web•print•brand

The Design Process

Getting Started – Website Design Process

1) What are your needs
We start the process by having you fill out our quote form. This form gathers information about your company, services, audience, purpose, site goals and more. We use this information to help us deliver an accurate quote.

2) About Quotes, Proposals and Estimates
Once your information is evaluated we will send you a soft proposal – a basic outline of the work we see that needs to be done with all associated costs. If you agree with the soft proposal we will then send you a formal proposal requiring a signature. We require that our terms and conditions form be signed and faxed back at this time too. Proposals are formulated by considering all the work involved as well as the complexity of that work. The complexity of your project is directly related to the time it will take for us to formulate a quote, so please take into consideration that this may take us a day or two. Every project is different and different projects may take longer to analyze for a quote.

  • Once an estimate is delivered, all add on services/work, redesign on any level and “after thoughts” are considered additional work and will be billed accordingly.
  • Quotes are valid for 30 days.

3) We have an agreement? Let’s start designing!
You agree, we agree and paperwork is signed and emailed back to us. We then start the actual design process. If you do not understand the smallest of points at this step PLEASE ASK FOR CLARIFICATION! Miscommunication and false expectations do NOT move the design process forward in a productive manner. At ANY time please us about any concerns, questions or comments you have about your project.

4) Collecting Your Materials
Text, print, copy, brochures, products, pictures, product weight & cost… we need it ALL to get your site going. The more you provide us with the better.

5) Mockup Sites and Sample Layouts
The fun part – we put together some mock Web sites for your company to critique and discuss. At this point we’re trying to narrow down exactly what you’re looking for in terms of design and layout. Your feedback is essential in the Web design process and is welcomed at any time.

6) Site Architecture
Navigation is one of the most important parts of your site. Site architecture is established at this point to insure your visitors don’t get lost on your site. We use text links, graphic menus and buttons with rollovers to accomplish this.

7) Working with Materials
Resizing photos, photo optimization, color sampling (for people who want to match a corporate color to their site design), product weight & pictures and similar tasks are all done during this phase of the Web design process.

8) Establishing Project Design / Look & Feel
Based on your feedback from the mockup site(s) a design is established and used for your Web site.

9) Establishing Layout Of Site
Based on your feedback from the mockup site(s) a layout is established and is applied to your Web site.

10) Home Page First
Starting with your home page, the main page, we start building your Web site. After this part is completed and approved we move on. If you have requested your site be optimized for the search engines, it will be started at this time.

11) Sub Pages Second

The sub-pages (based upon layout and design from 7, 8 & 9) are now worked on until completion. Forms, Flash, CGI, Java are now added to your site at this time.

12) Web Site Completion and Debugging
We will look at your site in different browsers, with different computers and connections – the only way to test your site for optimal performance is to have a wide sample of testers with various set ups. Do not be surprised that the debugging process continues after your site goes live-we will work together to solve the issues and concerns over the next few months.

13) Site goes “Live”
Your site is published for the world to see! You can now start advertising your site, telling friends, business acquaintances and publish print material.

14) Marketing Your Site
How will people find your site? We can help you get started to optimize your site to help send it to targeted traffic – people looking for your services/products. All searches on the Internet begin with a search engine query (around 80% and usually in Google) – this is where you want your site to be!  Let us know when you are ready to receive further information on this subject once your website is live.