Website Development Process Full Guide in 5 Steps

Website development can be a complicated process that involves many steps and stages, depending on the size of the project. Even though it’s often one of the easier elements of your business, there are still dozens of things that could go wrong or need adjusting along the way, which can lead to delays or additional costs. But by following this five-step website development process from start to finish, you’ll minimize these risks and ensure the timely launch of your new website design or update.

1) Business Analysis

First, determine what you want to achieve. This is your business’s overarching goal, so think carefully about it. Write a mission statement that outlines your priorities and vision for your company, like Zappos: To provide our customers with excellent service and high-quality products at competitive prices while building a company where people love to work. We have a detailed guide on how to write one if you need help coming up with one. Once you have your mission statement, start asking yourself questions about what success looks like. What will be different when you reach success? How will your customers feel? What kind of resources will you need to get there? Make sure to include quantitative goals—like increased revenue or decreased costs—as well as qualitative ones—like customer satisfaction or employee engagement. You can learn more about setting quantifiable goals here.

2) Requirements

There are several important things you must know before developing a new website. First, you must have a set of requirements that will describe every important aspect of your site. These might include The number of pages on your site, how often it needs to be updated, and any special functionality that you would like included. When creating these requirements, try to be as detailed as possible so that no details are left out; try writing them down first on paper and then implementing those points into a spreadsheet or document that can easily be referred back to. Second, choose your web development company wisely by checking with references, doing thorough research, and finding out how long they have been around. It is also important to find out if they are able to complete your project within a reasonable time frame. Lastly, when choosing your web design company, make sure that their style matches yours and that you feel comfortable working with them. If not, keep looking until you find one that does! Once all of these factors have been taken care of, moving forward should be smooth sailing!

3) Design

It’s important to hire a professional designer with experience to create a website that people want to visit. The first thing they do is ask you questions about your product, services, and what you’re trying to convey. They will work with you to understand your product or service and then use those elements as inspiration for their design. This means it’s important for you to have a firm grasp of your branding and message so you can effectively communicate it through your website. Once there are finalized designs, they will be sent back and forth multiple times until everything is exactly how you want it. The whole process generally takes anywhere from two weeks up six months depending on how complicated it is (and how much feedback there is.) There’s also an opportunity to get real-time responses throughout the entire process, meaning there are no surprises at launch time. Having access to someone who understands every step of web development ensures your vision is executed flawlessly.

4) Development

All websites start with a wireframe, which is like a blueprint that defines how content is organized and structured on each page. After your wireframe is approved by stakeholders and the client, you’ll move on to design. The design includes both layout and visual design, like colors, fonts, images, logos, navigation elements, and more. Once the design is complete you can move on to development—which actually means coding—and will then test your site for bugs and errors before launching it live. We won't get into all of these steps here (there's plenty of information out there if you want to learn more) but just remember: The earlier you plan out your website's development process, the smoother things will go when it comes time to build your site. And that'll save everyone time and money in the long run.

In addition, if they wanted an extra credit activity they could create a website using any CMS or blogging platform they choose based on their description. It would be judged on organization, originality, use of technology/platforms (if applicable), creativity, and overall aesthetic appeal.

5) Implementation

When developing a website, there are many steps to take before you can expect your site to be up and running. From buying your domain name and hosting account, to using CMSs like WordPress or Joomla!, we’ve got a whole list of tips for getting things done quickly and accurately. Whether you’re a professional web developer or just looking for some pointers, read on for our step-by-step guide. 1. Purchase Domain Name & Hosting Account: Before anything else, it’s important to get your basic framework set up.