Project Roadmap

A short visual overview of our standard website project process, followed by a complete, detailed explanation of each step.

Predictable Timeline, Unique Results

Making a great website is half art, half science. Every business we’re privileged to work with is different than the last in some ways and almost exactly the same in others. By specializing in effective websites for micro-businesses we’ve been able to develop a thorough process that gives you an effective website within a predictable timeframe of five to six weeks at a reasonable cost, while remaining flexible to embrace the unique challenges and character of your business.

A Quick Overview

Meet, Plan, and Agree – Ranging in length from one phone call to a series of meetings and anchored with our New Website Questionnaire.
Kickoff Meeting – Two hours, sometimes less. You’ll sit down with your Client Representative (project manager) and go through all the details of your project.
Design Phase – Two weeks. We design, you write.
Content & Review One – Two hours. Your Client Representative will review the new design with you for feedback. You provide your finalized content.
Build Phase – Two weeks typically. We’re hard at work building every page and setting up every feature!
Review Two – Two hours, sometimes less. A comprehensive meeting with your Client Representative going over every piece of the website.
Finalize & Launch – About one week. We make final changes and follow our extensive Launch checklist to ensure your website is ready and visible to the world!
Support – Every website package we offer includes the key ongoing website hosting & support services that a micro-business needs in order for their website succeed.

How Long Does It Take?

Five to Six weeks for a two to fifteen page website.

A Detailed Overview of Our Website Design-Build Process

Are you ready for this? It’s about to get wordy!

Meet, Plan, Agree

One to two hours typically, but we take as much time and as many meetings as needed. We’re never pushy.

Over the phone or in-person at our office in Fredericksburg Virginia, we’ll get to know one another, assess your needs, and understand your goals and priorities. Along the way we’ll cover our Website Design Dialogue either through conversation or via our New Website Questionnaire. We’ll discuss recommendations and options with you, and present you with a simple, one-page Ballpark Proposal.

Take as much time as you need to review the proposal with your team and ask questions. Once the Ballpark Proposal looks good, we’ll finalize our plan together with a final Proposal. Once we review that with you and come to an agreement we’ll collect any down payment and schedule your Kickoff meeting.

Kickoff Meeting

One to two hours.

Our Client Representative will sit down with you to go over all the details of your project together. You’ll be hearing from your Client Representative frequently as they guide you and your project through the process. We’ve given them the title of Client Representative because their primary mission is making sure we deliver you a website you’ll brag about!

This 1-2 hour meeting covers several important topics, and involves lots of back and forth. Key talking points are the colors and design style that fits your brand, websites you love or hate and why, Homepage emphasis, page list and structure, and content outline/checklist. After the meeting you’ll receive a detailed follow up email including a detailed list of any content we need from you, and a link for you to easily and securely upload files to us.

Design Phase & Content Writing

Two weeks.

While our team gets started creating their masterpiece, you’ve also got work to do! This two week phase is the time for you to write any missing paragraphs, organize your photos, finalize any files that will be available to your customers via your website, and any other deliverables you’ll be providing. If you have a few little missing pieces when we get to Review One, don’t sweat it – they can always be added down to road at no additional charge thanks to the Advanced Support we include in every package.

Review One (Content Due!)

Two hours.

This is the big reveal! We’ll show you the modern design we’ve created for your website and go over it together. Of course this is an opportunity for you to provide feedback so we can make sure you’re thrilled with the results. Additionally we always offer two business days for you to “sleep on it” and send us additional feedback if you like.

At this point we’ll also collect your final website content. We’ll usually go over it with you now, to make sure nothing is missing. After the meeting we’ll follow up with a summary of the changes that we’re going to make.

Build Phase

Two weeks.

Over the next two weeks we’ll revise the website design as needed and build out the “secondary” pages. We’ll also finalize any features that weren’t completed during the Design Phase. For websites with more than fifteen pages, the build phase may need a little extra time.

While our design-build team is working inside the website, you’ll be working more “outside” the website with our support team on Google Starter, Relationship Builder, and/or Social Media. There’s a Kickoff Meeting (often scheduled for the same day as Review One) as well as a little information gathering we need from you afterwards.

Review Two

One to two hours.

In this one to two hour meeting, your Client Representative will go over every page of the website with you. We’ll review any changes to the design made since Review One, and go over all of the secondary pages and features in detail. Again you’ll receive two business days to “sleep on it” and provide any additional feedback.

Finalize

Three to five days.

Within a few days our team will make any changes that came out of the Final Review. Your Client Representative will review those changes as well as perform our extensive “Design Wrap Up” process. Once complete the CR will turn the website over to our website support team to launch your website.

Launch

Two days.

Wizz! Bang! Pow! Can you hear the fireworks and feel the celebration! Within 2 business days our website support team will take your new website live! Our developer follows a multi-pronged “Site Launch” process and BANG your new website is live! We then we do some quick steps called “Launch Verification” (including testing your contact form) and send you a notification that the site is good-to-go.

Support

Your new website has a lot of potential, and we’re here to help you maximize it! We hate seeing all your hard work go to waste, so we’re here to keep your website up-to-date and help you use your website to get more referrals and grow your business! Each of our web design packages includes our Professional Hosting with Secure Site Guarantee as well as comprehensive website updates and unlimited changes to the content of the existing pages thanks to our Advanced Support.

Additionally, we can help you get more reviews and be found on online maps and business listings (Google Starter ), retain and accrue more customers year over year (Relationship Builder), and have a consistent, active presence on social media (Social Media.) For more on those services please see our Packages & Pricing page.