Web Development Life Cycle

By Art Unlimited.  

Understand the phases of web development to ensure a successful website launch. 

There are a lot of things to think about when the time comes to develop a new website. There are so many variables that can impact the project timeline and the launch date, that’s why you want to have a timeline for when you would like to launch your website.  

When you are piecing together a timeline to reach this goal a few questions might come to mind, like what does the web development life cycle entail? And what does a typical project timeline look like? 

On average, the web development cycle at Art Unlimited can take up to twelve weeks to complete, from the first meeting to launching the site. There are five phases to give each project consistency and fulfil expectations for all parties involved: 

• Plan 

• Analyze 

• Design and development  

• Test 

• Implement and maintain 

Plan: create a sound foundation  

Before researching Pantone’s color of the year or trendy, minimalist fonts, you will need a concrete base to act as your guide throughout the process. The planning phase of the cycle challenges you to contemplate the sole purpose of your site and what you want to achieve with it. Thoroughly brainstorming and answering these two critical points will provide a solid foundation and lead the project in a clear direction. Another aspect to reflect on is your intended target audience and how the site can also be shaped to reach those users.  

This phase occurs in an initial meeting where you and your project manager discuss these in-depth questions. Additionally, these will be addressed: 

• Review the signed contract 

• Assess your brand guide 

• Communicate the standards and expectations for each phase 

Covering everything from the contract, expectations and the goals of your website could take more than one meeting. 

Lots of thinking, right? Just wait; we dig deeper!  

Analyze: relevant content works in your favor 

Next, we audit the site’s current content to determine the relevancy and ensure it is unique. This is an excellent opportunity to ensure the content is in alignment with your goals. Also consider removing any fluff to make the content clear and concise. 

If you want to give the content a facelift, Art Unlimited has tools to help guide you through the writing process. Additionally, we have a team of writers who can step in to write fresh content if you want to take the bulk of this phase off your plate! You’ll still be heavily involved by answering questions and providing feedback on the written content. We take your answers and turn them into SEO-ready, customer-friendly content. 

Whether you write the content or we do, this phase often takes the longest and is the biggest culprit for delaying the launch date. The content is needed for the next phase to begin. 

Design and development: structure, structure, structure!  

Once your content has been finalized, the website enters into the design and development phase, where you will meet with our graphic designer. This is where a lot of the visual elements of your website come into play and nitty-gritty details are solidified. The key focal point of this phase is to strategically place the content and implement media visuals to help build the structure of your site. 

Our graphic designer starts this process by designing a homepage mockup with your vision and goals in mind. From there, we review it with you and make up to two rounds of edits so it fits your brand and purpose. The same process is applied to the rest of the subpages; then we can start the programming. 

One of the most critical phases of building a new site is the programming step. This portion is heavily tech-related and can be a slow process due to creating new code and ensuring it matches your vision, design, and content. 

Test: it’s all in the details 

Before your site launches, our team takes the time to thoroughly review the site for quality assurance. This ensures the site will work appropriately on mobile devices, desktops and browsers when users visit. We have many eyes reviewing the site to ensure all expectations are met and each function works! 

Implement and maintain: Think it. Dream it. Launch it.  

Woohoo! The site is launched! But what does all entail moving forward? 

For starters, you have the opportunity to be trained on how to edit your new site and make changes with a one-on-one mini session with an Art Unlimited expert. If you’d prefer to not manage your website, we also offer monthly marketing and website maintenance packages, including edits you’d like to see as time goes on. 

We are here to collaborate with you on your new website and beyond. Connect with us to get your questions answered. 

Learn more about Art Unlimited in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit artunlimitedusa.com. 

Original article source: Art Unlimited