Website Production Process and Software Options:

A. Initial Analysis and Evaluation Stage (Web browsers)

1. Gathering Information

2. Identifying your User/Audience

a. Age

b. Group

c. Geographic Location, etc.

3. Identifying and studying your Industry

a. Competition

b. Trends

c. Success case studies (what worked, what didn’t’?)

4. Understanding and identifying your backend and programming needs (e-commerce, CGI, JavaScript, Database Integration).

5. Finding a URL(s), registering it (if the client doesn’t already have one client should pay for this)

6. Finding a good server to host the site and acquiring the service (if client doesn’t have one yet client should pay for this)

B. Origin and Planning Stage (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Visio Exel Worksheet, any word processor)

1. Project Plan

2. Budget

3. Work Schedule and Deliverables Calendar

4. Establishing a feedback loop with the client

C. Content Gathering and Preparation (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Visio Exel Worksheet, any word processor)

1. Content delivery plan

2. Content Audit/Editing

3. Chunking

4. Obtaining all relevant files from the client including graphics files, logos, charts, etc.

D. Site Architecture (Microsoft Visio, any flowcharting software, Word, even Photoshop/illustrator)

1. Developing a Site Map/Flowchart

2. Defining overall site organization

3. Deciding on file management and file naming conventions

E. Page Visualization and Initial Layout Decisions

1. Rough Mock-ups or “wireframing” (Web page editor like Dreamweaver, Claris Homepage, Frontpage, etc)

2. Deciding on a Navigation style (gathering examples from the web)

3. Establishing a visual size for the Pages (in pixels)

F. Creation

1. Concept layouts/mockups and presenting them to the client (Photoshop, Fireworks, Imageready, Illustrator, Freehand, Corel Dreaw, PhotoPaint, etc)

2. Gathering client feedback and implementing it

3. Creating Graphic Templates and rollovers (check them in several monitors/computer platforms) (Photoshop, Fireworks… preferably a piece of software that uses layers or has some sort of rollover creation method)

4. Developing a detailed style guide that will include: (Word, graphics editing program)

a. Fonts used

b. Color Scheme

c. Style Specifications

G. Production

1. Slicing and Optimizing graphics (navigation as well as illustration/content/logos)(Photoshop, Imageready, Fireworks)

2. Placing graphics in HTML with their JavaScript functionality (Dreamweaver, Frontpage, other web page editor)

3. Setting File Structure (folders and files within your root directory) (computer hard drive file management)

4. Creating HTML templates for the main style pages (Dreamweaver, Frontpage, other web page editor)

a. Headers

b. Footers

c. Repeating elements

d. Navigation

5. Creating a site skeleton (one place holder page for every page you will have in the final version). These “skeleton” pages will be empty except for the template contents. (Dreamweaver, Frontpage, other web page editor)

6. Integrating invisible elements (metatags, titles, alt tags, other accessibility aides) (Dreamweaver, Frontpage, other web page editor)

7. Populating skeleton with edited content and pictures (Dreamweaver, Frontpage, other web page editor)

8. Integrating all the backend functionality if any (e-commerce, database, forms, etc)(Software variable)

9. Uploading the website to the server (FTP program, Fetch, WS_FTP, Dreamweaver)

H. Testing (Browsers and assorted computers/internet connections)

1. Creating a testing strategy

2. Cross-browser compatibility

3. Cross-platform compatibility

4. Backward-browser compatibility

5. Accessibility

6. Download time at different speeds

7. Monitor testing/resolution testing

I. Fixing the bugs resulting from previous stage. (Software depends

on the bug)

J. Delivery/Handoff

1. Completing style package and guide (Word Processor)

2. Completing the handoff package with all the relevant files/materials (CD-Burner)

K. Kick-off/Official launch

1. Registering with search engines/directories (Web browser)

2. Launching the site

L. Maintenance

1. Scheduling maintenance/ training

2. Measuring Success of site