A bit about the Website Creation Process
A website can do so much for you and your customers. It can provide contact information, portfolios, games, video, etc. anything to make sure the visitor stays on the page. Think of it as a 24/7 online representation of your business and what would you like your customers know about your company, your product or services.
There are mainly two stages when it comes to website design. First stage is the Design Phase. It is very important to know exactly who your target audience is, in order to create a successful online environment for your online visitors. During the initial meeting with your web designer discuss all of the possibilities for your site, budget constraints, technology tools that are available, the look and feel that you want; this will establish a good bond between you and the designer, resulting in a solid design solution. After the information exchange, the designer will create a mock-up of your website, that reflects everything you talked about. Revise the first draft, if you’re not totally satisfied, pin point exactly what it is that you might not like. Revise the second draft and so on, until you are totally satisfied with look; otherwise it would be a big pain changing the look after the site has been built.
Alright, you are completely happy with the design, now what? You enter the Development Phase. This is where a web developer works closely with the web designer to turn the graphic mock-up into a real live functional website. There is no going back to design changes anymore, this why it is so crucial to take care of design issues during the Design Phase. Depending on the complexity of your website, you might have to familiarize yourself with some of the technology. Usually most websites are built with a content management system (CMS); make sure you know how to use it, how to update content, add pages, etc. Usually the web developer would show all of this, and teach you how to use it.
So there you go, a short summary about website design process. Pretty simple and straightforward, but before you rush into it, remember to do research about your target audience, write down your goals, budget, deadlines, anything that affects your business, and only then start working on your website. This approach will save you time, effort, money, stress. Good luck!