If you've never worked with a web development agency before, the process can seem mysterious. What actually happens between signing a contract and launching your website?
Here's a detailed walkthrough of what to expect.
Phase 1: Discovery and Planning
What happens:
- Initial consultation to understand your business and goals
- Discussion of target audience and competitors
- Review of any existing brand materials
- Feature and functionality requirements gathering
- Timeline and budget alignment
Your involvement: High. This phase requires your input and decision-making.
Deliverables: Project scope document, timeline, and final quote.
Phase 2: Strategy and Sitemap
What happens:
- Information architecture planning (how pages connect)
- Sitemap creation showing all pages
- User journey mapping
- Content requirements outlined
Your involvement: Medium. Review and approve the site structure.
Deliverables: Sitemap and content outline.
Phase 3: Design
What happens:
- Visual design concepts (usually starting with homepage)
- Style guide creation (colors, fonts, components)
- Desktop and mobile layouts
- Revision rounds based on your feedback
Your involvement: High. Clear, constructive feedback is crucial.
Deliverables: Design mockups for all key pages.
Tips for giving design feedback:
- Be specific: "The headline is hard to read" not "I don't like it"
- Reference the brief and goals
- Consolidate feedback from all stakeholders before sending
Phase 4: Development
What happens:
- Approved designs are built as a working website
- Content management system setup
- Functionality development (forms, integrations, etc.)
- Mobile responsiveness implementation
Your involvement: Lower during development, but you may be needed to provide content, images, and access to third-party services.
Deliverables: Working website on a staging/development environment.
Phase 5: Content Population
What happens:
- All final content is added to the site
- Images are optimized and uploaded
- Meta titles and descriptions added
Your involvement: Depends on who's providing content. If you are, this is high-involvement.
Phase 6: Testing and Review
What happens:
- Testing on multiple browsers and devices
- Functionality testing (forms, links, etc.)
- Performance optimization
- Client review and final revisions
Your involvement: Medium to high. Thorough review is important.
Phase 7: Launch
What happens:
- Final approvals obtained
- Domain and hosting configured
- Site goes live
- SSL certificate installed
- Post-launch testing
Your involvement: Approval and celebration.
Phase 8: Post-Launch Support
What happens:
- Training on how to update content
- Bug fixes if issues arise
- Ongoing support as agreed
Timeline Expectations
A typical brochure website takes 4-8 weeks. More complex projects take longer. Delays usually happen because of:
- Slow feedback from the client
- Content not ready
- Scope changes mid-project
The quickest path to launch is timely feedback and prepared content.
Communication Best Practices
- Designate one primary point of contact
- Consolidate feedback before sending
- Respond to requests promptly
- Be clear about what you want
- Ask questions if anything is unclear
Work With Us
At GMT, we guide you through every step with clear communication and no surprises. If you're ready to start a project, we'd love to hear from you.