Designing a Website - process involved

maxwell smart

Hi,

I'm in the middle of planning a new website, what's the best way of going about this?
Should I draw up a flowchart, with Home Page at the top, and lots of arrows going to the different sub pages, and then bring this to a web design company to see if its feasible?
The site itself will not be overcomplicated, maybe 15 different pages, but there would be some drop down menus, (for ordering stuff).
I spoke to someone who does web design and he said it should take 5 to 6 weeks to set up, is this a realistic average timeframe for a fairly basic website?(Allowing for the fact that I can't say what the site is for).
I will be adding content to it and expanding it once its launched.

Thanks
Max

Sully

These two posts should cover the bulk of your post;
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61081393&postcount=13
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61072463&postcount=4

Just basically need to pick the right person (quality and testimonials essential - avoid the cheap and cheerful folk), discuss your requirements, get a price (shop around!), send over content and sit back and wait.

Requirements sending - describe what pages you want, which are the main pages, sub pages, and what content you are having on the pages. Flowcharts are nice but any process will work once described and explained well.

Hosting

:rolleyes:It’s simple really....:eek:
1. Work out what content you would like your site to have (layout and design comes later).
2. If the content will be changing a lot then you will need a CMS (content management system) web site, if not then a static site will do.
3. Get pictures of what you will be selling, a picture paints a thousand words. BETTER PICTURES = BETTER WEB SITE.
4. Make sure all the content is written in a way that the search engines line, planted with plenty of key words, good Meta title, and good mete description.
5. Take a look at designs of other site like the one you hope to build, if you have some idea what you are aiming for then the web design stage will be much faster.
6. Try doing a layout on a few large pages, explaining what you want on each page, like you were making a site using paper sheets. This will really help the designer.
7. CONTENT IS KING on Google and other major search engines. Remember not to copy any from other sites as this will not help you get up the search engines.
8. Try getting your web site coded by someone that can write it from the canvas....that means they hand write the code and don’t use 3 party programmes to do it for them, these are not as good.
9. Bring your plans to several developers and make sure you see some of their other work. Ask them to show how successful they have been with other clients and if they understand what you require.
10. It’s like buying a car, everyone is selling to you their car but make sure you get a web site that suits what you want it to do.
11. Stay away from anyone that tells you it will go to number 1 on Google in a few weeks or any mad statements like that.
12. Shop around for a hosting package.

Sully

12 steps and you call our posts complex? How ironic.

Everything you have put down has been said by many others in the linked posts, just not in a (hard to read) step by step form.

sticker

Sully wrote: »

12 steps and you call our posts complex? How ironic.

Everything you have put down has been said by many others in the linked posts, just not in a (hard to read) step by step form.

Ease off there Sully - The guy went to the trouble of giving his 2 (or 12) cents. Some of which is good solid advice for a novice site startup.

When did the boards devolve into mods having jurisiction over advice?

...Je$us! :rolleyes:

jmcc

Sully wrote: »

12 steps and you call our posts complex? How ironic.

Everything you have put down has been said by many others in the linked posts, just not in a (hard to read) step by step form.

Sully,
Sometimes people need a step by step guide rather than nebulous waffle that borders on self-promotion.

Regards...jmcc

sticker

jmcc wrote: »

Sully,
Sometimes people need a step by step guide rather than nebulous waffle that borders on self-promotion.

Regards...jmcc

Agreed...