Working Together - The Process

Benjamin Franklin once said – “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!“. The average website has plenty of movable parts. The more complex they are, the higher the risk that something is going to break at some point.


What does it mean to build a website “the right way” from start to finish?

Designing a successful website starts with strategy. It's about aligning your online presence with clear, measurable goals—whether that's selling products, raising awareness, or building a brand from the ground up.

There are many steps in the web design and development process, but the most critical one is defining the project’s purpose. Without a clear objective, it’s impossible to know if the solution is working.

Phase One: Discovery

The first step is gathering insights and creating a project brief focused on measurable outcomes. Why is this website needed? What challenge are we solving? Discovery sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Purpose
Why does this site exist? What’s your vision? How will you define ROI? Are you sharing information, promoting a service, selling a product? If your website were an employee—what would their job description be?

Goals
What are the top two or three goals you want the website to achieve? Clear, measurable goals allow us to focus on what moves your business forward—whether that’s revenue, efficiency, or reach.

Target Audience
Who are you trying to reach? Think of your ideal visitor—their age, interests, profession. This insight helps shape the tone, content, and design of your site.

What are they looking for when they land on your site? Are they seeking specific information, a service, or a product? Understanding their intent helps us craft an experience that converts.

Phase Two: Scope & Site Architecture

Once the goals are clear, we define the scope. This includes deliverables, timelines, and expectations—so we both stay aligned and avoid scope creep.

We also map out the site architecture, starting with a sitemap and wireframes. The sitemap outlines all key pages and their relationships, ensuring intuitive navigation. Wireframes serve as non-visual blueprints that define content layout and functionality on each page.

This phase helps us see the full structure of the site before moving into visuals, and ensures we’re not missing anything crucial.

Phase Three: Design

Now we bring the site to life. Based on the sitemap and wireframes, we craft the visual identity of the website. Design choices are guided by your brand and audience—what works for a fintech startup is different from a lifestyle blog or NGO.

Company colors, logo, and existing brand assets are incorporated to reinforce recognition and consistency. Throughout this phase, close collaboration is key—we exchange ideas, iterate quickly, and refine until the design feels right.

Phase Four: Development

With the design approved, we move into development. This is where the website becomes functional. Graphic assets are implemented, layouts are translated into responsive HTML and CSS, and interactivity is added using modern front-end technologies.

We also integrate content—text, images, video, audio—and ensure each element fits within the layout and supports your goals. The result is a fast, user-friendly website ready to engage your audience.

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Phase Five: Testing and Delivery

At this point, we attend to the final details and test your website. We test things such as the complete functionality of forms or other scripts, we test for last minute compatibility issues (viewing differences between different web browsers), ensuring that the site is optimized to be viewed properly in the most recent browser versions.

Once we receive your final approval, it is time to deliver the site. We upload the files to your server – in most cases, this also involves installing and configuring WordPress, along with a core set of essential plugins to help enhance the site.

Here we quickly test again to make sure that all files have been uploaded correctly, and that the site continues to be fully functional. This marks the official launch of your site, as it is now viewable to the public.

Phase Six: Maintenance

A website, like a garden, isn’t a one-time cost. It’s a commitment to ongoing maintenance and updates. You need to remove the deadheads, plant some fresh ideas regularly, and keep the weeds at bay.

You have to accept that some parts are dying of, and replant or repurpose. You have to give up on things that just won’t grow and find things that do. One way to bring repeat visitors to your site is to offer new content or products on a regular basis.

If this interests you, I will be more than happy to continue working together with you to update the information on your website. Check out more details about my maintenance packages offer.

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