Approach to Website Development

Meeting/project planning

We start each project with a kick-off meeting where we review the details of the project to understand your goals and any potential challenges. We create a project timeline listing all the tasks for the project. We provide weekly updates to you showing how the project is progressing against the timeline and budget.

Site Map

The information architecture shows the organization of the information in the site. It lists the main navigation and sub-sections based on the content you have on your current site or want to have on the new site.

Market Analysis

We perform a market analysis of your industry, picking out features and calls to action that entice viewers to take the next step.

Creative Development

A visually compelling web presence designed with ease of use will set you apart from the crowd. We develop professional graphics and layouts that drive home your marketing message through an interactive process of design and review. Stock photography is used to communicate layout positioning and messaging within the concepts and is often is replaced by custom photography in the final design. The navigational structure is refined and finalized in the design process.

User Stories

Our user stories provide detail functional specifications from which the feature can be technically designed. We will create the user stories and review them with you to ensure all details of the look and function of your site are accurate.

Interative Development

No longer do you need to wait until the site is completely finished to see the final product. With iterative development, you will see pieces of your site being developed. This allows us to get your feedback early and identify any revisions needed along the way. We use code compliance monitoring to ensure that all our programming follows industry standards.

Testing

After the website development is complete, the site will be thoroughly tested by us and by you using test cases developed from the User Stories.

Training

If the site is developed within a content management system (CMS), we will provide documentation and training on how to update, add and delete content using the CMS tool. We are also provide assistance during the content entry phase that can range from answering questions over the phone to entering the content for you.

Deployment

At this point, your site is ready for public viewing. We will move your site to a server within the Heartland Business Systems Data Center or to the hosting location of your choice.

Optimization

The website development project is finished, but a site should never be considered complete. We will show you how to keep your site fresh and ranking well within the search engines.