The Process of Building a Website

On a frequent basis, I run into people who have questions about what actually happens during the process of building a website. In this article, I'll walk through my process of how I work with my clients to deliver amazing branded web experiences.

The Initial Conversation

In most cases, my client engagements begin with a conversation or introduction where, once we have talked a bit, the topic of what we do professionally comes up. Once I explain that I design websites and branded web experiences, the prospect usually asks something along the lines of "how much would you charge me to build my website?"

Pricing is a topic I cover in greater detail in my other article "The cost of building a website in 2022", but for now, I will be focusing on the production process and administrative tasks will be covered in a separate post.

The Kickoff Meeting

During the initial kickoff meeting, the client and I discuss first and foremost the core purpose of the website, specifically because this will be the guiding reference for our design decisions. In order for a website to be effective, it must meet the following criteria at a minimum:

1. Focus on a specific topic that the user is searching for

2. Be structured in a way that keeps users engaged with the primary task they visited your website for

3. Have a proper balance of content and imagery to not overwhelm the user

4. Ensure that all links, buttons, navigation, and form elements function for their intended purpose.

5. Include consistent navigation and visual design across the entire website experience

When discussing the primary goals of the website design, these focus points are crucial in designing a web experience that is not only visually appealing, but also accurately represents the client's brand and works toward their goals.

Once the client and the designer have defined the core objective of the website, the specific problem this website is meant to solve, the discussion then transitions to topics such as visual design preferences, colors, typography, and other factors that will impact the final experience.

The Design Phase

The design phase of the project will be different for every designer. in my experience, I begin the design phase with a process called wireframing. Wireframing is the equivalent of creating a blueprint of the website's page structure. The initial conversations with the client provide the foundational information I use to concept an initial outline of how the website's content will be structured. This can be done digitally, or on paper in the form of sketches as shown in this example:

If the client has provided the designer with written content at the start of the project, it can be used to create the logical structure and order of how your website content will be displayed on screen using wireframes. Once the foundational blueprint of the website is completed, the visual design process can begin.

When we speak about visual design, we are referring to the appearance of colors, typography, button styles, patterns, galleries, forms and any other aspect of the site that will be displayed on screen to the user. The design of these elements will impact the ways in which users engage with your content and how they complete the tasks they came to your website to do.

The Development (Coding) Phase

After the design process is completed and a high-fidelity design is mocked up for reference, the development process can begin. This is the stage in the process when the visual design shown in the wireframes is converted into an interactive, functioning website. The platform you decide to build your website on will play a major part in the amount of time needed to build the interactive version.WIX and Squarespace are 2 of the most popular platforms for people to easily build websites using drag and drop editors, while WordPress is a robust platform that allows for in-depth content management. The timeline for this stage of the project can vary depending on the functionality being included on your website. Contact forms, galleries, number of individual page layouts, and databases are all elements that could potentially extend the timeline needed for development.

Delivery and Launch

When the website has been fully composed into a final version, you, as a client, can expect to receive a packaged deliverable from your designer. In most cases, it should include some variation of the following components:

• The login information to your website hosting and domain providers with instructions*

• A style guide containing all of your brand's visual styles, themes, and patterns

• Imagery for social media platforms (cover photos, profile photos, etc)

• All finalized logo files (SVG, PNG, PDF, JPEG - include PSD and other layered files)

• Instructional guidelines for updating and maintaining your website

• Website Updates/Maintenance Package Details

These core components will allow you, as a client, to not only access your website, but also make updates at your leisure. Every designer has their own individual process, but these deliverables provide a high level glance at what you can expect to receive from your designer when your website goes live.

Post-Launch and Website Maintenance

Now that your new website is up, running, and available on the web, let's take a moment to talk about updating and maintaining your website. There will be times when you will want or need to make updates to your website, which is why establishing a maintenance plan with your designer is crucial at the beginning of the project. Although your website may provide you with the ability to make changes on your own, your designer will be there for you to contact for assistance with updates should you need their help with updates. For my clients, I provide a number of built-in personalized training on how to update their website upon launch.

Conclusion

Although it may be possible to get a website up and running overnight, this most likely will not be the case with a high quality website. The process of building a website may be intimidating at first, but with the right designer on your project, you will have the tools and guidance you need to achieve the results you want.