The Web Development Process

When working on a Web project with any company make sure they have a defined process in place. The following steps outline the process you should follow when developing a Website. Start with a discovery survey prior to beginning this process. After the initial sales meeting an estimate should be provided based on the requirements gathered and then a signed contract is put in place to move forward with the additional steps. The better prepared you are at your sales meeting the more accurate your estimate will be, reducing the need for changes later on in the development phases.

1. Sales Meeting – All of the stake holders meet together to discuss needs for your project. During this initial discovery process is when general questions are asked to gather basic information.

2. Estimate Prepared – An estimate and contract should be prepared based on the requirements gathered during the sales and initial discovery process.

3. Discovery – This step is usually part of larger PHP site or CMS projects and may be necessary if you are not certain of your over all needs. This Discovery research will be performed at an additional cost to help you determine your needs.

4. Client Survey – The Client Survey further describes your business goals and objectives to the project management team.

5. Kickoff Meeting – The project team translates your business goals in to Web goals gathered through project discussion(s). The results will be presented at a project kickoff meeting.

6. Information Architecture – The development team creates a Flow Chart and Wire Frames of your site to make sure the main elements are represented.

7. Technical Specifications – Defines how the Content Management System (CMS) will be developed. What components (modules) will be implemented. Define integration points with 3rd party software.

8. Design – The design process starts when 2-3 graphic illustrations are presented for your review.

Subsequent phases include development milestones and a QA process to test your site. Final sign off is required prior to launching your sight for public viewing.