Development

The Web Development Process: Step by Step

Developing a website is a team effort between your company and ours. We will do our best to get to know you and your company so that we can capture who you are and portray that on the internet.

The first thing we need to do is to get together to determine your needs and goals. We can do this in person, and over the phone. Consultations typically last one to two hours depending on how much you want out of your website. We encourage you to invite anyone in your business to attend that you feel may have good input in the process.

Your job is to let us know how your website can best serve you and your customers. We have various ways of extracting this information from you so don't worry if you have a mental block!

We have outlined the development steps below to provide you a look forward into our process.

Before Development Begins…

Consultation — We visit with you in person or on the phone to determine what your needs are.
Proposal — After our consultation, we send you a quotation with the following information:
• Web Design and development costs.
• Web hosting costs (if applicable)
• Domain name registration costs (if applicable)
• Costs for any additional features or services you need.
Deposit On non hosting package designs, we require one-third deposit before we start developing your website. This third pays for market analysis, domain name registration (if required), and website layout design. For host package designs, please refer to the terms of your individual hosting payment plan as shown on our “Services” page.

Website Design and Market Analysis

Market Analysis — We do keyword research and competition analysis to help determine the best web solutions for your business. In a simple brainstorming session, you give us a list of keywords relevant to your business. Then we use this list to find out exactly what people are searching for and how often they search for it. We also check out your competition to see what they are targeting.
You may want to target commonly misspelled products, or know that the British spell some words differently than Americans, or that blue widgets are more popular than red widgets.
Domain Name If you don't already have one, we will help you choose a suitable domain for your website.
Website Layout Design — This is the part you've been waiting for! We present the web design format for you to approve. The design should portray your company's personality and target your customers' profile. It includes your logo, corporate colors, slogans, and anything else that makes your company unique. It is also designed to be easy to navigate for your website visitors' enjoyment.

Website Development

Web Hosting — We set up your web hosting account, email accounts, spam filters, web statistics, etc. according to your needs and preferences. We will also bill you for your domain registration and web hosting at this time. If you already have an existing host server that you prefer to use, you will need to establish an account access for us with either technical or administration authorization .
Content — Once you approve a layout design, we start adding copy and pictures for the home page, about us page , contact us forms, page for frequently asked questions (FAQs), and other web pages designed just for your website. If you need a database or a shopping cart, it is added at this time so that you can start entering data or products.
Second Payment — For non hosting development plans, much of your web site is ready to go online and this payment covers uploading all design files to your server, adding content and installing databases.

Directories, Search Engines, and Optional Features

Search Engine Optimization — We optimize your main web pages for keyword content, including invisible content called alt text, anchor tags, and meta tags that search engines see.
Directory Submissions — We submit your website to the free internet directories like DMOZ, Alexa, Jayde, and many others so that you have some initial links giving you some 'link popularity'.
Linking Strategies — Search engines like websites with lots of other websites linking to them. Especially if the website is also an authority on the same subject as yours.
Search Engine Submissions — When your website is complete, we submit your website to the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo Search, and MSN. They will index your website and your web pages will start showing up in their search results over time. It normally takes 4 to 12 weeks for search engines to begin adding you in their search results. Google can take 3–6 months.
Final Payment — Your initial website development is now complete.

Website Maintenance and Updates

Optional Features — Every small business has different needs such as shopping carts, email newsletters, auto-responders, private sections of the website, pay-per-click advertising, etc. We can add new components to your website as your business grows or needs change.

To remain competitive on the internet, we recommend that you update your website regularly. The time interval varies by business but at least 2–3 times per year — monthly or more often is better.

Certainly you have new information or products to share with your customers from time to time. So make sure your website is doing its job and get it updated in a timely manner.

Updates and maintenance of your website are charged at an hourly rate.