Web Design
We have been developing high quality websites for over a decade. We began coding HTML when the Internet became popular in the mid-1990s and continued learning new web technologies as the years passed.
Today, we specialize in custom-coded HTML, CSS, PHP, and MySQL websites as well as popular content management systems such as WordPress. To provide a great experience for every visitor, whether they are using a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone, we use responsive design techniques.
With an eye for great, clean design and attention to detail, we rise above the competition. Our websites undergo thorough testing for user experience, speed, and search engine optimization. We pay attention not only to the front-end appearance, but also to the quality of the website code and meta information, which Google and other search engines analyze.
We are not just the savvy computer person next-door who plays around with WordPress on the weekends. We write code in the same computer language that WordPress was built with, and we can customize WordPress themes to fit your business or personal style.
Web Design Process
📝 Plan
We understand that every client is unique. In the initial stages of each website development project, we will communicate with you about your goals, target audience, and budget. As part of this process, we will ask you to find several websites online that demonstrate your design preferences and desired user interface for navigation. These websites will give us a good idea of what you’re looking for and will provide inspiration and direction for your website’s design. If you don’t have any websites in mind, try searching on Google for some search phrases that are related to your industry or field and visit several of the search results.
A key step in planning is choosing whether you want a custom website built from the ground up or you want to use WordPress, one of the most popular platforms on the Internet today. The following table highlights some major factors for consideration when making this important decision.
| Feature | WordPress Standard | WordPress Custom | Custom Coded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Management System | WordPress | WordPress | Custom CMS |
| Layout | WordPress Theme* | Custom WordPress Theme*† | Custom Layout |
| Responsive Design** | Depends on Theme | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cross Browser Compatible | Depends on Theme | ✅ | ✅ |
| Google Analytics Setup | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Contact Form | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Add Your Logo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Add Your Photos | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stock Photos | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Extra Features | WordPress Plugins | WordPress Plugins | Custom Features |
| Number of Pages | 1-10 | 10+ | 20+ |
| Ideal Uses | Blog, Personal Website, Brochure Website |
Small Business Website, Nonprofit Organization, Resource Website |
Small Business Website, Online Catalog, Advanced Search, Advanced Filters |
| Cost | $ | $$-$$$ | $$$-$$$$ |
* We recommend choosing a Premium StudioPress Theme that uses the popular Genesis Framework.
** Good user experience on mobile phones, tablets, or desktop computers.
† We can customize a WordPress theme or create a custom theme based on the Genesis Framework.
Contact us to discuss your website needs.
Domain Name & Web Hosting
If you do not have a domain name or business/website name, you will need to acquire these before moving into the design stage. You must check the availability of your desired domain name and register it before moving on to web design and development that is based on that specific domain name. In addition to a domain name, you will need web hosting for your new website. Sometimes you can get special deals if you sign up for web hosting and a new domain name at the same time. Check out our Web Hosting page for more information.
Contact us to discuss your domain name or web hosting needs.
Logo
You should also have a quality logo before moving into the website design phase. The look, feel, and even layout of a website are often highly influenced by the design, shape, and colors of the logo. Finishing your logo first ensures it won’t look out of place in the final design. If you need a professional logo, we also offer logo design services.
Contact us to discuss your logo design needs.
🎨 Design
During the design stage, we will use the information gathered during the planning stage to design a custom mock-up or recommend a WordPress theme, depending on the type of website you have chosen. At this point, we will have you send us important design elements, such as your logo, branding elements, or images you would like integrated into the design. If more graphical elements are needed, we will look for royalty-free stock photos and graphics that represent your brand well.
Custom-Coded Website
For custom-coded websites, we will create a mock-up of the website using Adobe Photoshop, taking into consideration user experience, aesthetics, and site navigation. We will provide opportunities for you to give feedback on the design as it develops. We want you to be happy!
WordPress Theme
For WordPress websites, we will recommend several WordPress themes, or you may search for a WordPress theme you want to use. However, when choosing a WordPress theme, please understand that not all themes are created equal. WordPress is an open source platform, meaning anyone can create WordPress themes or plugins. WordPress theme creators may be skilled professional coders or they may know very little about the ins and outs of PHP and proper WordPress theme development. If you choose a poorly coded theme, you run the risk of running into issues as you start adding your own content and installing plugins. When choosing a theme, pay attention to the number of active installs it has as well as user reviews and ratings. We recommend that you choose a theme that uses the Genesis Framework, which is considered the industry standard for WordPress frameworks. The Genesis Framework and (1) StudioPress Premium WordPress Theme are included in our WordPress web design packages.
Contact us to discuss your web design needs.
⚒ Build
Once the final design is approved, we will convert the prototype into a working website using WordPress or custom coded HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL.
Custom-Coded Website
For the most cost-effective solution, we prefer to build your custom-coded website directly on your web hosting platform. If you have an existing website on your domain name, we can set up a development subdomain, such as www2.yourdomain.com. From our experience, we have found that this offers the smoothest transition when the time comes to push your new website live.
WordPress Theme
We will install WordPress on your web hosting account and install your selected theme and any necessary framework. If you have requested a custom WordPress theme, we will build your theme or make changes to the base theme chosen during this stage. We will also build your pages and enter the website content you provide.
If you need content written for your website, please let us know; we may be able to help.
Contact us to discuss your website needs.
🎯 Promote
Having a great website means nothing if nobody sees it. We offer a range of online marketing services to boost your website’s online presence, including SEO, social media marketing, and link building strategies. Learn More
