Web Development Process
Elevating your online presence through expert digital marketing and web development services.
How it works
Web Development
Although our web development process is listed sequentially, we use agile methods for actual development. “Agile” is an industry term used to describe a process or method involving iterative, incremental cycles.
Agile development methods are very different from the traditional waterfall model because the scope of work is not clearly defined in advance. The main reasons to work in an agile development model are:
- Produce visible results quickly
- Create a proof-of-concept and early rapid prototype
- Get feedback from the target audience in order to guide future development
- Test different types of functionality and user experiences for best results
- Limit the risk and investment
- Start using the product as soon as possible
- Quickly iterate and evolve the product based on demonstrated user needs
Pre-Planning:
Initial Contact & Proposal
To begin, we find out what the customer wants to achieve with the project. Next, we clarify the scope of the project and discuss a rough budget to determine if we are a suitable provider.
Related milestone: Project Proposal Submitted
- Initial contact with prospective client
- Send web design questionnaire(s) for completion
- Review questionnaire content and schedule 20-30 minute phone conversation
- Discuss website requirements with client
- Discuss ball-park budget range to establish suitability
- Define primary and secondary goals of the site
- Define primary and secondary calls-to-action
- Decide core content types
- Establish schedule & timeline noting any hard requirements
- Create initial sitemap
- Schedule further discussion if necessary
- Create and send formal proposal
- Invoice initial deposit
Planning:
Define Goals & Website Specification
We gather extensive information on the website’s functionality, including lists of required features, pages, and custom design work.
Related milestone: Project Basic Information Gathered
- Open new project in Trello
- Discuss website requirements in depth with client
- Establish visual style and personality
- Decide basic layout
- Create high level sitemap and navigation menu mockup
- Request text content in soft copy for each page from client
- Request image content (either from client/photographer/stock images)
- Optional: create low-fidelity wireframe of homepage, content page & any other key pages
Optional Design & Production:
Design Logo
If the client is unable to provide a high-quality logo, we will create one.
Related milestone: Logo Design Complete
- Find out if logo design is required or if client can supply a logo image
- Ask client to complete form: Logo Design Questionaire
- Design first 3 logo draft variants based on questionnaire
- Feedback on first draft
- Design 2nd round of drafts based on feedback
- Ask for client feedback on drafts
- Design 3rd & subsequent draft logos as necessary
- Ask for client signoff on logo
- Ask client to download and backup logo image files for future use
Design & Production:
Choose or Create Design WordPress Theme
We will either design a new WordPress theme or customize an existing theme to match the client’s branding and aesthetic preferences.
Related milestone: Design Template Chosen
- Create 1-3 homepage mockups with client logo, colour-scheme, look and feel
- Ask for client feedback on homepage mockups
- Create further homepage mockups if necessary
- Ask for client signoff on homepage mockup design
- Create secondary (content) page mockup based on chosen homepage design
- Ask for client signoff on secondary page mockup
- Research suitable WordPress Themes on ThemeForest, WooThemes, WordPress.org & elsewhere
- Decide whether to purchase & customise professional theme or create a new custom theme
Design & Production:
Setup Hosting & WordPress CMS
Setting up the domain, hosting, and content management system.
Related milestone: Hosting Configured
- Register domain if necessary
- Change nameservers with registrar
- Setup domain in our hosting account OR get Control Panel access details for external hosting
- Create new or find out existing FTP username & password
- FTP WordPress files up to site
- Configure SQL database & wp-config
- Setup .htaccess file
- FTP WordPress, Maintenance and SEO plugins up to site
- Optional: setup Gmail address for client website use
- Configure all plugins
- Create base Pages in WordPress (Home, About, Contact, Blog, Service 1, Service2, Terms etc)
- Verify Permalinks
- Change Blog and Home pages in Settings
- Add admin username & password for design team
Design & Production:
Customise WordPress Theme
The main design will be based on an existing WordPress theme.
Related milestone: Design Complete
- Upload the chosen theme to hosting
- Rename theme directory to client name
- Select & activate theme in WP themes options
- Import & edit theme demo content if available
- Setup sidebar widgets
- Customise graphic files and modify with photoshop
- Create horizontal navigation menu
- Create vertical navigation menu if necessary
- Get client feedback on current status
- Further customisation
- Get client feedback on current status
- Further customisation of design
Design & Production:
Add Website Content
Add the main content images and text to the site.
Related milestone: Site Main Content Entered
- Setup page stubs for top level pages from site map
- Add text to top level page
- Add images to top level pages
- Get feedback from client on main content & refactor
- Show client how to add, edit and remove pages
- Ask client for sign-off on top level page content
- Create 301 redirects for changed URLs
Optional Design & Production:
Setup Emails on POP3 or IMAP
Related milestone: Email Setup Complete
- Get a list of required addresses
- Create addresses in hosting CP
- Add usernames & passwords to KeePass
- Send user/pass list to client
- Send webmail URL to client
Setup Email on Google Apps / 3rd Party MX
If the project requires Google Apps for Domains email setup, or requires MX records to point at a 3rd party email provider either new or pre-existing.
Related milestone: Email Setup Complete
- [3rd party] Ask client for MX record details from current email provide
- [3rd party] Change MX records in hosting Control Panel
- [GA] Change MX records in Control Panel
- [GA] Have client send Google Apps admin login details (may require signup)
- [GA] Find out addresses/password required from client
- [GA] Add all addresses to [GA] account
- [GA] Add usernames & passwords to KeePass
- [GA] Email webmail URL to client
Quality Assurance
Testing & Feedback
Review site for development (functionality, SEO, etc.) and design issues particularly noting different browsers and devices.
Related milestone: Development Complete
- Review homepage for content/text/image issues on mobile and desktop
- Review other page for content/text/image issues on mobile and desktop
- Review site for SEO issues
- Get client detailed feedback (aka “snaglist”)
- Complete all items in snaglist
- Ask for client sign off
Project Completion:
Post-Development & Launch
Invoicing, maintenance setup, site launch, post-launch clean-up.
Related milestone: Project Complete
- Set up maintenance agreement or ensure client understands security issues
- Add site to maintenance schedules if required
- Send all login details to client via secure channel
- Send final invoice for outstanding amount
- Push site live on receipt of outstanding amount
- Monitor for 48 hours for post-launch issues
- Request client testimonial with 3 question form
- Add testimonial to website
- Backup and remove development site
- Close project in Trello