So you want a Web site...
Here is a step-by-step guide of how the Web design process works when you work with us.
STEP I - Preliminary Preparations:
- Fill Out Questionnaire
We designed a Questionnaire that will help you to organize your ideas for a Web site and will help us to learn about you, your company, your corporate image, and the type of Web site you are looking for. - Read Services Agreement and Sign
Services Agreement must be signed before work will commence. - Gather Materials Together
Get together any photos or other images that you would like on your Web site. We would also be interested in seeing any other corporate materials - catalogs, brochures, print advertisements, etc. - that may help to familiarize us with your company. - Start Thinking About Home Page Text
If you have any ideas about what you would like to say on the home page of your Web site (or on any other page), go ahead and write them down. - Think About A Domain Name
If you don't already have a domain name (i.e., www.yourcompany.com), you will need to start thinking about what domain name you would like. Pick something that is easy to remember, relates to your company, and is not difficult to spell. To see if a domain name is available, you can go to www.directnic.com and do a search. - Make Appointment With Us For A Consultation
Contact us via email (sales@designbyangela.com) or phone (617.964.0524) to set up an appointment to discuss your Web site. If you live in the Boston area and we can meet in person, great! If not, we can set up a time for a phone appointment. Please bring with you (or send prior to our phone appointment): the Questionnaire, signed Services Agreement, materials for the Web site (photos, images, etc.), and text ideas.
At the Consultation, we will review the Questionnaire, the photos and other materials you have brought or sent, and come up with a fairly concrete "blueprint" for your Web site.
The goals of the Consultation are to:
- Familiarize us with you and your business.
- Familiarize you with our services and the Web design process.
- Determine the general look and feel of the Web site.
- Discuss the purpose of and the audience for your Web site.
- Determine the basic navigational structure of the Web site (i.e. the pages of your Web site and how they will relate to one another).
- Determine whether you would like us to set up your domain name and Web hosting service for you.
- Determine whether it is or will be your goal to promote your site on the major search engines and directories (i.e., Yahoo, Google, Overture, etc.).
- Provide us with any photos, images, or text that you would like on the site, especially those you would want on the home page (others can, of course, be added later).
- Provide you with a chance to ask any questions you may have.
STEP 3 - The Work Begins
Based on our discussions at the Consultation, we will create a prototype for your Web site. We will come up with a design for your home page and an outline for the rest of the Web site. We will upload the prototype so that you can view it from your computer and have a chance to review it.
Step 4 - The Work Continues
When you have had a chance to review and critique the prototype, make some notes and contact us. We will incorporate any changes and ideas you may have until we come up with a design that you are happy with. When you are satisfied with the design and organization of the site, you will pay us the balance of the fee for the Planning Stage. At this time, you may also want to send us any additional photos, images, or text that you would like on your Web site.
STEP 5 - Search Engine Preparation
One of the most important steps in creating a Web site is setting it up so that it can be found easily on search engines. In order to do this, we will need to come up with a list of keywords and phrases that apply to your Web site. These are the words that people will type into a search engine to find your site. The keywords will be inserted into the code of your Web site so that the "spiders" of the Web world will be able to reference your site. These keywords will be reiterated in the titles and text of your Web pages for stronger emphasis and will also be used for submitting to Web indexes and directories such as Yahoo. There is a flat fee for Web Site Promotion (this does not include fees from any 3rd parties such as Yahoo).
STEP 6 - Site Creation
Once we have all the information and materials that we need, we will create you a wonderful Web site! All work done from this point forward will be done at our hourly rate, unless otherwise noted. You will be billed monthly or upon project completion.
STEP 7 - Final Approval
When we have finished your Web site, we will upload it so that you can view it from your computer and have a chance to review and test it. We will work together to get it just right.
STEP 8 - Domain Name/ Web Host Set Up
If you didn't have a domain name and Web hosting service prior to working with us, we will set up all that for you. (This step may happen earlier in the Web design process, depending on the needs of your site).
STEP 9 - Site Launch - Tah Dah!
Once you have given the final approval for your Web site, we have set up the domain name and Web hosting service (and any other 3rd party services), and we have received our final payment, we will put your Web site up under your domain name.
STEP 10 - Promotion
No, we're not done yet! Now that you have a fabulous Web site, you need to get the word out. For your part, it is now time to tell everyone you know about your new Web site and to put your Web site address on EVERYTHING - your business cards, invoices, stationery, etc. Asking friends or colleagues to put a link to your site from theirs is another good way to get the word out (and improve search engine rankings).
We can help you to get the word out by promoting the site to all the major search engines and directories. Some of them charge a flat rate to submit your site to (for example, Yahoo), some of them have a Pay-Per-Click payment system (for example, Overture), and many of them are free. We can discuss all of this in detail when the time comes. In the meantime, if you want to learn anything about search engines and how they work, www.selfpromtion.com is an excellent resource.
sales@designbyangela.com
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