The Website Grinder

June 24, 2014 | By Ilfusion Team

Creating a custom website is a complex and interesting process that includes a lot of very detailed moving parts. Before a single line of code is ever typed out, numerous hours are spent planning and designing the website. It is important to cover each step in the process carefully and methodically to ensure the website will meet the needs of the client.

Discover

The first step in creating a website is called the discovery phase. In this phase we meet with our client to get to know them and their needs. We ask lots of questions and make tons of notes. In this meeting we find out the messaging, branding, audience and purpose of the website, leading to a creative brief that serves as the marching orders for the work to follow. This knowledge allows us to create a website that suits their needs.

Design

After a discovery session, our designers and account managers go to the drawing the board. They put together a sitemap, plan the layout, and drink lots of coffee. The designer first puts together a wireframe of the site’s layout that indicates the overall physical structure. The agreed-upon wireframe is then used as the foundation for the design, applying the look and feel to the foundation that is dictated by the wireframe. The colors, fonts, icons, and images are then chosen and put into place. This is called a comp. Usually two or three comps are presented that are structurally similar but differ in style and colors. Once the design direction is approved, the baton is passed to development.

Develop

Once the web developer gets the final comp, they begin to code out a basic HTML structure of the website. This step allows the developer to quickly create the framework of the website. When the page is complete and the kinks are worked out, the HTML page is then converted to a CMS (Content Management System). WordPress is our preferred CMS because of it’s user-friendly back end and wide range of support, but we’re able to work with a variety of options. A detailed process allows us to simply turn a HTML page into a complex and dynamic website.

Launch

When the coding is done, we do a series of quality control checks, fill in all of the content, and send it to the client to review. After some tweaking is done and the client is fully satisfied, we send them a launch form to sign and then launch the website.

This is the most exciting part of the entire process. Typing the domain in our browser and seeing the brand new website come up… this is a time for celebration! Sometimes that includes a glass of nice whisky or an ice cold beer and some cheering for a job well done.

If you’d like to join us for that celebratory drink, give us a call at 888-420-5115 and let’s get to work!