Process

Stage 1 - Consultation and Planning:

  • To get started, many clients find it helpful to use our Package Picker.
  • Contact me about your web site needs.
  • Together we will determine which package best suits your needs.
  • If the "Platinum" package is most appropriate, I will provide a price quote.
  • If you decide to use our services, I will send an invoice for a down payment.
More info...
The answers to the following will help us select the design package that best fits your needs:
  1. Do you want a custom design, or do you prefer to use a design template>?  For more information, please see the Designs page
  2. How many pages do you estimate you'll want on your site?
    Tip - A good way to go about deriving the answer to this question is:
    • Determine the categories of content you want on the site and put this in outline form.  Remember that multiple topic-specific pages are preferable to long scrolling pages. 
    • Count the number of items in your outline - that will be an indication of the number of pages on your site.
  3. About how many photos would you like on your site?
  4. What special features would you like on the web site?
    • Flash components such as a flash intro or a flash photo collage (take a look at the Flash examples in the "add-ons" section)
    • "Dynamic" content (see examples in the DHTML section)
Note:  It IS possible to start out thinking you want one package and then along the way realize that you actually need/want more pages or more features.  If that happens, we will discuss it and I will adjust the price at the end of the project.

Stage 2 - Design:

  • If you chose a pre-existing template, I will tailor it to your specifications.
  • If you chose a package with a custom design, we will collaborate on design concepts for your site.  During this phase, your active participation is critical.  Design prototype(s) will be presented for your consideration.
More info...
  • Template Design Package Clients:
    1. If you've selected a 3rd party template, you will need to send it to me.
    2. Most templates can be customized (to varying degrees), so I will need to find out your preferences in regard to -
      1. Text color
      2. Text style
      3. Background color
      4. Other design elements which can be customized within the template
    3. I will notify you when I have completed a sample page.  You should review it and communicate any changes you wish made (within the realm of a template site).
  • Custom Design Package Clients:
    1. Look at a variety of web sites and choose up to 3 that you'd like me to use as a reference.  In other words, they contain elements you're looking.  Please be specific about the desireable elements.
    2. Let me know if you wish to incorporate an existing logo or photo in the design.
    3. Communicate your preferences in regard to:
      1. Style of the design (photo realistic, stylized, etc.)
        Please be specific - the more information you can give me the greater the chance is that I will create a design that fits your vision.
      2. Colors used in the design
      3. Text color & style
    4. I will notify you when I have completed the design prototype(s).  You should review the design and communicate the specifics of what you like or do not like.  Again, please be honest and specific.

Stage 3 - Development:

All designs and web pages will be placed on my "test server" for your review.  This test version may be password protected (you will of course be given an id and password).  There you will be able to review design choices and your site as it is developed. 

A typical project should take about two months if the client is able to provide content regularly.  However, some clients may have very busy schedules that require a slower pace.  That is perfectly acceptable, provided clients adhere to the payment schedule. 

More info...
Things you need to do at this stage:
  1. If you haven't already done so, register a domain name & establish an account with a hosting service.  If you are interested in hosting with Lakecrew, let me know.
  2. Begin writing the content for the items in your outline.  All content must be in electronic format.  I encourage clients to send content to me incrementally. 
    Acceptable formats: MS Word, MS Excel, PDF, email
  3. Gather & send special materials that you would like to incorporate into your web site, including:
    • Graphics
    • Digital photos (specify where they should go via a file naming system or with documentation). 
    • Textual copy (such as magazine articles)
    Acceptable formats: .jpg or .gif (NO .bmp)
    If you need your material scanned, I can do that for an additional fee (please see Additional Services Available).
  4. Review web pages as they are developed and advise me of things which need to be changed on them.

Stage 4 - Implementation:

A project will be considered complete when a) you indicate that you are ready for the site to "go live" or b) it has been six months from the beginning of the project - whichever comes first.

If completion falls under the first category above, you will have an opportunity for a final "walk-through".  This is your last chance to catch errors and/or request final touches to your site before it "goes live".  If there is ANYTHING you don't like about your site, this is the time to ask me to correct it.

When the project is complete, I will email you a final detailed invoice for the project.  It will include any additional work that was added onto the base package.  Upon receiving your final payment, I will move all site components to your server and it will be "live".


 
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