Phases of a Website Development Project

There are many steps involved in getting a new website — from information gathering, to vision, to launch and even ongoing maintenance. The specifics may vary depending on the type of business, the project and the people involved, but the overall basics are the same. Here is a list of the phases you can expect during a project with Lara Spence web design:

  1. Gather Information
  2. Plan
  3. Design
  4. Development
  5. Test
  6. Launch
  7. Maintain

1. Gather Information

The first step of a web development project is to gather information from many sources. Open communication and brainstorming between all parties involved can be key here. This will help the design team, such as the web designer and project manager, get a clear idea of the business that the web site is being designed for as well as what the client would like. Also, the design team may offer some design, marketing or technical ideas that the client had not considered.

The information gathering phase is very important to help ensure that the functionality as well as the look and feel of the website is on point.

The design team will usually ask a lot of questions to help them understand the business as well as the web site requirements. These questions will likely surround items such as:

  • Target audience
  • Purpose and goals of the site
  • Deadlines
  • Some examples of websites the client likes to get an idea of their preferred style
  • If an online store is required
  • Budget
  • Responsive design – “YES!” – ensuring site is easy to use and can adapt for users using smartphones, tablet, or desktop to view the material
  • Who will maintain the site after launch
  • Social Media – which mediums are you using or plan to use?

2. Plan

In this phase, the information from phase one will be used to form a specific plan for designing the website.

This plan can include such items as which CMS to use (we do WordPress and Drupal, usually WordPress is best/all you need!), what style of theme will be used for the site, what web pages to include in the site, menu order, image galleries, site content, eCommerce, interactive forms, social media integration, enewsletter integration, and more. Careful consideration of the end user experience during this phase will result in  site that’s easy to use. And, a pleasant, easy-to-navigate website goes a long way in making your end user happy (and generally more able to find the information they require!)

3. Design

Here is the stage where site look and feel is determined. For example, a yoga or other natural health website may have a bit of whimsy to its style, while a bank or financial company would probably prefer a fairly professional conservative look. The ‘branding’ or identity of a business can incorporate color, logo, font choice, photography.

The web designer will likely send one or more prototypes in the form of an image. The web team and client can go back and forth a bit until there is a consensus. This is the opportunity for the client to express their opinions on the design and let the web team know their likes and dislikes to allow for modifications. Again, lots of open communication is important!

4. Development

The actual website is created in this phase. The designer will take the agreed upon prototype and implement it to create a real, functioning website. Note that the website will not go live it has been tested.

Usually the designer creates a website shell, then adds pages, content, images, ecommerce, google map etc.

It is very helpful to the designer, project manager and entire team to share client feedback during this process. The client usually has access to the website so they can view the work in progress and let the team know if there are changes to be made or items that may have been forgotten or overlooked.

5. Test

Testing can and should be done throughout the project. Now is the time to test the site and clean up the details before launch. It is great if team members and the client can all have a look at the web site before the launch. There may be details in the content or functionality that need tweaking.

6. Launch

Once tested and approved, it is time to launch the site. After the site has launched, it can be viewed by the public. The design team will need the userid and logins for your DOMAIN (the $10/year thing where you buy (rent, really) the URL for your website. HOSTING logins and passwords (sometimes known as Control Panel userids/passwords) are also needed. These may be different combinations and from different companies. Or, they may be with the same company. We often recommend ionos.ca for a good deal on WordPress hosting and domains.

7. Maintain

Now that the site has been launched, there are many things that can be done to ensure continued success.

Maintenance patches to update WordPress need to be done, about twice a year at least, to keep WordPress current and often include the latest security patches and bug fixes. Budget $200 per update for this.

New content such as blogs, new business projects or portfolio items, any seminars or the like that the business is holding can and should be added to the site to help build your business and inform your target market.

There may have been some training to the client so they can properly maintain the site, or they can hire this service from a web company such as Lara Spence Web Design.

And beyond: SEO, Google + for business, Twitter, Facebook for business, Directory listings and on it goes

There are many, many things that can be done to up the online presence of a website!

Also very important: SEO – search engine optimization. The fact that you now have a beautiful site that you are proud of is one thing, now you want it to show up in the first page of Google organic results. That’s where SEO comes in, as without it your site may buried deep in Google or not found by the search engines at all. So, if your site is about yoga in Vancouver, then you want to optimize for terms such as ‘yoga vancouver’, ‘yoga classes kitsilano’ etc.

Joining relevant directories such as Yelp and Yellow pages is a good idea, as well as Google My Business, and, if they work for your target market: Facebook for Business. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and/or TikTok.

In Conclusion

These are the general phases that can be expected when working with a web design company. A good working relationship between the client and web design team including open communication and understanding from all sides can really help contribute to a successful project and help grow a business.