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Building you a website

This is the process that WebWeaver Productions follows when building websites for individual clients, and it's pretty similar to the way that most web design companies work. We would work through this process together if we designed and built you a website.

Examples of websites I've designed and/or built for individual clients (most recent first):

The web design process

Step one - identifying reasons, uses and functionality

We begin by identifying:

why you want a website
what you want your website to do for you
your target market.

You may already have the answers to these questions, and if you don't, I can help explore the possibilities. The more focused you can be about your objectives, the more effective your website will be.

There are many reasons for developing a website, and many uses and functions that can be incorporated into it. We'll work out the best combination for your needs. We'll look at:

who your website is for
how your users will find it
what they want to do once they get there.

We'll design it so that:

your users get what they came for
it is as accessible and user-friendly as possible
it works as a marketing tool for you
your website achieves your goals.

Step two - scoping

Once we've identified why you want a website and what it will do, I'll work on site plans and scoping so that we know exactly how your website will work.

Scoping is a bit like creating a website on paper. We figure out:

the different areas of the site
the various functions that visitors will be able to carry out
how users will navigate around the site.

We work logically, and we get inside the head of your users - so that we can be sure that they will easily get what they came for, and that your site will achieve its aims for you.

Step three - design

Once we've scoped the site I'll create a design which is both beautiful and practical. It's important that:

your website reflects your company brand
the "feel" of the site is in harmony with the "feel" of your company.

My design will be a combination of functional layout and graphics which reflect your company, its branding and its values.

Step four - site build and development

I'll build your site using robust and perfect coding, so that it works properly, whatever your users are viewing it on. I generally build websites in HTML using CSS. Your website will validate to WC3 HTML coding standards and will be fully accessible to all users. I aim to meet and exceed e-Government guidelines for all the websites I build.

Step five - integration into a Content Management System

Many of my clients want to be able to update and manage their own website these days, so I work with an awesome programmer, Tom St George, who integrates the pages I've built into a Content Management System (CMS). This allows you to update and edit your website without having to know any HTML coding, and releases you from having to pay for an expert to do it. We often recommend either Expression Engine, SilverStripe or WordPress, but we can explore other options with you if you want.

Step six - testing and search engines

Before your site goes live, it's fully tested online. I can also:

submit your site to all the major search engines, having ensured that the content and layout of the site are optimised for search engine listing.

Step seven - go-live and follow-up

The site goes live, we celebrate. But this is just the beginning. I can:

monitor how well your site is doing on the search engines
track your users as they navigate your site
identify both popular and under-used areas of the site and develop these in different ways
undertake regular maintenance and updates of your site if you don't want to do it yourself
teach you how to build your own website.