Your
successful web design project starts with a well-defined web design process and
clearly defined marketing goals. At
Oak Mott, we use a tested detailed approach to the design of a marketing website,
breaking the project into six phases, each of which ends with a client sign-off.
This ensures that the project stays on track with regard to website structure,
content and the budget. Phase
1: Defining Site Goals
During the first phase of
the web design process, we will meet with people from your company or organization
to determine the objective of your website by asking several questions. Is this
an online tool for your clients? Do you sell directly over the Internet or is
the goal to engage your client for further dialog? How are we going to define
the success of your website design?
Phase
2: Developing the Website Structure
In this phase
of the web design process, we are flushing out the technical part of the website.
We need to determine how the information will be made available to the site visitors
– what paths they will take as they move through the site. When necessary,
we build an electronic click-through (without graphics) to judge the website structure
in its online format. Using these tools, we can determine both the needed technology
and site navigation.
Phase
3: Website Design and Build
Next we develop
the graphics and layout for the site. We will ask you to provide any text and
graphics that you want included in the web site and build a graphical click-through.
This will tell us where we need more graphics or modified text for the site. Once
you are satisfied with the direction of the project, we will complete the graphics,
collect or write all necessary text and build any animation or flash elements
for the site.
Phase
4: Website Programming and Staged Launch
The amount
of programming needed varies from site to site. All features will be built and
rigorously tested in a staged environment by both our people and yours. Once perfected,
we make one more exhaustive run through and the site is ready to go!
Phase
5: Website Release
The technical release
of the site is usually very clear-cut due to the extensive testing in the previous
phase of the web design process. We test our web sites immediately upon release
and ask our clients to do the same. Then we will work with you on getting the
word out about your new site.
Phase
6: Ongoing Site Maintenance
At this point the website
is released and our job of creating the site is complete. However, since public
web sites are your face to the world, they must be kept current in terms of graphics,
navigation, technology and usability. After release of the site, we will work
with you to establish a regular review and maintenance schedule for your web site
to accommodate client requests, user feedback, system upgrades and emerging web
technologies.
Sound
like a lot of work? Absolutely! But it pays off in the design of a quality website
that strengthens your business processes and improves your company communications. | 
