The Making Of... Your Website

Meat and Potatoes

So, what's all involved in making one these websites? Turns out, it's not all that simple. The good news is that I've been doing this for a while.

  1. Consultation and direction. It all starts with a meeting with you. You're looking for a website. You know your organization, but probably not much about web; we know web, but probably not much about your line of work. The pieces fit! Here's where you educate me on what you're trying to accomplish and I provide you with a recommendation on how to get it done efficiently and painlessly.
  2. Graphic design. Our designs start with pencil on paper, Serviette Sketches, to get the ideas flowing in a quick and primitive way before moving to more detailed digital mock-ups created using a computer.
  3. Content development. There's nothing that can make or break your project like its written content. On the over-whelming majority of websites, the meat and potatoes is in the words, and yes, they're the soup and salad, too. This holds true for not only your customers, but also your most important blind visitor: the search engine robot!

    Early in the process we either review the content you have supplied, giving recommendations about how to make it work better, or we interview you and write it all from the ground up.
  4. Coding. Once the writing is done and the initial graphics are ready to role it's time to get into the nitty-gritty of doing the scripting/programming that'll drive your website. Our code is validated to meet the standards set by the W3C, a governing body in the web world. This allows for maximum compatibility with various devices, accessibility for disabled visitors, and, of course, friendly to the all-important search engine.
  5. Real-world testing. Every website we build is subjected to testing by audiences not previously involved in the project. Here's where we find out just how well the design is representing your brand, how likely your visitors are to understand your message, and, of course, whether or not the technology will hold together on various devices and platforms. Real-world testing proves or disproves what the designers and writers and programmers have theorized in development.

Each of these steps requires considerable expertise and, in my professional opinion, usually is best left to professionals! Your project will be completed by me with the help of a team of specialists assembled based on your needs and budget.