What our clients should expect
Clients can expect a website development project to involve a structured process with clear deliverables, collaboration, and ongoing communication. Here’s what a client can typically expect:
1. Initial Consultation & Discovery
- Goal Setting & Requirements Gathering: Discussion of business goals, target audience, and desired website functionalities.
- Research & Competitive Analysis: Insights into market positioning, competitors, and best practices to align the website with client expectations.
- Project Scope & Timeline: Clear outline of project scope, timeline, budget, and milestones.
2. Detailed Project Proposal & Agreement
- Project Proposal: A document outlining objectives, deliverables, timeline, cost estimate, and any specific technologies or platforms.
- Contract Agreement: Legal agreement covering scope, payment terms, project phases, and responsibilities of both client and developer.
3. Design Phase
- Sitemap & Wireframes: Initial layouts and page structures that show the website’s architecture and flow.
- Design Mockups: High-fidelity mockups for review that reflect branding, visual style, and page elements.
- Feedback & Revisions: Opportunity for the client to provide feedback on designs to ensure alignment with their vision.
4. Content Creation
- Content Strategy: Outline of content needs (text, images, multimedia) based on SEO and branding goals.
- Copywriting & Media Collection: Depending on the agreement, either the client provides content or the development team assists with copywriting, image sourcing, and any required media.
- Content Review: Client review and approval of all content to be displayed on the site.
5. Development Phase
- Front-End Development: Building the user interface based on approved designs, ensuring responsive design for mobile and desktop.
- Back-End Development: Coding server-side logic, database integration, and any custom functionality needed for the website.
- CMS Integration: Setting up a content management system (if applicable) to allow easy updates by the client.
6. Testing & Quality Assurance
- Functionality Testing: Verification that all features work as intended, including forms, links, and interactive elements.
- Browser & Device Compatibility Testing: Ensuring the website displays correctly across various browsers and devices.
- Performance & Speed Testing: Optimizing loading times and site performance for a smooth user experience.
- Final Client Review: Opportunity for the client to review the website before launch and provide final feedback.
7. Launch & Deployment
- Hosting & Domain Setup: Assistance with setting up the domain and hosting (if not already established).
- Website Deployment: Moving the website to the live environment.
- Announcement & Promotion: Helping the client share the website launch through social media, email, or other channels.
8. Post-Launch Support & Maintenance
- Training: If a CMS is in use, training the client on how to update and manage the website.
- Maintenance Plan: Depending on the arrangement, ongoing support for bug fixes, updates, and improvements.
- Performance Monitoring: Tracking site performance, user engagement, and any potential issues that may arise.
By covering these stages, a client can expect a smooth development process with opportunities for collaboration and input along the way. The end result should be a website that meets their business goals, engages their audience, and is easy to manage moving forward.