Website Design Process

The Process: How We Produce Websites

Listed below are common steps we take to plan, design, and produce your custom designed web site.

1 The Initial Meeting: These meetings can occur at your place of business or over the phone. The initial meeting usually lasts about an hour and are free and without obligation. We ask that you fill out our Estimate Request Form before an initial consultation. This form helps you to gather the information we need to know to discuss your project.

In this initial meeting, we will answer any questions you might have and find out more about the kind of web site you are planning or considering. The purpose is to provide you with enough information to allow you to decide whether or not you would like to work with NC Web Pros and for us to determine if your project is one we want to take on.

2Estimate Preparation: If, after the initial consultation, you decide to go forward, we'll proceed to prepare a Proposal/Estimate. Sometimes further communication by phone, email, or in person is necessary to clarify the scope and nature of the work to be done. When we have adequate information, we will then write a set of specifications for your web site with a cost estimate.

3Signing of Agreement: NC Web Pros prepares a standard contract including a detailed description of the planned web site and a cost estimate. 1/3 of the total estimated cost is due upon signing of the Agreement.

4Content Gathering: Content must be gathered (provided by the client) before construction can begin on the website. NC Web Pros will help with providing stock photography if needed, but unless optional copywriting services are purchased, text for each page of the website must come from the client. It's important to be aware that a web site project does require work on your part and the time it takes to get your site live on the Internet is largely due to how fast we receive content.

5Final Design of Site Structure and Dynamic Applications: NC Web Pros will finalize detailed plans for the site structure (the way information is arranged and how navigation will work) as well as for any dynamic (database-driven) applications. Work on databases and data-driven pages can often begin during this phase as well.

6Page Layout Drafts: Next, page layout and visual design begins. The site's Main Page is designed first. NC Web Pros produces a draft based upon the content, needs, and preferences provided, and uploads this site to a private location on the Internet where the client can view it. The client's feedback is solicited, and this feedback used to produce a second draft. Once more, client feedback is used to make another round of changes, and these changes are expected to produce a final draft.

The same process is used for any other page designs required for the site.

At specified benchmarks during the project, NC Web Pros will invoice you for subsequent payments. After page layouts are approved, the second payment is due.

7Database Building and Dynamic Application Coding: NC Web Pros creates any databases needed, as well as the code for all dynamic pages. These applications are tested thoroughly.

8Coding of Actual Pages: The approved page designs are now used as templates. Text and graphic content is "plugged in" and adjusted for a perfect layout. Dynamic page code is added to page templates.

9Final Site Testing: The site is thoroughly tested. You'll have another chance to review it for any minor changes or corrections, and NC Web Pros tests the pages on numerous browsers, on different platforms, and at different browser window sizes and resolution settings, correcting any remaining errors.

10Site Launch: Payment balance is due and payable before site is uploaded to the server and is "live".

11Ongoing Maintenance & SEO: We are pleased to handle your ongoing maintenance through one of our site maintenance packages or enroll you in our Organic SEO program.