What is included in custom "Web Development"? Many clients have asked us how the process actually works and what happens throughout the website development. This document explains the process from start to finish and gives you an idea of what you could expect when working with us. This is just a guideline, your development project may have needs that are not addressed here. Get started today!  Fill out our Website Design Quote or Web Planner. Web Development Project Phases           Planning Graphic Design Website Development Testing Launch Completion Hosting & Add-ons Hosting Optional Add-ons Planning Phase Website Development Quote If you have not already done so, you will want to take some time to think about what you wish to accomplish with your new website. Determine if you will need any special functionality or interactivity with your visitors; consider the type of design style which appeals to you and then be sure to let us know.  It is suggested that you complete our Web Planner. When you are ready, please request your free, no-obligation Website design quote. Needs Analysis Based on the information you provided when requesting your Website design quote, we attempt to determine your needs, what you are expecting from your website, and try to get a feel for your industry. This is why it is important for you to be as detailed as possible when requesting your quote. We may have questions for you to help clarify certain issues and we will express those before quoting on your project. If we believe that your website development project could benefit from our services and skills, we will quote you on your project. Website Development Contract Once we have come to an agreement on project details, timeline and price, we will prepare a website development contract for you to review, sign and send back with your deposit. (Contracts are not required for projects under $1,500.00.) Initial Deposit The signed contract and 50% deposit is required before we schedule a time slot for your project. The remainder of your balance will be due upon project completion. Once we have received your 50% deposit and signed contract, we will provide you with a copy of the fully executed contract, a receipt for your deposit and your project start date. All projects are scheduled on a “first come, first served” basis. Domain name registration / Website Hosting If needed, we will immediay secure your desired domain name (pending availability). The domain is registered in your name with your information and you will be the only registrant contact on file. If you had requested hosting services, your first year of “Beginner” hosting will be included in your contract, for details regarding our “Beginner” hosting package, see hosting features below. (Hosting packages may be upgraded for an additional fee, if desired.) Top Graphic Design Phase Project Begins Upon receipt of your deposit and contract (if applicable), the developer in charge of your project will email you to confirm receipt of your deposit/contract, give you their direct contact information and possibly provide a list of items which will be needed from you over the course of development. You will need to let us know the navigation links you would like (such as home, about us, services, etc) and supply all text and/or product information to be included on your site. In addition, you may also supply material such as company logo, personal photos, etc, if desired. If you have any guide sites you would like us to refer to when designing your site or if you have any preference as to colors, style, etc please offer that information as well. For E-Commerce sites that require us to enter products for you, we will need you to supply an Excel spread sheet listing the following: Product Name, Unique Product ID Number (if any), Product "description", Options (if any – size, color, etc), Price, Approximate Weight, Number in Stock, as well as the product photos named in correspondence with the Product ID Number on the spread sheet. Ideally, all of the above information should be supplied prior to us getting started. Work will commence on your scheduled start date. The developer in charge of your project will contact you on that day to confirm that we are getting started. Custom Designed Website Concepts We will provide three possible custom designed home page concepts for your project. In most cases, we will be able to provide these designs within 3-5 business days following your start date. After you have reviewed the designs and decided which one you would like to use, we will continue to make modifications to the design until the final desired look is achieved. Once the final desired look is achieved, we will create the interior page layout, convert the design to HTML, add programming, etc. During this process, you will have the opportunity to review progress. In Progress Viewing We establish a private directory for your new website on our testing server so that you may view the website development progress at any time. In addition, your project manager will inform you via email when extensive updates to the site have been made so you can review the most recent progress. Top Website Development Programming / Coding All website development programming/coding to run any special features/visitor interactivity on your website is completed and tested. Website Pages Based upon your contract and the final design you selected, we create as many static or dynamic pages as needed to complete your site. Website Navigation Navigation links or drop down menus, and rollover effects, if desired, are completed. Site Map Creation of a site map page is done which includes easy one-click access to all pages of your site. Site Content Incorporation of your logo, photos and text content is included in all projects. Custom logo design is available for an additional fee, please contact us if interested. CSS Stylesheet CSS Stylesheets are used to define font faces, styles, sizes and colors for consistency throughout the site. Response Forms / Email Contact Forms We always recommend at least one contact form for your visitor’s convenience. Using a contact form, a visitor can email you directly from your website without needing to open their email program. This is especially convenient if a visitor is not using their own computer when their email program is not available. Top Testing Phase Search Engine Readiness Check Meta Tags, Page Titles, Page Heading, Alt Image Tags, Link Text, and Page Body Text evaluation and adjustment where needed throughout the website. At no time can we guarantee when or where the search engines will place your website within their search results or directory. Browser Compatibility Testing Your website is tested on a variety of operating systems and browsers to insure proper display and functionality. Grammar & Spell Check Before the website is launched, a grammar and spell check is performed to insure there are no mistakes. Dead Link Check A thorough check for misdirected links and missing files is performed just prior to as well as after the launch of the website. Forms / Programming Any email contact forms and/or programming features included in your project are tested to confirm they are functioning as required.   Launch Phase Final Payment Final payment is always due before we take the website live on your domain. Upon receipt of final payment, you will be emailed a final/paid in full receipt. Launch Website All necessary website files and scripts are copied to your domain and databases are setup. Error Testing After the website is live, any interactive programming and scripts are tested to verify proper function. Since the design and testing phase often occurs on a different server, it is very important to once again verify that everything is working correctly after taking the website live. Website Files After launch and testing of the website, you are provided with a zipped archive of all website files. Instructions & Documentation When necessary, any documentation needed to use the administration functions of your hosting account (when hosting with us) and/or the optional programs included is supplied in PDF format. Search Engine Submission Hand submission and automated search engine submission occurs after launching, testing and fixing any issues there may have been.   Completion Phase Minor Adjustments / Changes Minor adjustments to the website are included at no charge for up to two weeks after the website has launched (maximum of up to 3 hours labor). Minor changes include adding changing text, adding or changing photos, etc. Any major revision requests will require additional discussion and possibly incur a fee.   Hosting Features One year "Beginner Hosting" is included with any custom website development. For all hosting plans, see our Website Hosting section. (Hosting plan may be upgraded, if desired.) Online File Manager Email accounts yourdomain Web Based Email Interface or POP3 Access Spam Filtering Online Web Stats (invisible hit counter) Website Backup Utility Add/remove sub-domains Custom error pages FTP Access Auto responders Many more features ... Top Optional Add-ons Search Engine Optimization (SEO) eCommerce Store Flash Effects & Animation Domain Registration Favicons Email Cloaking Site Search  And more! Optional Add-ons pricing will vary. To obtain pricing, please inquire about the specific add-on you wish to include. Optional Add-ons may be limited by what programming languages your host supports. If you intend to host with us, all add-ons would be available to you, if desired, for an additional fee. Affordable Website Development to suit your needs! Get started today - fill out our website quote form.