The six phases
- DiscoveryGoals, buyers, services, competitors and features.
- PlanningSitemap, page list, content plan and calls to action.
- DesignWireframes, then the visual design for phone and desktop.
- BuildThe site, the CMS, forms, tracking and SEO basics.
- Test and launchPhones, speed, forms, redirects and accessibility checks.
Support continues after launch. We fix bugs, adjust pages and watch tracking and Search Console in the first weeks.
Discovery and planning
Discovery decides what the site must produce, such as calls, consultations or quote requests. Planning turns that into a sitemap and a page list. For a local business, that usually means one page per main service, clear service areas, reviews and fast ways to call from a phone. Read what happens in discovery.
Design
Design starts with wireframes, simple page blueprints that settle the layout before colors and photos distract anyone. The visual design then adds your brand, type and imagery. We design the phone view first, because that is where most local visitors arrive.
Build, test and launch
The build turns the design into a working site with a CMS your team can edit. Testing covers phones and browsers, speed, forms, tracking and accessibility. We check against the WCAG guidelines, the standard most accessibility laws point to.
A redesign adds one more job. Google's site move guide says to map old URLs to new ones and redirect them, then watch Search Console after launch. We build that map during planning, not on launch day.
Recommended action. Before you hire anyone, ask them to describe their phases and what you will approve at each one. A vague answer usually means surprises later.
Our web design projects follow these phases with a dated plan, and you own everything we build.