How do we build a website, from start to finish?

Good question! Every project and client is a little bit different, so the exact starting events can shift according to unique needs, but we try to stick to a similar format each time. Lets take a look at the process!

Step 1:

We listen (you talk).

This part has as many names as there are different marketing agencies. We like to call it a discovery call, but in reality, this is the part where we’re just here to listen. Once you reach out, our friendly business development manager—that’s a mouthful, we call him Kevin—will reach out to schedule this first session. 

There are a few things you could do to prepare. You don’t need to know the ins and outs of how websites work, but it is helpful to think about what you’d like your website to do for you. This includes thinking about functionality—whether you’d like to collect emails and phone numbers from folks contacting you with questions; whether you’d like provide online quotes or sell products directly; whether you’d like to have a separate, password-protected portion of your website for members only—these are all things that can be discussed in an introductory call.

It’s also important to consider who will be working on the project, and bring them into the first introductions whenever possible. Sometimes the decision-makers aren’t interested in being part of these calls, and we’re happy to supply quotes for services you aren’t sure you can sell to your boss. Just let Kevin know where you’re at, he knows all about bosses.

Step 2:

We plan.

Here, Kevin puts together a road map to navigate from where you are to where you want to be. We outline your marketing goals, key milestones, a realistic timeline, and possible routes to get there. Sometimes, this includes complementary (and sometimes, complimentary!) services or add-ons that you might not have realized could be useful.

This leads to a second call where Kevin presents our proposal, going over the available options and budget constraints, and you take some time to think over your options.

Step 3:

We listen again (and the project officially begins).

After the paperwork is signed and the rough plan is in place, things can officially begin. In the office, we call this milestone “the kickoff.” Damaris, our project manager, schedules a meeting with you, your team, and any ICS-ers involved in the project. Sometimes, this part can feel a bit redundant. Often, Kevin will review information he gathered in the first two meetings, and ask you to introduce your business and marketing goals all over again. It may seem like overkill, but the person who best understands your business is you, and that’s who we want to hear from.

We take this time to review some industry competitors, success stories, demographic data, etc, as well as take a moment to understand your taste. After all, a successful website is one that both you and your target audience can appreciate. 

Step 4:

We begin (writing).

Sometimes the kickoff unearths new data or requirements and the initial road map needs to be adjusted, but usually, we’ve done enough research that we’re ready to start. Any changes at this point are clearly and concisely communicated, so we can make sure you’re on board with the final, detailed plan.

All websites start with the text, or “content”. Without knowing what we need to say, how can we figure out how best to say it? Unless otherwise discussed, our project manager will usually lead this portion, conducting research and creating a collaborative draft (usually a Google Doc) for your team to review and edit. These are big documents—every page and every paragraph of your website (right down to image captions) is eventually in this document!

As this is finalized, design begins in tandem, which leads us to the next step…

Step 5:

We design.

Steps 4 and 5 overlap a little bit here. Content doesn’t have to be perfectly fine-tuned in order for design to start, and design doesn’t happen all at once. We start with the home page, which is like the show suite in a new housing development. The home page sets the tone for look and feel, branding (your logo and how it’s featured), colours, user interface (buttons!), you name it. It can influence content a little bit, and the two begin to shape each other.

Once the home page design is approved on your side and you’re happy with how everything is starting to look, we send that for development (another overlapping step), and begin designing all the subsequent pages, which we call “inner pages”, “child pages”, and sometimes even “secondary pages” depending on the amount of information we are trying to organize, which refers back to Step 4, where content has already been planned.

Step 6:

We build.

This is another overlapping step, where we start bringing your approved designs to life on a live development website. As mentioned in Step 5, the build starts when the initial home page design is ready. This sounds complicated, but it’s just our attempt at keeping things moving as quickly as possible, to make sure you see the result of your marketing investment as soon as you can.

The home page is built while your inner pages are designed and reviewed with your team (Step 5 again). These steps work in tandem (and remember that at the same time, you’re also finalizing your content). Then when the inner page designs are ready to go, they get added on to the already-built home page. Once the whole website is functional, we loop back to the finalized content and insert that into the pages waiting to be filled in.

Step 7:

We review.

Okay, the rollercoaster is mostly over. Don’t worry if you lost track at some point, we didn’t. We try to guide you through the whole process, using our communication software, Slack, and using regular updates on hours and progress (and costs!) via PDF reports that you can download and save for your own records. We send these out on a weekly schedule, as well as at important milestones (eg: the initial home page approval we talked about in Step 4). 

We’re ready to listen instantly, and you can install Slack on your laptop, phone, home computer, tablet, wherever—and we’re there, ready to answer your questions or remind you of action items we need from your team.

In the meantime, Step 7 involves a detailed quality assurance of your entire website, across multiple browsers, operating systems, and devices. We are human (we haven’t trained an AI for this yet), and so we also bring you into this process. We share the development site and ask that you and your team keep an eye out for buttons that don’t go to the right page, contact details that need to connect to different people, and forms that could be optimized to better suit your users. 

Once everyone is satisfied that the website is bulletproof, we can begin Step 8. But remember, websites are live online, and edits are easy. Your team can do them, our team can do them, and little issues are not a stress, but are often helpful learning opportunities while you figure out how to use this huge new tool.

Step 8:

We launch (to infinity & beyond).

Here’s the exciting part: social media announcements, user feedback, analytics, compliments (hopefully!). We hope your whole team is excited about their new face online. We keep Slack available for a time while you learn the ropes of managing your site, and we offer ongoing support services via a monthly service level agreement (you can chat about options like this with Kevin during your project closing process). 

This is a great opportunity to give us feedback. Tell us where we failed, tell us where we worked magic, we want to hear it all. Every website we build, we try to make it our best one and we are constantly learning (and let’s face it, the internet changes daily).

So, let us know if you’d like to be part of the process and find out how we can give your company the online presence that it deserves. Your clientele will thank you.

Thinking about a website upgrade? Let’s map out your build together - from brief to launch.