Step 1: Discovery

The discovery process is when we learn about your business. We don't believe we can build an accurate web site for a company we do not understand. During this process we like to gather as much information about our client as possible, including marketing and public relations information, history, and a list of products and services. It is also during this process when we discuss where the web site will live (hosting) once it has been developed.

Step 2: Mapping

Mapping your web site essentially consists of putting it all down on paper with text and, ideally, also a visual layout of the web site's content with suggestions for look and feel. This information will be drawn from collaboration between the client and the Portland WebSmith lead web consultant.

Step 3: Cost Projection

We can only give a cost projection once a content map has been created. Once an estimate has been given, and we have received client approval, the estimate becomes a quote. The quote will not increase unless the client increases the size of the project. Often times the project's final cost is less than the original quote.

Step 4: Pre-Production & Design

Pre-production is when we go to the "drawing board" to create a prototype for what your web site will look like. Again we will have gathered as much input from the client as possible before beginning a prototype. Some clients like to have total control and some give the designer complete creative license. We are flexible to our clients needs. Once we have a prototype that has been approved, we move into full production and design.

Step 5: Production & Design

This is the part where we begin inputting all major contents into the site. During this process, as we progress, we post our customer's web site live within our own web site for our client to preview. We do ask that our client hold comments until the next step in development.

Step 6: User Test & Customer Preview

The user test is designed to learn as much as we can about the look, feel, content and functionality of our customer's web site. For large commercial web sites, we gather a formal group of 5-10 users, with varying levels of web surfing experience to give specific feedback about navigation, design, speed and content. In smaller business web sites, we simply ask the client to review their web site with other staff to study the site with great care and present all comments in printed form to us in a scheduled review meeting. All comments from both the user group and the client will be taken into the editing phase. 

Step 7: Editing Phase I

The editing phase is where we go back into production with the organized list of changes to be made. This phase tends to be a relatively quick process.

Step 8: Final Review

This is the part where we are gearing up to go live with our customer's web site. We go over every page, every graphic, every link, every word, and every sentence with our own staff and we ask that our client do the same. Once we make all final changes and edits to the site, we request client approval to move the site to the live location.

Step 9: Go Live

Going live is simple. We digitally send our customer's web site to the final hosting location, where it will live and the world may come to view it. Once the web site has moved to the live location, just to make sure, we check every link, every page, every graphic so that there are no flaws on line.

Step 10: Search Engine Registration

Once our customer’s site is live. How will people find it. One of many ways to find a web site is through search engines like Yahoo, Alta Vista, AOL Search, etc. As part of our follow-up plan to help your web site get found when web surfers are looking for what you have, we register with 25 major engines. We cannot guarantee that your web site will rank "number one" in a search engine’s database. However, we will get you into the database for each of these search engines. Please note that in a recent study conducted by Stat Market search sites accounted for less than 7% of global referrals. Please use traditional means of marketing to drive visitors to your web site.

To get started with your web site development project click here or call Portland WebSmith at 207-332-8066 or email ian@portlandwebsmith.com