Web Site Design Process
I use a design process consisting of multiple tasks spanning five different phases in the design life cycle.
Phase 1 - Content Development
Your content is what you present to the world and must be prepared for publication. Text will need proofreading, photos may need cropping or touching up, and video may need to be compressed or edited for display. The content must also be optimized for search engines and any functional requirements, such as forms or interactive features, must be detailed and developed.
Phase 2 - Graphic Design
custom graphic design can be very expensive, but by customizing one of the thousands of professionally designed templates available from online sources, you can have a fantastic looking site for a fraction of the cost.
I will help you choose the perfect template and customize it to fit your specific needs. check out template monster to see some of the templates available to get an idea of what the possibilities are.
Phase 3 - Testing
Testing is completed before going 'live' with the site to debug and eliminate as many potential problems as possible. There are some things, however, that can only be tested once the site is up and running.
Phase 4 - Deployment
Once your site is deployed, 'live' testing begins to address and eliminate any problems that may arise. It is also immediately after deployment that the information tracking begins for analytics reports.
Phase 5 - Maintenance
A web site is dynamic. It needs new content and design updates to keep it fresh. The site may also need to grow and encompass more than what the original project considered.
template selection tips
with so many templates available, choosing the correct one can be a daunting task. Here are some tips to consider when looking for the right template.
Exact Match
Selecting a template designed specifically for your business is helpful, but not required. A template that fits the layout and color scheme you desire is more important than finding a template for your specific business or project
Built-in Features
Take advantage of the built-in interactive features that most templates come with. Many have sliders, interactive menus, and creative ways to use images in the site
Regular Price vs Unique Prices
When a template is purchased, you have the option to pay the regular priced template or the unique, or buyout price. The unique price is usually in the thousands of dollars because if you purchase the unique template, it is no longer available to be sold to anyone else. Generally, this isn't necessary, it is extremely unlikely two web sites would have the same template within close enough proximity (both locally and virtually) to have an impact on the other. Save the thousands of dollars and get the regular priced template.