Website Development
Our website development strategy
Developing a website is a pretty complex process that takes a lot of time. As an experienced website developer in Adelaide and Australia, we know to get this process right.
Your website's long-term success depends on how much time and energy your website developer invests. The competition is tough these days, and you cannot settle for a simple website, but you have to stand out so that users notice, visit, and browse. A boring plain content of a page will not draw people's attention even for a second.
Unique, custom-developed websites attract quality traffic and convert visitors into clients. Suppose you want to make the browsing experience enjoyable and informative for your visitors. In that case, you need a website that functions well, has an intuitive interface, modern design, and strong content. In this case, your visitors will take their time to explore your website instead of leaving it the second it loads - which is, by the way, another ranking factor for search engines.
Below are some "secret project stages" we usually implement:
Stage 1. Gathering all information for custom website development
First, we start by collecting information from the client. This step is the most important in the entire process. Think about it, if at this stage we have a big misunderstanding or our priorities are not in line with those of the customer, the finished product will be incorrect, and the customer confused.
To ensure that we, as a website developer, obtain all of this information, we have our customers fill out a multi-page brief. Our customers fill out this brief and answer specific details about their company or business, their competitors, and what advantages their company has over others like it.
Once the brief is complete, our design and development team begins its research. On average, we explore at least a dozen competitors' websites to distil the industry's best ideas in which we will be building the site. We then improve upon these ideas and incorporate them into our plan for our customer's website.
Stage 2. Initial content review by the website developer
This step runs in parallel with the creation of the site through the entire development process. The reason is that we will inevitably gather more and more information from you as the process proceeds through each step.
When filling the site with good content, we start with the home page and the main internal pages. Although the content will be finalised at a later stage, having these pages already populated allows us to develop a design prototype based on the content's layout.
When we say content, we do not only mean text. The content also includes visual information such as photos, videos and charts. It is essentially anything and everything that we need visitors to see. Most of this content taken from the older website, but we also advise that you need not be shy in hiring a professional photographer and a copywriter as the site progresses.
Stage 3. Website design prototyping
You could have drawn the site's layout from the beginning, but it is better to wait to do so until all of the project's main components are in place.
Every designer will do it differently, but here at our Web Agency make prototypes of the main page and every small page on the entire site.
In summary, we make the prototypes of all pages on the website, beginning with the largest and most important, and show them to clients. The client may remember that they wanted a specific module on the homepage where our developer originally placed the client's business title. Using minimal effort, the designer can rearrange the page to fit the customer's tastes but is still aesthetically up to par. Most important about this step is that it does not proceed further until the client has entirely approved each prototype. This ensures their satisfaction and prevents confusion and misunderstanding down the road.
Stage 4. Custom website development
Now we enter the step that is arguably one of the most important for clients: design. The prototype passed to the design team, who has already been working with the prototypes and client from the start and clearly understands what the client is trying to say with their website. We arrange an active discussion around the specific website design needs of the client.
As with the prototypes, we start by working with the client on the homepage of their site. From our experience, we know that this is where most questions will arise. The client is, after all, choosing the face of their company online. We do not move past this stage without the client's approval because this selection sets the design theme for the rest of the website.
Once we set up the homepage design and layout, we can quickly integrate that scheme throughout the entire site since the general theme is already established.
Stage 5. Front-end website development and programming
The next stage of the creative process is the programming phase. This phase can last from four to eight weeks for an average-sized project. During this phase, the client takes a back seat as the technical details hammered behind the scenes.
Having already prepared a detailed outline of all the site pages, the project manager passes it over to the website developer. That developer then installs the Content Management System (CMS) and programs all of the site's necessary modules.
The goal of this step is not merely to scrape together the code needed to launch the site. Instead, our developers work to make the site run as efficiently and quickly as possible, and doing so requires intense analysis and review. The main blocks of code will be reviewed by many different people, including the lead developer for the project. The whole site then passes through an Alpha testing to ensure that our efficiency standards are met.
Stage 6. Website testing by the website developer
At this stage, the website is drawn out, programmed, and ready for use on a genuine internet browser, but still only for the development team.
The first phase of testing is populating the rest of the website with relevant texts, images etc. This is done through the content management system, which inadvertently checks the functionality of the CMS itself and the semantic integrity of the website.
The goal is to ensure that genuine users visit the site by the time there will be no errors that could spoil the site's impression or business. We especially want to avoid the kind of mistakes that would cause visitors to leave the site in seconds.
Stage 7. Website launch and presentation
This is our favourite step in the website development process.
Like a child's birth, a custom website's finished product always brings a smile to our clients' face. It is the culmination of several months of hard work by a group of people and gives everyone something to be proud of. The developers take pride in their work, while the customer takes pride in their company.
If you want to experience the magic of website development from start to finish, give us a call! We treat every project we take on as the most important one of our lives!
Even the most beautiful and modern sites are of no value until they begin to reach the goals set before them.
What to do with the website after it is done
While it is vital to make a website and have it built most efficiently, you need also understand that the process does not end after its launch. It would be best if you then began to work with the site to make it work for you. In other words, your site should start to bring you new customers and business. Even the most beautiful and modern sites are of no value until they begin to reach their goals.
Every company will have goals unique to its sphere of business and development stage. Still, these goals will all remain unattainable without a consistent flow of new visitors to your website. This is why when we develop sites, we always incorporate search engine optimisation and social media marketing into the framework of the website from the very beginning. Driving targeted traffic to a website is a core tenet of success in the online world.
Nowadays, pay-per-click companies are too expensive with relatively low returns on your dollar. On the other hand, organic SEO has proven to bring about excellent results over a long time.
Stay tuned for more information about what you should do with your site after it is up and running.
Other web development services
If you want something more specific, or even don’t know exactly what’s best for your business then don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our experts will go through your challenges and goals with you and help you find the perfect solution.
GET IN TOUCH TO FIND OUT MORE
Talk to one of our software development experts to learn more about how we can help your business.
CONTACT US
0435 137 974