So how do you begin a Web site anyway?
Wild Dingo’s uber-organization turns the beast of the Web site project process into a tame purring kitten. There is a method to this madness of web site creation. Read on.
1. Start here by answering general questions. I’ll review your questionnaire and send you a more detailed questionaire which you will need to send back to me.
2. I’ll review your Web site needs, and may set up a phone call to answer any questions you or I have about your site or my qualifications.
3. After our discussion, I’ll provide you with a proposal based on our conversation and understanding about your Web site needs. The proposal will include a brief site architecture site map and an estimate. Please allow ample time to pull the estimate together.
4. If the estimate is approved, Wild Dingo will require you to sign a Consulting Agreement and a provide a 33% deposit based on the amount of the estimate.
5. I begin your project with project plan. It’s fairly detailed, involving much more than the site architecture, requiring some research time for marketing, creative and programming strategies. A project plan can include the following:
- Web site objectives
- How the site will be used
- Target market: demographics, psychographics, geographics, and any other “fix” that is appropriate
- Product/service description, benefits, niche
- Competitive analysis: those with Web sites and those without Web sites.
- Your differentiators from your competitors
- Site architecture with content plan
- Domain name strategy
- Web host strategy
- Creative strategy
- Programming strategy
- Search engine marketing strategy
- Call to action
- Production schedule
6. When the project plan is approved, we move forward into design (if that is part of your bid). I’ll provide you a few design ideas and from there we can choose one and refine it.
7. Once design is approved, programming begins. That is, the design of your site turns into an html page. During this time, I develop menus, site map, any special animations or programming features and will upload the site to a staged server for you to see while it is being programmed.
8. At the same time, content (copy, photography, illustration) is being developed for each page. Content can be developed a number of ways which is pre-determined during the proposal stage:
- Fully written by you, (the client). Wild Dingo would only be responsible for uploading the copy “as is.” (The most cost efficient).
- Written by you (the client) with guidance from Wild Dingo on content strategy and copy editing. Many of my clients prefer this method, as it involves less of my time, but utilizes my marketing and copywriting knowledge.
- Fully written and developed by Wild Dingo. (The most costly.)
9. Once content is complete, it is uploaded into the programmed “shell” pages.
10. The site is loaded to the server, staged for your final review.
11. Upon approval, the site gets uploaded to your server, tested a final time and is launched!
What’s next?
Well naturally, you don’t want your site to be static and boring. Hopefully, you’ll want your visitors to return. That means, you’ll need to keep your site fresh with content. Wild Dingo offers maintenance services to keep your site updated and alive.