How it all works - The Process

Duo website projects typically span an eight week schedule. We can, and have completed sites much quicker, but we have found planning them over eight weeks gives you the time needed to respond to our requests and to be adequately informed as to our progress. The following steps are those which typically take place throughout these eight weeks and take you from initial meeting to final site launch.

01. Planning & Research

We find that a clients input is vital in the creation of a successful concept. Your initial input helps us to put together an initial site map this will enable us to gain a greater understanding of the sites structure, allowing everyone to have a clear picture of what content needs to be created. Also understanding your company allows us to suggest specific technical features of the site to enable your clients to better utilise you companies products and services.

02. Design

Duo will create the designs informed by your initial input as a series of still images, enabling you to give feedback on the concepts. These designs are not merely plucked out of the air but are based on the input we've received from you on what market sectors you are aiming at, what features need to bee included and are developed to appear on a par, or superior to what your current competition are offering.

03. Design Feedback

We typically give you a couple of options, we feel you know the most about your business and clients and therefore welcome your input. Most of the time our first attempt is the right solution, but this stage allows you to direct us if you feel we have not got every element to you liking.

04. Programme & CMS Site Setup

Once a design is chosen we will begin programming the websites various templates, which will have been visualised in the design process. When the templates are completed we are able to begin the process of adding the text and image content. We add the site structure for you as set out in the site map, created in step one so all the navigation elements are there and visually as they appeared in the flat designs.

05. Content Creation / Migration

Now that the templates are completed you will needs to provide the websites text and image content in a digital format. An initial site plan has already been created so that everyone knows exactly what content needs to be supplied. We give you approximately 4 weeks to complete the total content; obviously any delay in delivering the content will directly influence the project’s completion date. If for any reason you struggle to write the content for your site, we have professional copy writers available, at a small extra cost, to help you write your content. You can either provide us rough drafts for them to work from, or simply provide existing marketing material, or have a meeting with them to sketch out what you need writing. We can then put your site together and implement any feedback you have before launching the site.

06. Add Content

We typically add around 20 pages of content, this allows us to tweak the templates and style to allow for the nature of your content. Extra content is easily added by you later, however this initial content adding stage is all about testing the site has the appropriate amount of flexibility to cope with all you can through at it. If you would like us to add more than twenty pages, this is possible at a small extra cost per page.

07. Site Testing

During the site programming stage and at the end, we typically test the site all major browsers (those with more than a 5% market share). At the time of writing this includes, Internet Explorer 7/8, Firefox 3+, Chrome 8, and Apple Safari. We can also programme sites to work well in older browsers, ie Internet Explorer 6, however this is typically done at an extra cost due to these older browsers not conforming to modern standards.

08. Client Training

Our Content Management System (Duo CMS) has been designed to be as easy to use as possible. We have online training videos and provide all our client with printed instructions. In many circumstances our clients have added and edited content without any formal training. However, for the sake of completeness and to help build confidence we typically spend a couple of ours with you to help you edit your site. We will take you through all the tasks you will regularly need to complete including adding images, page, documents and editing text etc...

09. Site Launch

Up until this point, your website will have been developed on yourcompany.duodesign.co.uk. Once everything is in place and you have been trained,we make the arrangements and technical adjustments required to activate your site on your website address. These changes can take a day or two to take affect depending on the current setup, once done you site will be live and ready to use.