This is an overview as to how I generally work through a project from start to finish. I say generally as not all projects are the same so I like to tailor my approach to best fit your needs. I don't work to a strict methodology for this very reason.

First, I listen

This is probably the most important phase of the project. During this time I am trying to get an understanding of you, who you are, what do you want to achieve, how do you see your business online.

I'll be asking you questions such as what should the site achieve? Are there measurable goals for the site? What is the purpose of the site and who is your target audience/demographic?

This is usually a short exercise which is conducted in our first meeting. I use the information gathered here as a guide for how the site should look, what sort of functionality is likely to be required and how to group the content in order of importance.

Then, Research and Plan

I'll then take all this information and if applicable I'll research existing sites in your market or that are similar to what you want. I will be looking at the best and the worst examples, seeing what works, what doesn't and most importantly how can I get you to the top.

Also during this phase a rough site map will be created which will indicate content groups, high level page hierarchies and navigation. We will discuss technological requirements and solutions that will best achieve your goals for the website.

As the final step for this phase I will format all the information to date into a project proposal. This will be a document that will outline what I am doing for you and how I am going to do it. The proposal can be thought of as a functional contract so it pays to keep it on file and to hand as we will refer to it at a later date.

Creating the Design

Drawing from the information gathered in previous phases I will present to you a set of high-level sketches/prototypes that illustrate the potential look and feel of your website. Information such as the target audience, market and company logo/branding/colours affect the design and will be carefully considered.

The design prototypes can be hashed and rehashed, completely thrown out or ran with. Their main purpose is to act as a starting point for the design. Many people often don't know what they want until they see it (or don't see it) so I will be completely open to your suggestions/modifications and will offer my opinions on what I think works and doesn't work.

Because there is a large degree of flexibility on offer at this stage it is crucial that communication between you and I be frequent and clear as indecisiveness here can lead to prolonged deadlines and extended budgets.

Now, on to Development

Once I have your feedback on the initial direction, design prototypes and functional requirements its time for me to really get to work! I'll take the agreed upon high-level prototypes and translate them into fully functional web pages.

During this development period I will release completed snippets of the site for you to view, test and use. Typically, I'll create a home page and the structure for the other sub pages and get your approval before continuing. This allows you time to see the site on the screen and make any last minute changes. There are fewer opportunities for major changes in this phase, it's not impossible but it is preferred that the development phase is limited to development and not reinvestigation of earlier phases.

Once I have approval of the developed design I will concentrate on and code the functional areas/elements of the site such as content forms, login, search forms and shopping carts for you to use and get a feel for the processes associated with them.

Before public release, we Test

Now we put the developed site through its paces. The aim here is to catch all and any bugs/unexpected behaviors before the site is made public (live). All things big and small will be checked including broken navigation, cross browser compatibility and that functional aspects work as intended.

The site as always is available for you to conduct your own testing if you would like. This can be a good time for you to familiarise yourself with the site and its processes. If you find some issues with the site or a particular area doesn't work as you had hoped by all means tell me, in most cases it will be rectified swiftly.

Once the site is given the "all clear" I will upload it to your hosting server which will then make your website viewable by the public!

All the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will be in place and the site will be submitted to Google et al, Google monitoring code will be incorporated into the site and depending on the host web server; server statistics will be enabled.

Finally, Support and Maintenance - I'm still here...

Nothing can hurt a website more than static, stagnant content. To keep your visitors interested in the site, your content should be kept up to date and current. I'll be happy to help, just because your site is completed and is live doesn't mean you are on your own.

If however, during the planning phase you decided on using a Content Management System (CMS) you probably won't need me at all. You'll be able to log in to your site from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection and manage your content in real time.

Or if you didn't opt for a CMS for your site earlier on but would like one now, not a problem! Its never too late to add the ability in and is invaluable for managing your content and keeping your site current.