New Website Process

1. Design Phase

To start off we will be producing a static mockup (image) of the proposed homepage layout. At this step we will be taking all input you have given and making our recommendation on what the elements of the website should look like to be effective for your website, and easy to use by your visitors. This will be where we determine the layout, color, and typography for the individual sections used across the entire site (header, main content area, footer, etc). We will then review this mockup together, discuss any updates you would like to see, and revise the mockup as needed.

(Note: The mockup is an approximation of the developed website, as there are always small differences in the way browsers render websites.)

2. Development Phase

After we have defined the site elements/styles we will develop the design into a working website, and import the content you have provided. The site will then be available for review and testing on a private server.

3. Launch & Training

Once we have tested and made sure everything is working correctly, we will move the new site to your domain on your web server, provide you with login information and get you some resources on how to effectively administer your site.

Technology

We develop websites using WordPress as a foundation, the world’s most widely used content management system. WordPress is software that runs on your web host and allows you to log in and make content changes to your site yourself, similar to the way you edit a MS Word document. We also try and extract where possible all configuration to easy to manage options in the admin so you can make the changes you need to make on your own.

Your website will also be responsive – that means that when you look at it on a wide range of screen sizes (from mobile phones to large desktop monitors), the content re-arranges and is easily viewable without having to zoom or scroll side-to-side. In the case of this site, that will not apply to the legacy forums as they have their own system and styling.

Website will be tested in the three most recent versions of the major desktop browsers, and the current major smartphone browsers to ensure functionality.

Website Maintenance

We are happy to answer any questions you have about your website after launch, or help you complete changes to the site. Any changes that we make to the site for you after launch will be completed based on a new estimate or at an hourly rate, depending on the size of the update. Sine your website is running open source software like WordPress, that software is always being improved upon to make it more capable and secure. To take advantage of the new software updates and keep your site secure, we recommend

Timeline & Getting Started

Custom web design projects typically take 4-6 weeks to complete, depending on how quickly we can communicate and make decisions.

To start the project, we will need the following items:

1. Assets

• Branding. Logo (vector based or high resolution image), existing marketing materials to match
• Content. Word documents or google docs, separated by page
• Images. Organized by page, or just a supply of images you own the rights to use
• Hosting Information. Account admin to create database and FTP/SFTP access

2. Project Estimate Approval

This will be emailed to you for online approval.

3. Consulting Agreement

Fill out and submit the general consulting agreement.

4. Initial Payment

Pay initial invoice of 50% of the estimate amount. This initial payment is non-refundable, should you choose to terminate the project before it is complete. The final 50% payment is due at launch of the new website.