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The Consultation |
The first step in developing a web
site is a meeting between developer and client in which key elements of
the project are discussed.
During this meeting the client has an
opportunity to describe their business and web site objectives. This is
the perfect time to learn and ask questions about various types of web
sites and the production process.
To give the client background
information about the costs associated with different types of sites,
general pricing and terms should be presented. Site concepts can be
discussed, formulated, and agreed upon at this time.
The Draft
After the
site concept has been discussed and agreed upon, a draft of the site
should be presented. This draft should include a mock up of the homepage,
key sub pages, and a site map. Estimates and a tentative production
schedule should also be furnished at this time.
This material should be
reviewed carefully, as this is the best time to make alterations to the
project. |
| The
Production Process |
When the draft has been approved and
alterations have been specified, production on the web site can begin.
Generally the client will supply the copy and photos for the project.
Proofing of this material should be done before submitting it to the
developer.
Many developers will provide work in progress sites allowing
you to view the progression of the site.
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| The Site
Presentation |
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After the
site is completed but before publishing, the client should be given an
opportunity to review the site, make revisions, and approve the completed
alterations. |
|
Publishing the
Site |
| Publishing the site involves moving the
site data to the clients domain (yourcompany.com), submitting the site to
the popular search engines, and site marketing. The site will be available
for viewing immediately after the data is moved to the clients domain and
will appear in search engine listings one to four weeks after submission.
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| Site
Maintenance |
Unlike a brochure or printed ad, a web site is not a
stagent piece of copy; it can be updated and expanded at will. How a site
is updated, and who will perform the updates, should be discussed with the
developer, during the original planning stage.
Some developers offer
reports displaying the traffic a site is generating as a on demand or
continuing service. This information can show the traffic by the hour,
day, week, and month. Other reports are available include detailed records
of visitors, pages visited, how long the visitor stayed per page, and the
originating .com, .net or .org.
Site maintenance can and should include a scheduled
program of checking that the web site is still listed in the popular
search engines and if not a resubmission to any search engine/s that has
dropped a site from its index. Higher levels of maintenance can include
traffic analysis and the recoding of pages to maximize
traffic
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