Web designing and development has wormed their way up the lists of one of the most demanded jobs and services today. However, there are people that don’t understand that web designing is not just simply thinking of a concept and applying it. Creating a website involves stages and processes in order to achieve a successful site that would attract customers and give them the information that they need. Without a proper outlined process, the website would surely fail and ultimately disappoint the website owner. Here are the stages and steps with regard to web developing and designing:

1.       Planning

Like anything else, developing a website starts with planning. This is the stage that requires interaction between developers, their client, and the accompanying attention to detail.

In this stage, there is a lot of research and analysis involved including the business goals, target audience, and additional requests. Also, research is necessary, because even if the website owner has a careful plan for the website, offer suggestions that would make the website better and more effective. Furthermore, consider the financial points that would be needed. As with any other project, a budget is required.

2.       Design

After planning, you would want the website to now take shape by conceptualizing the design, outlining it and putting it into action. The design stage involves moving the information from the planning stage and making it into reality by structuring a documented site and including representation. This stage has four processes:

• Wireframe and design elements planning where the visual layout of the website would begin to take shape by conceptualizing the design. You can do this first on paper before actually implementing it on the site
• Designing a mock-up in Photoshop should be done next.
• Review the cycle next if there is a need for tweaking.
• Lastly, write the HTML and CSS for the basic design. It can be static for now just to get the visuals together on screen and to be able to validate all of the code before moving on.

Be sure that you are clear with how you would like your design. Common mistakes in web design like ending up with a cluttered website with all the unnecessary images and videos or too flashy colors that are painful to the eyes. Make sure that your website is user-friendly, simple, and would highlight those that are really needed to be known by the prospective customers who will visit the site.

3.       Development

Now, the bulk of programming work begins. Make sure your web developer takes a strategic and careful approach to avoid the need for constantly testing.

• First, you would want to have your developer develop a framework where you want to implement the systems that you would want to use such as your desired content management system (CMS). Doing this early ensures you that the server would be able to handle the installation and set-up.
• Have your developer prepare the templates that you would use for each page since a website usually has several pages such as the home, general content, blogs, forms, etc. so you would have to determine which templates you would like to use. Creating your own for this purpose would also be a good practice.
• Should you want to have special features, interactivity, and other fancy add-on elements you should add them first before the static content.
• After your developer is done developing the site, it’s time to load all the contents.
• With the website finished, you should now begin testing and verifying links and their functions to avoid errors. Make sure you walk through every single page that you’re developer created in order to determine if every link and its functions are working in order.
  
  

4.       Launch

With your website good-to-go, you should prepare for public viewing by doing some final touches and polishes of design elements, deep testing of interactivity and features, and considering the user’s experience. Testing in the product environment is also important because different servers can have different features and behavior.

• Polish your design by identifying parts of the website that can still be improved in small ways if needed.
• Transfer to live by “unhiding” the website so you can review if everything that happens live.
• Test the website through final diagnostics using code “validators,” broken-like checkers, website health checks, spell-checkers, etc, to make sure that there aren’t any mistakes.
• Finally, check cross-browser (i.e. Explorer, Firefox, Chrome) in order to determine if your website is working in multiple browsers.
  
  

5.       Post-Launch

Remember, even if the website is launched, it doesn’t mean that you are done with your work. Maintenance is very important since applications and programs are bound to change sometimes so it is best to make sure that the website would be able to keep track of the changes.

Like any other project, design and development should consist of a well-thought-out outline in order to successfully implement a site that would gain the interest of viewers and lead them to the information they need. If this is done properly, companies have a good foundation to maximize their website and gain an edge over their competition.