Once your new and improved website is designed, it’s time to transform that beauty into a functioning website. This is typically the longest phase because there are so many elements to consider, which is why we consider them from the start.

We will design your site with every need in mind — specifically how it will function. I will help you decide which approach is appropriate for your company’s needs. Is a static, stand alone site sufficient, or do you need a Content Management System (CMS) to allow for dynamic content? Addressing these details from the beginning ensures a seamless transition between design and development. It also ensures we stay on schedule. The less hiccups during the development phase the better — we want that beauty to be bulletproof when people show up to take it for a spin.

The Code. There are various web development languages that provide different efficiencies and functionalities. Depending on the needs of your project, you will want to pick the language, or combination of languages, that best meet your project’s technical requirements. This could range from standard HTML & CSS, to PHP, JavaScript, ASP.NET, etc. (Here is a comprehensive list of coding languages).

The Platform. Once we understand how your website needs to function, we’ll choose the best platform for building it — maybe it’s a standalone site and we go with Adobe Dreamweaver (I love Dreamweaver), or you need a Content Management System (CMS) and we go with WordPress (also loving WordPress) — or Joomla, or Drupal, or SquareSpace…the list goes on. The good news is that though the list is long, with pros and cons for each, we will find the best platform for the job. While I prefer WordPress to design and develop responsive websites, it’s my job to find the best fit for you.

We want to make sure your customers have the best interaction with your company through your website, that its overall impression and ‘look and feel’ — aka the ‘User Experience’ (UX) & ‘User Interface’ (UI) — not only looks good, but works good too… well, works well. Once we dial in the desktop, we check for mobile compatibility. I make sure everything from phones to tablets, iOS to Android, look and function perfectly. Not a pixel out of place! But before we can do any of the above, we need to audit what you’ve got.

So you’ve got a website, awesome, buuut how long since you’ve shown it some love? Also a lot has changed since social media showed up — now not only do we have to keep our websites up to date, but often several social media platforms as well. Gone are the days where we stuff everything we’ve got into a website. Less is truly more in this respect. This means we have to work harder to strike a balance between platforms, to make sure your website compliments the content you have in other places. I can help with that process.

Beyond that the basic stuff still applies — websites need a revamp every few years. Doing so ensures your website remains current with both technology and search engine algorithms. A quick audit on your current website will tell me everything I need to know.

During the audit phase I’ll review your site’s front and back-end, check for browser compatibility, W3C validation, mobile friendliness or responsiveness, quality of code and structure, depth of content, internal cross-linking as well as all outbound links and media downloads. The next step is to generate a sitemap file that tells me all of the pages that google has indexed so we can review your relevant content and pages and shed any excess (irrelevant content) — so your site will run at an optimal speed. I’ll also check the forms for proper functionality. Does the search button work and return accurate results? There are many steps involved, but I enjoy it. This is the problem solving phase and it’s exciting. From here we discuss the positives and negatives of your current site, and what you want from your future site.

Yep, three letters that strike fear into the heart of many. Sound familiar? Just build the site and hopefully it all works out right? We’ve all been intimidated by the prospect of implementing bulletproof SEO — managing our expectations about what will work and what won’t. Let’s work together to create a plan to optimize your website and site content to maximize your SEO value. After All, what good is a well designed, responsive website if no can find it?

On the surface, it seems like the rules of SEO are ever changing, but the core fundamentals are actually pretty consistent. There are many elements involved and I could write an entire blog on the steps I follow just to make sure your site is set up to succeed when it comes to being found online. Together we will utilize the tools at our disposal and develop a plan of attack on Google (and other search) bots to make sure potential customers can find you.

Hackers and spammers? I despise them. I will take every step I can to prevent them from compromising your website’s integrity. After 20+ years in the business I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, and I will do all I can to make sure you’re secure. Fortunately, site security is a group effort, with development and hosting platforms working around the clock to ensure everyone is protected. We all know hackers and spammers aren’t going anywhere, but we will evolve and overcome them — because keeping your site safe and secure is priority #1.