One of the most common questions new clients ask is “how long will a custom website design project take to complete?”. Of course, there aren’t any templates or rules when it comes to creative projects - whilst there are some elements of the process that you as the client can influence (like project type, lead in time/deadline, feedback speed, and your choice of features and extras - see our blog post to read more on this!), the process undertaken by your custom web designer will ultimately set the overall pace of your project’s progress.
Want to know more about what goes into designing and developing a custom website? You’re in the right place - keep reading!
Planning and Research
Initial conversations: Understanding goals and objectives for the project. Getting to know the company, business model, and future plans is a fundamental step in any custom design project - no matter how big or small.
Must-haves: Agreeing fundamental requirements for the project. Your designer needs to know the non-negotiables in order to get things right first time.
Sitemap: Visual and structural understanding of the scope of the work. This helps to get a sense of scale and the workload involved - which in turn helps to inform your project timeframe.
Architecture, technical, and creative briefs: Breaking down expectations into smaller sections of what needs to be achieved in each key area. Giving your designer a clear picture of how different design elements should fit together.
Design
Concepts and mockups: A first draft of what the final custom website design might look like. The best way for the client to check-in and offer feedback on the project’s progress and direction.
Alternative views: Re-scaling approved designs for different screen sizes. Responsive custom web design is key to the long-term success of any website project.
Content Creation
Messaging: Establishing key concepts and messages that the website should express to customers. How and where can communications be most effective?
SEO: Keywords intentionally embedded within text, image tags, and URLs to boost the visibility of the website through search engines. This should be most carefully considered on significant or central web pages.
Existing content migration: Moving existing content and/or setting up redirects to the new custom website space. This can often be a large undertaking that should be factored into the overall project plan and timeline.
Development
Coding and developing: Building the custom website from the very beginning, subject to design and content approval. This stage often fulfils a significant portion of the project timeline.
Testing and Launch
Reviews and feedback: The client and intended audience test and review the finished website. This is where tweaks and final finishes can be discussed and agreed.
Testing functionality: Ensuring proper functionality across any many different devices as possible, and that the finished website adheres to the original brief set out in the planning stages.
Launch and ongoing improvements: The official launch of the custom website, supported by continued maintenance and updates from the designer. Ongoing client care isn’t part of every custom web designer’s process - here at Kartogram we offer it as standard.
To learn more about how Kartogram might be able to support your business’s next custom web design project, get in touch with our team today. We’d love to talk you through our process and how we can help your business reach the next level.