There are so many options for websites these days. Everything from getting a Free website to Businesses that will pay $1 Million for their website.
What’s the difference and why such a range?
Getting a website is a little like choosing a mode of transportation.
- You can go Free. That’s called walking.
- You can go Cheap. Public Transportation
- You can purchase a Ford. $15,000-25,000
- Or you can get a Tesla. $100,000-200,000
The old addage “You get what you pay for.” Is also true here.
If all you want is a free website, the process is simple.
Signup for an account at a Free website provider.
Add you photos and Text.
Poof, you have a website.
The cheap solutions are very similar, but if you pay a little you may have more options on the design and feel of the website, or added features like a custom website name.
What is a Professional Web Design Process Like?
When you work with a Professional Web Design company, you pay more and you get more.
- We will go through a “Discovery Phase” with you to talk through your #1 Goal for the website and any additional secondary objectives.
- We walk you through a “Design Phase” where we get feedback from you to detemine the look and feel of your project. This is why you will always be happier with the design of a custom website than with a cheap or free solution.
- If your budget and the scope of the project allows for it, the “Design Phase” can include any number of the following items: Site Mockups, Wireframes, User Experience Design, Shopping Cart Flow Process, E-Commerce Optimization, User Testing, Interaction Design, Marketing Objectives, User Signup Process, Photoshop Layout and Design, and more.
- Conversion Optimization occurs at this point. Where we walk through a page or process to make everything focused on your One Goal for that portion of your website.
- After the design is completed, the website will need to be developed. This “Development Phase” is when the design comes to life as features are coded and the website moves from being a static drawing to becoming a clickable, interactive part of your business.
- “Testing Phase” comes next and we are nearing the finish line. The website is tested to make sure all the links and buttons work, fine tuned, tweaked, and made ready to by published for the general public to use.
- We have a “Wrap Up” phase where we give you a 30 day guarantee after the project is completed where we will fix any bugs and inconsistencies that arise. This is common because people have so many different devices, screen sizes, and choices for web browsers that we can’t possibly test every possible configuration.
- And like a car, ongoing maintenance, software and security updates, and content updates can be a part of the process. You can always give us a call if you need some help with your website in the future.
What’s a typical Small Business Website Process?
Most people asking this question want to know how long the website project will take. My usual answer is that most of the timeframe depends on you, the client. The most common reason a project will be delayed is because a client is too busy to meet the deadlines we set for website content.
You want an “About Us” page on the website. And we can put one in, but if you take a week to give us the photos and text to put on that page, the project might be delayed.
Once you understand that, and you’re able to make the website a temporary priority, we can move forward with the process efficiently.
So, what’s the normal process for a Small Business Website, and how long does it take?
- Discovery Phase- Set goals and desires for the website. 1-2 hours
- Pre-Design Phase- Fill out our questionaire, do some research and settle on priorities for the design- 1 week
- Design Phase- Put together an initial design and submit for approval- 1-2 weeks
- Optimization Phase- Work through the specific designs on the pages and processes optimized for conversion.
- Development Phase- Add bells and whistles to the website- 1-8 weeks depending on how complex the additional features are.
- Test the website, processes, proofread and tweak- 1 week
Normal projects for us take about a month from the time we’re able to start. At that point we either pass the project completely to the client or start an ongoing maintenance contract. Our only disclaimer is that for the process to progress smoothly, our clients need to submit their content at the deadlines to avoid delays in the process.
Next step:
Now that you understand our process, click here to find out how much a website will cost and what you can expect.