Step 2: Discovering The Opportunities Available For You Online

Using the information gathered from Step 1 we then run it through our Opportunity Filter Process to see what kind of opportunity is available for your business online and the best way to capture it.

During this step we conduct research to discover the kind of information your target audience is looking for and how it relates to the products or services that you have to offer.

We also do an analysis on your competitors' websites to learn where they are strong or weak, so that we can position your website to pull in more business than any of your competitors online.

The Key objectives of this stage are:

• Find out the search terms your target audience and prospects use when looking for information related to your products or services.
• Analyse your competitors' websites to find out their strengths and weaknesses.
• Find out the best strategy to position your website to pull in more business than any of your competitors online.

Step 3: Setting up The Foundation For Your Online Presence

Once we have an idea of the opportunity available for your business online, we go ahead and help you choose and register a good domain name that will best reflect your brand and bring you lots of visitors from the search engines.

We will then set up your web hosting account and email addresses of your choice which you can start using as we continue with the website design.

We will also design a branded page that will notify any visitors to your domain that your website is under construction. This will provide them with the main contacts and addresses to reach you in the meantime.

This is also the best time to set up your social media profiles on sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google + and LinkedIn so that you can start connecting with your customers and prospects.

The Key objectives of this step are:

• Choosing and registering the best domain name for your website.
• Setting up your web hosting account and email addresses of your choice.
• Creating the under construction page with your contact details.
• Creating your profiles on the main social media sites to connect with your audience.

Step 4: Developing A Plan For Your Website

At this step we work with you to come up with a list of all the main topic areas and sub-topics of your website and agree on a content creation plan.

This will guide us on what content to place on your website as well as develop an easy to understand navigational system.

It is also at this stage where we will help you decide on the technologies to be implemented on your website as well as interactive elements such as forms, galleries, content management system, blog, downloadable documents.

The Key objectives of this step are:

• Coming up with a list of all main topics for your website and agreeing on a content creation plan.
• Creating a sitemap to enable us develop a user-friendly navigation system for your website.
• Deciding on the technologies and elements to be added on your website e.g. forms, blog, CMS.

Step 5: Designing & Developing The Layout of Your Website

This step typically involves moving the information outlined in the planning stage further into reality.

At this step we will start designing the layout of the website based on the sitemap, your chosen colour theme and your logo to help strengthen the identity of your company or brand on the website.

If you don’t have a logo yet we will have our logo designers produce 6 concepts for you which you can then pick one and ask for further revisions until you are satisfied with the outcome.

During the layout design you will be given a special link to view the progress of the website and give your feedback throughout the whole process.

Upon completion of this step, the website should more or less have taken shape, but for the absence of the content and special features.

The key objectives of this stage are:

• Design a logo for your website if you don’t have one.
• Design the layout of your website based on the sitemap, chosen colour theme & logo.
• Give you a special link to view the progress of the website as you give feedback.

Step 6: Developing & Uploading Content On Your Website

With the site layout reviewed and finalized, it’s time to develop content for your website based on the research we carried out earlier in step 2.

This will ensure that we have content that will attract prospects to your website and make them take the desired action.

This is normally a tricky part for most website owners who are suddenly required to come up with content for their website e.g. text, photos and videos. Don’t worry, we will warn you early and also help you get the job done.

Once the content is ready we will then upload it on the website and link it to the navigation menus.

The key objectives of this step are:

• Creating content that will attract and convert visitors to your website into customers.
• Uploading the content on various pages of your website and linking the pages to the menus.

Step 7: Attending To The Final Details & Testing Your Website

At this step, we will attend to the final details and test your website. We will test things like the complete functionality of forms, menus, links and also compatibility issues on different web browsers, ensuring that your web site is optimized to be viewed properly in the most recent browser versions.

At this step we will also proofread the content and fix any spelling and grammar errors. You will also get a chance to view all the pages and make sure they appear as desired.

If there are any changes to be made you will communicate to us so that we can make them before the website goes live.

The Key objectives of this step are:

• Finalizing on the website development.
• Testing functionality of various features of your website e.g. forms
• Fixing compatibility issues on most recent browser versions.
• Correcting any spelling and grammar errors on the content.

Step 8: Launching Your Website

Once testing is complete and all issues and errors have been fixed it is time to launch your website onto the internet where it can be seen by the world.

At this stage we will submit your website to all major search engines and directories relevant to your website & industry. This further improves the visibility of your new website.

After the submissions we will then install website tracking scripts on your website to track the performance of your website and how the users interact with it.

This will enable us learn and make improvements on the website later based on this data.

The Key objectives of this step are:

• Launching your website onto the internet.
• Submitting your website to all major search engines & directories.
• Installing tracking scripts to track your website's performance.

Step 9: Handing Over The Website & Ownership Rights To You

After successfully launching your website it is now time to handover the “keys” to you. We will send you all the source files for your website in a CD and also send you the server logins.

Should you want to move and work with another web developer in future, you will have everything you need with you.

If your website has a CMS (Content Management System), we will train you on how to manage and update your website and also prepare a detailed PDF guide that you can refer to in future.

The Key objectives of this step are:

• Handing over a CD with all the website files
• Send you all the server information and logins.
• Training you on how to manage and update your website content if your website has a CMS.

Step 10: Discussing How To Grow Your Online Presence

Successful websites are constantly evolving and require testing, analysis, and constant changes to continue being successful. That’s where we come in.

By continuously tracking your website’s performance, we will be in a better position to suggest improvements to be made to your website so as to ensure it gets more and more visitors over time.

At this step we will also discuss with you on various methods of acquiring more customers online and how we can implement them to your website:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Social Media Marketing
• Email Marketing

Remember the phrase “If you built it, they will come” doesn’t work with websites anymore.