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The timeforcake website process: Step-by-Step
Here's a simple breakdown of the 8 steps we'll go through while building your website as well as what you get to take away from each step.
Step 1: Pre-Project
Here are your options for kicking off your project:
A) If you have a few general questions about our process, expectations, timelines, etc., call or email Erin and she'll make sure to clear things up for you.
B) If you'd like to obtain a cost estimate or proposal, please complete and submit one of our free website planners (available on our gettin' started page); we'll make sure to get back to you quickly.
We offer up to 30 minutes of pre-project communications and consulting before billing begins (please see our pricing page for an explanation of how we charge) -- and this consulting is almost always more effective and valuable to our potential clients if we've been able to first review their planners.
What you get to take away from Step 1:
- A solid, better-organized concept of what you're looking for in your new website, based on your responses to the questions we pose in our planner
- Any additional suggestions, tips, and/or recommendations we made to you during your 30 minutes of free consulting and our email responses to you after reviewing your planner
Step 2: Proposal
Based on your website planner's answers, we create a custom project proposal for you. This can take anywhere from 2 - 5 business days. The proposal often contains a recommended site structure as well as a cost estimate.
What you get to take away from Step 2:
- A customized proposal focused on your unique goals and desires, including a concept of the budget required to meet your goals
Step 3: All Systems Go!
Once you approve your proposal, we'll draft the project contract and send it your way.
After we've received the signed contract and the initial payment (usually 30 - 40% of the project's estimated cost), we begin the creation of your website.
What you get to take away from Step 3:
- A signed contract -- proof that your website project is now underway!
Step 4: Design Decisions & Content Collection
At this point we'll be asking you a variety of fun questions related to the look and feel of your site. Once we have your answers, clearly understand what you're looking for, and have confirmed our understanding with you, we'll dive into locating, researching, and sketching design concepts.
Meanwhile, you'll begin to collect all the required site assets we'll need to get to work on your site, including text, photography, logos, documents, etc.
(Don't forget to read our tips on the pricing page about how you can keep your overall site costs down.)
What you get to take away from Step 4:
- A smile -- knowing that we understand what you're looking for in your site's design
- (Potentially) Butterflies in your stomach as you await the design we create for you
- Confidence that the content you've collected and provided to us will be organized and displayed effectively in your website
Step 5: Design!
Here's where we'll begin the actual creation of your website's design, most likely using a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. When done, we'll present you with what we've created and then, based on your feedback, we'll polish and tweak the design until you're truly tickled pink.
What you get to take away from Step 5:
- A beautiful site design
Step 6: Code!
As you sit back and sip your lemonade, we here at timeforcake will be descending into the depths of the earth as we get to work on the coding and programming of your website. Using a carefully measured mixture of HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, AJAX, and plenty of other fancy-schmancy sounding acronyms, we concoct a potion of code that, when viewed on your monitor (and in any modern browser), displays a gorgeous and superbly-functioning website.
We'll keep in close contact with you during this stage--providing you with updates, asking you questions, and perhaps even giving you occasional sneak peaks at how things are coming along.
What you get to take away from Step 6:
- Relaxation time
Step 7: Test, Polish & Refine
Once we've completed the coding of your website, we'll ask you to go through the entire test site (a.k.a. "Beta site") and let us know of any tweaks or changes you'd like made. Though quite rare, errors or omissions caused by us do occasionally happen--and this is the time when we'll fix those right up at no cost to you.
If you planned ahead and communicated clearly during the course of the project, you'll likely have very few requests for us during this stage. (Please make sure you review our pricing page for tips about keeping costs down.)
We test, polish, and refine until you're delighted.
What you get to take away from Step 7:
- A functioning Beta site
- The knowledge that your site is going to launch very, very soon
Step 8: Take Off!
After receiving final payment for your website project, we launch your site!
You're happy, we're happy, and all's well in the universe!
What you get to take away from Step 8:
- Your very own beautiful, fantastic, completed website
- Information on how to access your website's statistics/analytics account
- Sublime happiness and excitement about your business's powerful new marketing tool