Now, about my website design process from start to finish. Hello and welcome back to my blog! My name is Zach, and if you’re new here, welcome.
I just love sharing experiences not only in business and with clients but most importantly talk about how I’m growing into the best Selangor web designer I can be. I want to learn everything I can and truly share it all with you all so we can grow and succeed together. Enjoy this article!
Today, I’m diving into my entire website design process: how I work with clients, how long it takes, and every step in between. I know we all learn differently-some by watching videos, others by reading, and some are more visual.
You can definitely read this article and still grab the guide as a helpful reference.
Alright, enough with that-let me get to my process step-by-step!
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Discovery Call
Step one is the initial call, which is your Discovery call. Typically, before getting on the call, my clients fill in a contact form on my website. If they email me via Instagram or another platform, I forward that form so my system can automate the scheduling process.
My form does include some key questions, like budget, that gives me an idea upfront what they are willing to pay and helps us both avoid that awkward conversation later. I also ask about their business, in what situation it currently is in, and their objectives.
This helps me be in a position where I can guide the call and make any pre-call research necessary in advance. If you don’t have a similar setup yet, I highly recommend at least you include some pre-call questions so your conversations will be more efficient.
My number one question on the call, if they’re looking for website design only-no branding-is, “Do they have branding?” If they don’t have a logo, color palette, or typography set, I usually won’t take them on unless they’re open to a full branding and website package.
I just can’t design a website without strong branding at its core, so it’s essential to make that clear from the outset. If they do have branding, brilliant!
But if it’s e-commerce, the scope is different-and so is the cost-because such projects take more work. I also use the Discovery call to get an idea about their passion, business vision, and where they want to take it.
Send Proposal
After the call, I make a few notes and give myself two days to send a personalized proposal.
Agreement, Contract Sign & Deposit
Step three is that they accept the proposal, sign the contract, and send in their deposit. Once that’s complete, I grant them access to their client portal and a very thorough questionnaire to help me get even more insight into their business.
The portal is key because it has a task board showing them exactly what I’m working on each week and when they can expect deliverables. Additionally, I send over a video walkthrough of how to use the portal.
Communication is the key to any great client experience, and I want them to feel informed every step of the way.
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Start Designing
When the start date hits, that means it’s actually time to start designing. I just do the home pages usually, presenting two to three options so the client can decide which way they’d like it to go.
We don’t have images or copy quite yet, so I use placeholders, but at least they get an idea of the layout and design style. Once I have feedback from them, we refine the design and start building the interior pages such as About, Contact, Services, or Shop, based on the questionnaire.
For e-commerce, I mock up the product and shop pages. I always provide a video walkthrough explaining the design choices I made so that the client understands the rationale behind the layout, colors, and typography.
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Copywriting
Next, it’s time to get the copywriter involved. Some designers need to have the copy first and design the space around it, while others-like me-prefer to design the framework and let my copywriter fill in the content based on the layout.
This year, I found a great copywriter who has a fast turnaround, so I usually just hand her the full mock-up at this stage. Clear feedback is important here, as once we go into development, large edits take longer.
I let my clients know this is where they need to give me their thoughts and ideas so that we move to the next stage seamlessly.
Web Development
I then proceed with the actual development of the website. I do most of it myself; however, when I am busy with different projects, I have a developer at hand to assist me in that area.
Most of my work is in WordPress, and this would be my platform of choice. This development stage takes about two weeks, wherein I’d add the copy and test everything to make sure it’s fully functional.
It would be longer if it’s an e-commerce site, but I try to wrap up the development in that two-week timeframe.
Client Walkthrough
Once the site is fully developed, I schedule a walkthrough with the client where I explain how everything works and they can ask any final questions.
This is also when I accept small tweaks-like color changes or button adjustments-but major design changes should have already been addressed.
Publish The Website
We launch the site! This is exciting. I send my clients a launch-day email with all the celebratory emojis and include some free website launch graphics that they can use on social media to hype.
I mean, launch day should be celebrated-after all, we’ve just worked together for 10 to 12 weeks bringing this vision to life! I also always take a moment as a designer to celebrate any launch-it’s a big accomplishment.
So that is my entire website design process in 10 steps. It usually takes 10 to 12 weeks to complete a full website, and that might sound long, but I really like to dive deep into each project to make sure everything is just right.
I hope this overview is helpful and gave you some insight into how I approach website design.
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