Web Design – Our Process from Start to Finish

Knowing how we will be working with you is important. Web design is a two-way process. We do the work, but we also need input from you! Outlined below is how we normally go about the process of creating a website for our clients.

Getting to Know Each Other

After the initial contact, we’ll arrange a meeting. This can either be face-face in a coffee shop or over the phone if you are based outside the Edinburgh area.

This is an opportunity for you ask us questions, such as technical specs, timescales and of course prices. We too, are looking to garner information. We want to know what kind of site you want, what the purposes of the website are etc. Both of us should be asking… can we work with this person/company? Are we compatible? Both parties should be happy before commencing any work!

Gathering Resources & Outlining Structures

After determining that we should proceed, the next step is to gather resources and outline a basic structure.

We will set up a DropBox folder, for you to add any files you want used on the website, such as: logos, images, videos, text, colour pallets etc.

To help getter better idea of what you are looking for, we’ll also ask for a basic site structure to work from, e.g. Home Page, About, Services, Contact Us etc.

Also useful, are links to websites you like (or elements of sites you like) and why you like theme, such as: colours, styles, functionality, fonts etc.

Start Prototyping

Once we have a good idea of what you are looking for in terms of design, layout and functionality, we’ll start creating prototypes.

We always start off with the Home page – as it is the the most important page on your site.

The prototyping process involves designing and building the website structure simultaneously. We will provide a live url from you to view and test the site. With feedback from you, we will improve and refine the look and layout of the home page until you are happy to progress to other pages.

Once the home page has been completed, we’ll move onto setting up other pages. Depending on the size of the site, this could also include creating templates to be used for blogs, portfolio entries, events etc.

Content Addition

After setting up the structure of the site, during the prototyping stage, we’ll focus on adding and formatting the content provided.

This involves laying out the content is a presentable and easy-to-read manner. At this stage, we will also make any tweaks to the design to accommodate the content.

As content is a crucial component of how search engines determine rankings, well will provide guidance on how best to write copy for Google et al.

On-Site Search Engine Optimisation

Once the content has been added and final tweaks to design have been made, we’ll ensure the site has been fully optimised for search engines. This includes:

• Ensuring each page is correctly optimised for your your search terms
• File sizes have been minimised to ensure fast loading times
• Correct internal linking set up to help search engines crawl the site

Review and Testing

Getting near launch now. We’ll both go over the site and review the site. We’ll ensure the website works well on all browsers and on mobiles in addition to desktops.

Once we are happy with how everything looks, we’ll test additional features such as ecommerce facilities or members’ areas, to make sure they are functioning correctly.

Launch and Google Integration

The big day! The site is transferred from the development server to the live server and your website is now live!

The final bits n’ pieces are set up once the site is live. These include integrating Google APIs into the site. These are required to display Google Maps and for use with other Google services.

We’ll also get your site verified by Google, integrate into the Google Search Console and set up Google Places and Google Analytics. All these steps help Google get to know your website and start ranking it search engine results.

Training and Screencasts

If you require, we can arrange training sessions, to show you how to work your shiny new website. These are useful for larger organisations who have multiple website administrators.

We will also make screencasts for specific requests in relation to your website. These screencasts are a great reference, that you can return to, in order to see how various website tasks should be correctly carried out.

Ongoing Hosting Support and Maintenance

If you elect to host your company with us, we host on a super-fast Cloud Hosting Platform. This includes the setup and management of emails for your company.

In addition, our maintenance and support services ensure your site is always up to-date and secure and any small changes to the site are made at no additional cost.

Thinking about a website, get in touch today.