How does this all work?

Discussion & Proposal

Early on, we’ll (virtually) sit down and discuss your business and your goals. We’ll also think about what kind of information and presence you want to present.

At this time, I will plan out the key technical information and assets needed for the project. Importantly, we will think about how the site might be used in the future: it can save a lot of time in the long run to design a site that is flexible to your future needs!

The outcome from this stage is a clear brief that sets out the goals, expectations for the project.

I will return a proposal to you, setting out our agreement for the work ahead, and await your deposit.

Design

Once you’ve paid the deposit, I’ll use your brand’s visual identity (that is, key colours, fonts, iconography, etc) and apply it to a design that fits within your website framework. If you don’t have one already, I will develop a visual identity in consultation with you for your project. (This will probably have come up in the discussion and proposal.)

In this stage I will prepare a prototype website design, including both the logical structure of the website, as well as the aesthetic elements.

Please note that I do not include photography as part of the design work. For most websites, getting a good photographer to photograph your business, your staff and your products will make a world of difference.

Build

Once the design is finalised and approved by you, I will commence building the website.

I typically use WordPress as a foundation for the website and a visual page builder called Elementor. There may be various other plugins used for building the site, including forms, et cetera. Any additional ongoing fees for these plugins will be included in the cost of maintenance.

Content

Once the build is complete, I will then give you access to a protected version of the site.

At this stage, you can populate the various pages with your own copywriting, photographs, et cetera. You may also wish to prepare some initial blog posts if your site includes a blog. (I can assist you with this if necessary.)

Training

I will provide an initial training session via Zoom where I show you how to administer your website, and add new blog posts or other content as applicable.

This session can be recorded if you wish to refer to it in the future.

For some clients, who have a number of volunteers updating the site, I have also arranged video libraries that show some key repeated tasks so that future volunteers can be trained.

Launch

Once you have populated the site with content, I will prepare the website for launch. Any loose ends will be tied up at this stage, and your domain name will be linked to your website as the final step in the process.

This is typically when the balance of the invoice will be paid.

Maintenance

In addition to the website designing and building, most clients also have me provide ongoing maintenance for the website. I typically take a fee for a year in advance, though if you want to pay for multiple years, that is also an available option.

I will provide a monthly report, which shows the site’s uptime, performance, security and backups.

I will also happily attend to amending minor oversights and errors as they come to your or my attention.