It's always nice to know what you're getting for your cash, and hopefully this will explain how the process of getting your new website online works. However, please bear in mind that every project is different and this is by no means set in stone. For example, the process differs greatly between a business website and a family blog.

Identify

The first stage is to identify a large amount of information required to tailor your website to your needs and requirements. This generally involves looking at your existing website (if you have one), current promotional material, logo design, a shop sign, even the stickers on the side of your van - anything related to your current business identity. For many small businesses, a website is their first chance to really tie everything together, and give the business a professional unified look across all mediums.

Functionality also needs to be considered at every stage. Do you need, for example, an email newsletter you can send out to subscribers? The ability to post regular news items? A photo gallery? All of these options, and many more, can influence the design choices available, and can spark new ideas.

Set-up

On the basis of the information collected in the previous stage, initial sketches and ideas can be made. From these, four to six main ideas are presented for consideration, usually in the form of the design of the front page. The merits of each can be discussed, and a final design chosen, along with any necessary alterations. If the alterations are significant, a further mock-up design will be presented to confirm you are happy with the changes.

Execute

The design is then transformed into a functioning website, and regular updates on progress issued to you. Once the site is complete you will be invited to take it for a test run before it goes “live” for the world to see. This lets you see if there are any minor alterations you feel need to be made before you launch the site. Once you are happy, the site is launched for the world to see!