Website design process

Step 1: Quotation

We start the process by having you fill out our questionnaire. This gathers information about your company, services, audience, purpose and site goals as well as an indication of the look and feel you require for your website. We use this information to help us deliver an accurate quote, though we will also telephone you first to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Step 2: Order & data gathering

Once you are ready to place an order, we will send you a proforma invoice and then we will need the following from you:

• a deposit of 50% of the price agreed
• copies of your existing printed information
• the specific words you require on each page of your website, as well as pictures and graphics (e.g. buildings, people, logos, products, previous projects, etc.) – we can provide copyright-free pictures for most subjects, as well as maps for your location or area-covered page, and we can arrange photography if required
• a list of the email accounts you require setting up (e.g. sales@yourdomain.com, inquiries@yourdomain.com) as well as an indication of whether they should use forwarding or POP3 and, if you want any auto-responses, the brief text for each response

Step 3: Design

When we have received your order and deposit, we will do the following:

• we will register your domain name(s) (or arrange a transfer, if you already have one or more) – with your name or company name recorded as domain owner – and set up your e-mail accounts
• apart from designing the web pages themselves, resizing of photos, photo optimisation, color sampling (if you want to match a corporate color to your site design), logo design and similar tasks are all done during this phase of the website design process
• we aim to produce your home page within 5 working days – this will be the first draft and we will amend it until you are satisfied
• when you have approved the home page (i.e. the look and feel of your whole site), we will start on the other pages of your website
• after the approval of the home page, we normally take between 5-10 days to complete all the pages, depending on the size and complexity of your website.
• we will then arrange to show you the first draft of the completed site (either online or in person) – if you request any changes, we will make them
• once you have approved the completed website, we will require the balance payment of 50%

Step 4: Publication

When we receive the balance payment, we will do the following:

• using our chosen hosting company, we will publish your website online – where millions of people can see it at any time of the day or night!
• this starts your first year of web and email hosting
• we will immediately promote your website to the search engines, web directories, local and subject specific directories – but please be aware that it can take weeks and even months to be added to the main web search engines and directories for the first time
• you should also now start advertising the site yourself, notifying trade associations, telling business acquaintances and publishing the information on your standard print material such as brochures and business cards
• we want to ensure that you are completely happy with your website, so we will make any minor changes you require in the first 30 days at no charge

Step 5: Support

• if you experience any problems with your website (e.g. wrong links, incorrect text, missing images), then email a description of the problem and we will try to fix it within 1 working day
• we will send you a regular email with an executive summary of your website statistics
• a website must be kept up-to-date to reflect changes in your business or marketplace and to keep your clients coming back – we will be glad to quote for carrying out cost-effective one-off or regular revisions, updates and other maintenance work on your website for you