Generate UK – Digital Marketing Blog

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The purpose of this document is for it to be used to outline the basic website development goals. Generate UK have a 5 Step Plan for website development, an overview of these steps are provided below. For each website development project we undertake, we would expect to work through these steps with our clients. The more information that is provided during each of these steps, the greater chance there is of launching your website on time, on budget and to your initial expectations.

Please read through the steps below as this will form the basis of our pre work scoping session. Don’t worry if you can not answer every point as Generate UK will help with ideas and suggestions. You might also prefer that Generate UK take responsibility for some of the steps and present back to you for approval. This document is all about highlighting the necessary steps and ensuring that your goals and objectives are clear in order that we can deliver something that is specific to you and your requirements.

Generate Step One: Goals and Objectives of Website

1. What do you want your website to be or do:

a. Gather ideas, inspirations, etc.

• List of sites I like the look of
• List of sites I do not like the look of
• Reading material I have taken inspiration from

b. Analyse you current website (if appropriate)
c. Get acquainted with the tools you will be using
d. Draw some rough sketches or a rough storyboard to your site

2. Determine who your customers are and what they need or expect. For larger sites consider:

a. Ask existing customers and users
b. Ask your staff and partners what they might want from your site
c. Complete a usability study
d. For larger investments you might want to consider surveys
e. Look at your existing website analytics if they are available

3. Combine what you want your website to do with who your customers are:

a. Be clear about who your audience is, ie B2B, B2C, P2P.
b. Extend your initial research

4. Determine the elements of your website team

a. Who is your webmaster, the person with overall responsibility
b. Who has responsibility for design work
c. Will you be writing your own content or outsourcing it
d. Do you have on-site technical skills?

5. Review Generate Step One; are you clear on your website goals and objectives?

Generate Step Two: The all important site

1. Create a sitemap that outlines all areas of the site, the more work carried out during Generate Step One, the easier the sitemap will be.

a. Decide upon how deep your siemap will go
b. Draw up the sitemap and provide drawings for approval

2. What elements of your site need to appear on more than one page, for example should your privacy policy be included on your footer?

3. Agree on your labels and what you want each section to be known as.

4. If your site is to be regularly updated, do you require an archive section

5. Will you require multimedia such as audio, video or Flash? If not at website launch, might you need it in the future?

6. Will your site require a database or bespoke programming

7. Review Generate Step Two; are you starting to see the look and feel of your site come together?

Generate Step Three: The look and feel of your website

This is often the most emotive stage as you begin to explore the look of your website and the images you might use. Generate UK will be able to help you and come up with suggestions, however it will help if you have strong views on this topic. For example, if pictures of cats are a definite no, then make sure this is communicated. During Generate Step Three, we cover the following areas of your website development.

1. A basic mock up or design of your site for approval and enhancement

2. Decide how your site will be made and what technology

3. Decide on the basic structure and navigation

4. Choose a colour scheme for your site

5. Decide upon the font and logos

6. Check the sizes of your images and begin batch uploading if there are a lot

7. Work through any design aspects

8. Review Generate Step Three; The basic building blocks should be there now.

Generate Step Four: Coding and Content

During this stage you will start to see live examples of your website, which will usually be on a development server. The signed off designs will now start to be coded into a website. If your site is being build upon an ecommerce system or a content management system, your template will be uploaded. Also during this stage the following happens:
1. Creation of bespoke designs, graphics and logos if required

2. Hardcoding of HTML and scripts if required

3. Basic website SEO requirements such as page titles and meta tags

4. Check the template against the original objectives, is the site still on course?

5. Ensure that all content is signed off and delivered to you

6. Proofread the entire site and carry out extensive Quality Assurance Procedure, to be signed off by Generate UK and client.

7. Develop site to a “go live” position so that user acceptance testing can be carried out.

8. Review Generate Step Four: Are you happy with your site to go live?

Generate Step Five: It’s time to launch the site

1. Announce your site to customers, partners and suppliers

2. Submit to search engines and local search directories

3. Agree a maintenance schedule and quarterly review with Generate UK

4. Create documentation for next webmaster

5. Continuously review all steps

Summary & Beyond the Check List

The objective of this document is to share with you the development process of a website. At Generate UK, we’re keen to deliver a project that absolutely meets or exceeds your original objectives. The way to achieve this is by walking you through the process and helping you to think about the pertinent elements of your website.

As a digital marketing agency, we would argue that the website is the first step towards your online objectives. Now that you have an online presence, the question is how do you reach your target audience.
This is where the true value of having a website exists; speak to one of our consultants about our Search Marketing solutions and how we can deliver targeted traffic to your site that converts.