How long will it take?

This depends on the project. Each website is unique and may require more or less time to build.

Factors such as how quickly you communicate with your designer about design decisions and how well you express your wishes can influence the final timeline. Building a site is an exact process, so once your design is finalized, the site still needs to be coded, implemented and tested.

This process can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months depending on the size of the site and the full scope of the project.

What is the design process?

The design process is what goes down from the time you accept our proposal and send us to your deposit until your site is live and blinding everyone on the internet with its awesomeness.

Consultation and Preliminary Discussion Phase

• Once your initial deposit is received and the proposal is accepted and signed, your project is set up in our online web-based project manager.  It’s preferred all future correspondence regarding your project, including assets like images, copy and such, are managed here in a central location.  You will be emailed a login and a password once you’ve been entered in the system and generally, greeted with a kick-off email, letting you know what the next steps are, per your unique project.
• Usually, those next steps include discussing your project more in-depth. We’ll set up some phone time so we can go over your ideas and goals for your website, as well as provide consultation or recommendations where requested and/or needed.  Sometimes more than one call is needed, but usually we can iron it all out straight away.  You’re welcome to post any follow-up thoughts or ideas we might not have covered on the project manager or schedule another phone consultation.

Creative and Revision Phase

• This is where we take all of your ideas, our ideas and with your ultimate site needs and goals in mind, apply our skills and talents to deliver what’s called a “mock-up” or a “comp”. A mock-up is a flat image of what your website might look like, based on the input shared during the consultation phase.  And while we do pride ourselves on delivering great design, one has to assume even Leonardo di Vinci had an eraser. So of course, revisions are included until the mock-up is as you like it, per the terms outlined in the website proposal.
• Once approved and the next phase of your deposit is received, the design is whisked off to the development phase, where it will be made into a functioning website.  Design and structural changes at this point are often well out of scope and can be costly, so please keep that in mind if you tend to be indecisive.
• This is generally when the second deposit is due.

Development and Implementation Phase

• At this point, we're working on the structural foundation and custom programming for your website. This will almost always include HTML/CSS markup, and often includes custom programming and development for a particular content management system (usually Expression Engine or Wordpress).
• During this phase, you may hear from us less frequently, as we are hard at work with the technical aspects of your site, but don't be surprised if we pop-up with a question or two. Timely turn-around on correspondence during this phase is helpful for staying on task and delivering your website per the milestones we'll set up.

Soft Launch

• The soft launch is when you put the site live for testing in a low-key manner or behind a hidden area for client viewing only. This is where we test things out, you get a chance to muck about and get your feet wet, ask questions and things like that. We have an opportunity to do last-minute browser testing, fine-tuning and catch any bugs before it goes live in a grand-opening sort of way.
•  If you’re a blogger already or have an existing website, getting started should be a snap. Whether we’ve built your site using Expression Engine, Wordpress or another platform, web-based interfaces make it easy  for you to blog and manage your website from any computer with an internet connection, anywhere.
• For those of you who don’t know Expression Engine from your elbow or Wordpress from a hole in the ground, we do provide basic instruction over the phone and/or a handy PDF guide on how to manage your website the week following or prior to your site launch. (You’re always welcome to email us!  We also include resource links and recommended reading for those new to the Internet.
• This is usually when your final balance is due.

Official Launch

• This means we put the site live for the whole world to enjoy in a less low-key manner, inviting visitors to witness your site in all its glory.
• Trip the light fantastic, do the funky chicken, the twist, the mashed potato, what have you… you’re officially online, blogging, marketing, monetizing, and otherwise getting down with your bad self.

Post Launch Support

• For up to 2 weeks post-launch, we provide support for your questions, concerns, very minor edits or any quirks that might pop-up during the soft launch and launch phases.  We are definitely available to assist you beyond those two weeks -- we wouldn't leave you hanging like that! -- but support requests are subject to our hourly rate and current schedule (which means, we may not be able drop everything and respond to your request, but we'll definitely respond/take care of it in a timely manner).