When a client comes to me needing a website developed there are many things that need to be done before cranking out any code or doing any concepts. In this post is where i’m going to discuss the general process that works for me in achieving a good website for my clients.
Step 1 ) Discussing the job at hand with my client.
- I will either discuss the website development with my client over the phone or Via Email / Messenger Chat.
After we’ve discussed the overall basics I have an in depth Client Questionnaire that all of my clients fill out….The questionnaire is structured so I can get the exact specifics of the project at hand while making sure my clients know exactly what they want.
Some questions / info I include for my clients to fill out is:
- General Contact Information
- An in depth description of what they’re wanting
- I ask them to give me a color pallete that they’d like for me to work with
- I always ask for them to send any designs / images / text / photos that they already possess so I can get a feel for what they already like, and so I can incorporate it into their site
- I ask for an exact page count that they want for their site, including the exact pages (ex: About Us, Shop, FAQ, etc.)
- I ask for my clients to provide some visual examples of pre-existing web sites / designs so I can get a good idea of what they find visually appealing.
- I have a section that they can tell me about themselves….Whether it be a bio about their professional life, what they like to do….just about anything can be put here. It just lets me get to know my clients a little more and be more personable.
- I always ask where they heard about Awaken
- Lastly I leave a blank field for any information that they would like to include.
- This process generally takes the longest, and rightfully so. If you dont start out with a solid understanding of your clients needs you will ultimately not satisfy them in the end, that’s my take atleast.
Step 2 ) Payment
- After you’ve come to a full understanding of what your clients needs are develop an exact quote for their project.
How I develop my quotes is pretty simple. I figure in the amount of hours that the project will take to finish in full, multiply it by my hourly rate and send over the PDF copy of their invoice / quote / terms of service and agreements.
When the invoice is approved we will work out the payment via paypal, credit card, check / money order through the mail. Or for local transactions I accept cash / checks.
Step 3 ) Study Up!
- One of the most important things to do is study your clients competition / industry type. Not only are you going to gain some inspiration from what is already the standard in their industry, but you’re going to know how to out-do the market….and that is what your client will need in order for them to rise to the top!
Say you’re working for a small clothing line: You could research some bigger brands that are within their target demographic. See what their competitors are doing right, and see what could use some improvement. You can draw a lot of inspiration from your research, and really see what needs to be put into place (or not) for your clients website so they are on point with their target audience.
Step 4 ) Design / Development Compositions
- I always feed on the inspiration that my clients have lined out for me in STEP 1 for the Design portion of the site. If they have pre-existing designs or a logo I will typically base the website design around it and the colour pallete that they’ve came up with.
- I develop the coding structure for the page layouts / structure, stylesheets, backend setups for blogs / shopping carts, etc.
(I will eventually post a design process blog with the specs of my work flow)
Step 5 ) Previews
- After you’ve developed something that you feel is worthy of showcasing to your client, do so….make sure it’s within a reasonable time frame though. You really want to keep your clients in the loop as to what they’re spending their money on.
In the case of web developments keep a live test page online so they can get a feel for what the site will look and function like, and keep it updated when you make changes.
-Another thing that i’ve started testing out is keeping a progress journal online for my specific clients to view. My clients have this URL on hand to check whenever they please, and I update it every time I make progress on their project. This is very convenient for them so they can stay up to date easier.
Step 6 ) Revisions
- In most cases the revision process doesn’t take too long, this is true because i’ve completed Steps 1-3 to the fullest…..I’ve listened to their specific needs / wants, and saw what is beneficial for them throughout my studies.
- I get revisions out in as little as 1 day with some projects, and I typically make sure I take no longer than 3-5 (some exceptions apply when it’s a very large project). In any case, this is the part of the process that needs to be expedited, because by this point you know what is working or not working for your client. I develop on the strong points of the website, correct any mistakes they see, and get that baby ready to launch!!
Step 7 ) Post it!
- When your client is ready to go with the final revised version, post it!
- After the launching of my clients projects I like to post a blog here to promote it, make a post on Twitter, and post it in my portfolio.
This is a very brief description of the process that I take with my clients, but I hope that is was informative for you to see the process that is taken to develop the planning / completion of my sites. Keep checking here as i’m really hoping to get a visual walk-through of the processes I take while developing the design portion of the sites!
Thanks,
-Anthony
