Even if programming is still needed, it is not anymore the main hurdle when creating a new website. Nowadays we have many-many other platforms and content management systems, which give us the opportunity to polish the website creation process and also focus more on delivering a better overall user experience.
Preliminary activites
Before we actually start working on the website, we have to do some preparation. This can be categorised as a cliche, but good planning will dramatically reduce the delivery time. This is also a key moment where consultancy services are recommended.
Identify of the website objective
What is the activity on the website, what is its role, which is the visitors target, which is the estimative number of clicks etc.
Technologies stack
During consultancy it will be established the development time period, technologies used, the costs.
Establish the content
In this phase, it’s necessary the direct involvement of the client and a very good collaboration between parties.
Establish deliverables and the communication methods
Setting a clear deliverables list is useful especially for providing a good representation of the overall progress to everyone involved.
Depending on the specifics of the project, the communication methods might vary. For example, email can be preferable when there is a lot of information to be passed to many people. However, chat and videoconferences have their advantages, bringing speed and a more personal note to the interaction.
The actual development
The activities described in the development stage of the project usually overlap. There is no clear delimitation and usually the have a big influence on each other.
The domain name
The domain is a set of characters easy to remember and to write related to an IP adress of the hosting server.
Usually, the domain .com / .net / .org, these are rentals. The hosting companies which offer free domains can retain the property rights of the all domains offered without any cost.
How to choose a domain?
A domain has to be easy to remember, more desirable to be short, and it has to be related with the website content. It will be taking into account the SEO element.
Project setup and development
The website development contains every programming activity developed to obtain the product desired.
First step is to decide the product design. The client has to be informed about the every development stages.
Lack of communication between parties is a bad sign in the project evolution. Depending on the particularities of each project and different aspects established with the developer, a project can be seen live during its development.
Creating the content
Creating the content means creating the text, structure, choosing the images which will be used in the site. For good results, the involvement of the client or a person representing their business is mandatory.
Uploading information on the website
Uploading information on website is usually the final phase of the website development.
Depending on the technology used on the project development, this activity can be included in the development phase of the website. Also, depending on the technology used in development, the client can upload the information on the website by itself, without programming skills being required.
Publishing the website
This is usually the final stage of a project. A hosting server is a computer permanently open and connected to Internet on which are hosted the project (website) files.
Website Hosting can be free, but it’s recommended to choose to pay for the hosting services because this services offer you better options, support and data security. When it’s time to choose hosting services you have to take into consideration the requirements of your website.
Closing thoughts
The thoughts above are supposed to be an introduction to what is supposed to happen when getting a new site for non-technical people. It is also supposed to help less experienced programmers, who have a tendency to jump to the programming part – which they like – ignoring the preliminaries which are often the key to a successful project.
This is a general description of how a rather small project is to be implemented. The past few years have made incredible progress as regards web technologies – but it has been so fast, that people who are not technical would have difficulties keeping up with the notions.
Using the method above can be the bridge towards a successful project.