge you gain through the process, and result
in a more time efficient completion of your web
presence. We deeply appreciate the care and time you
take to be involved in the creation of your site,
before the blueprints ever hit the table.
Things you can do to facilitate the creation
process:
Spend time
looking at other websites that are in the same
"family" as your business.
Observe how the
sites are "laid out", how they navigate, the color
schemes, the number of pages, etc.
After looking at
some other sites, note what elements or features you
really like or dislike. Perhaps looking at the other
pages generated some new, snazzy ideas for you?
Bring them to the table!
Gather any
business materials that you might have; company
photos, brochures, pamphlets of information, company
logos, calendars of events, etc. and bring them to
the meeting you'll have with your designer. This
really helps your designer to form a feeling or
theme for your site early on, so that when it comes
time to develop your site, your prototype(s) may be
generated more quickly.
Be clear about
your intentions and be honest about the time you'll
have to devote to the project.
Let your designer
know whether this is "just for your information", or
whether you're committed to moving forward now with
the project. We are always willing to respect your
time constraints and to cooperate with you in
getting the job done. We ask for your consideration
in return. We put our heart into making sure we
"don't drop the ball" and thus we try to maintain
vigilant contact with you. Our purpose is not to
"hound" you, but to make sure that a project doesn't
drag on for weeks on end. This is especially true of
projects "done by committee". Please, please always
let us know if your timetable changes and when we
can reasonably expect your input. In this way, each
of us can make the best use of our time while we
wait for the project to roll forward again. We thank
you heartily in advance for your kind consideration
in this.
Try to be prompt
in getting materials, revisions and any other
miscellaneous input to your designer when it is
requested.
If you have
questions, please ask. We believe in a "wholistic"
approach to creating your site. We want you to be as
excited about it as we are, and knowledge is the
best route to appreciation. We're happy to answer
your questions, and if you give us a stumper, we'll
do our best to find the answer!
Variables to effect design costs...
YOU can affect the final cost of your web site…
Is information organized?
Is the content written down?
Can it be provided electronically?
Are images together?
Do we need to scan or are they provided
electronically?
Do you have maps or do they need to be created?
Does any artwork need to be produced?
HOW LONG?
The most common question we are asked is, "How long does
this process take?"On average, it takes us 2 - 3 weeks
from start to finish. However, the length of time
ultimately depends on how quickly we can generate the
final quote, how long it takes you to get us materials,
and how responsive you are to our calls for input and
revisions.
It also depends on how involved your project is. A
$2,400 web site takes less time than a $15,000 website,
and we've done both extremes and everything in between.
The design process follows this basic flow:
Free, one-hour
consultation between sales representative and customer
(if more time is needed, consultation is billed at
$125/hr).
Customer quote is
generated and approval is sought.
Customer responds
to proposal within one (1) week's time.
Upon approval,
customer sends 50% of quoted amount, signed copy of
quote and all materials needed to build the site.
When materials
arrive, the work is scheduled within the framework of
our existing workload.
Generation of the
initial design can take 1 to 3 weeks.
Upon completion of
the design, the customer is asked for approval of the
initial design concept. This stage should take no longer
than one (1) week.
Customer "signs
off" on the shell, and designer proceeds with rest of
site creation.
Designer contacts
customer and asks for final revisions.
Customer submits
revisions to the designer.
Designer makes all
corrections and "final posts" the site.
Customer is billed
for remainder of the original quote plus alterations,
account is finalized and the site is considered "live".