Web Development Process
The actual amount of time it takes for us to complete a project is based upon a few things. The main factors are the overall size of the project, the availability of content and images, and your goals. Most projects take 1 to 2 months to complete.
Creative Stage
Planning & Graphical Concepts
During this phase we are working with you on the site layout, design, and functionality. We want to make you the best site we can, so the more input from you, the better we can meet your needs. This phase usually takes 1-3 weeks. Check out our Website Planner to find out some of the questions we will cover during planning.
What Power Shift will be doing during this stage:
Wireframe - The wireframe is a very basic outline of your site. Very similar to a blue print, it shows where different sections will be, not the actual style and look.
Graphical Concept - After the wireframe is approved by your, we can move on to doing a concept design of your site. This graphical concept will be very close to what your final site will look like.
What we need from your during this stage:
Website Planner - The website planner helps us understand what you want from your new website. After we receive the planner, we'd love to have a creative meeting with you to go over your goals. This is a good time to let us know of any special features you want.
Logo Files - High resolution files work the best. We can accept just about any format (.jpg .png .tiff .psd .pdf and .ai)
Images - Product images, staff, facility pictures and so on. Consider using any images you have used in other marketing materials. If you don't have images available, we can help you find stock images to fit your needs.
Text & Site Map - We can work with your to help you figure out the site map. Providing us with some content or overviews of content, will help us figure out your needs.
Building Stage
Building & Coding your Website
During this phase we are taking the agreed upon graphical concept and turning it into a working website. Once we start the process of building your site, it's hard to make big changes, and would add extra time to the project. Make sure you fully review the graphical concept fully and tell us about any special functionality you expect from your site before this phase. This phase usually takes about 1-3 weeks.
What Power Shift will be doing during this stage:
Building your website - We will style and build out the site based on the agreed upon graphical concept and sitemap.
What we need from you during this stage:
Finalized content for your pages - This is the best time to give us the rest of your copy and images for the site. This way we can lay out your menu, add in images, and make sure everything fits into place.
If you are unsure about the exact text you want to put on some of your pages, give us a basic overview. Your website will be built using a Content Management System, which makes editing text easy. We will also train you at the end of the project so that you will able to edit the text yourself.
Finishing Stage
Content & Training
This is the phase when we wrap everything up. We are entering in the last of your content and testing. During this phase, there may be a lot of little things to tie up. Having a contact number or email that we can reach you at is vital to moving the process along. This phase usually takes about 1 to 2 weeks.
What Power Shift will be doing during this stage:
Content Entry - We will now be able to add all your text content. It's important to have or all of your text before this stage begins.
Testing - We will also be testing all the links, contact forms, and features of your site.
What we need from you during this stage:
Functionality Details - Depending on the functionality of your site, this will be different. If you have an email newsletter we need to make the signup connects with your newsletter service. If you have a contact form we need to know which email it sends to. And it you are building a store we will need your merchant ID and shipping details.
Launch Plans - As we get to the end of the project we will need to know where you plan to host your site, email and domain. These can be tricky questions, be we will be there to help.
