Our Process
Our Web Design process made simple
Commissioning a website for your business can be a little daunting. For some people it is a completely new experience and for others it may be the first time they have used Access by Design as their website designer. To make things easier for our clients we have outlined here the process we follow when we design a website.
Establishing what you need
When you approach Access by Design, the first step will be an initial meeting with our Sales Director who will discuss with you in detail what you need from a website. From this we make up a quotation detailing all the work involved and how much this will cost.
Designing a Logo for you
If you are a new business or a business looking for a rebrand, then we usually start the web design process by designing you a logo. In order to deliver a logo which matches your business and your likes and dislikes, we ask you to fill in our online Brief Questionnaire.
Registering a domain
A domain name is the identification name of your website (e.g. access-bydesign.com). It is often the name of your company, but can also be a description of your business which may serve you better in terms of Search Engine Optimisation. If you do not own a domain name, you will need to choose one. We can advise you on which domains would be suitable for your business and whether or not they are available. If your site has an existing domain name, then you will need to transfer it to our control so that we can use it to build your new site. If you do not want to have your existing website offline whilst the new one is being built, then you will need to buy a domain for the interim period.
Delivering the ‘look’ you want
In order to meet your expectations, we need to get the right ‘look’ for your site. We will ask you to fill in an online Web Design Brief Questionnaire and using this information we design two or three ‘mock-up’ layouts using your logo and branding (but with dummy text and images) from which you can make a choice.
Choosing your design
At this point you have to use your imagination a little. You will be choosing the general layout for your website, but small changes can still be made. You need to concentrate on whether the core elements are in the right place and everything is included. Once you are happy with your chosen design you ‘sign off’ which means that the design is set and no more major changes can be made.
The development process
During this stage we will be hard at work programming the website to include all of the functionality you request.
Choosing images for your website
If you have your own images, then we can use them, as long as they are high quality and delivered to us in electronic format. If you want to use stock imagery you can choose them from our image provider and we will buy them on your behalf.
Words for your website
You will need to submit the words (or copy) for your website at an early stage and in a clearly structured way. If you would prefer to have your website professionally written, we have a copy writer on our team who can research and write about your business for you.
Final Sign Off
Once the working website has been completed, you will be asked to look at it and ‘sign off’ on the final version. By this time, all of your images and words will have been added, all functionality will be working and only the final checks will remain.
Final Checks
We have a two week testing period during which we ensure that your website works properly. We test it on all the major browsers, create the different style sheets for the different text versions and carry out a systematic check of the settings. For a short time, the website will be ‘live’ whilst these checks are carried out.
Launch
On a date agreed with you, we launch the site, making it visible to the Search Engines and submitting it to Google.
Training
Shortly after launch, we train you to be able to control your website, unless you have arranged to have an ongoing maintenance contract.
Post Launch Meeting
At the end of the process and once training has been completed, we arrange a meeting to view your statistics via our sophisticated statistics gathering software. We explain what these statistics mean and how you can use them for effective marketing.