Website Design Process
We will begin by discussing what you are looking for and what you want the website to achieve. From this we will produce an agreed website specification, which sets out the scope of the project and what we will each be responsible for.
Once the specification has been agreed, I will design and build the website. This will include creating the agreed pages, setting up the website structure, and installing and configuring any necessary plugins or tools, such as a contact form.
Unless otherwise agreed, the design will include up to five standard pages (for example: Home, About, Services, Contact, and one additional page).
Review and Feedback
There will be up to two review rounds during which you will be able to look at the site and provide feedback on the overall design, layout, and structure. These review rounds are intended to refine the design and ensure it meets the agreed specification.
These review rounds do not include ongoing edits to written content which will take place during the design process.
Client Responsibilities
You will be responsible for providing all necessary text content, images, and other materials required for the website. These should ideally be supplied before the design work begins, unless otherwise agreed.
You are also responsible for ensuring that any materials you provide (such as text, images, logos, or documents) are accurate and that you have the right to use them.
Changes to Scope
The project price covers the work described in the agreed website specification. If additional pages, features, or significant design changes are requested after the specification has been agreed, these may require additional time and may be quoted separately.
Approval
Once the website has been completed and you are satisfied with the design, you will be asked to provide final approval before the website goes live.
Optional Extras
Hosting and Domain Name
All websites will normally be hosted using WordPress.com, my preferred hosting provider. If you would prefer to use a different hosting provider, or if you already have an existing website hosted elsewhere, this may be possible but may require additional work and may incur an additional fee. The hosting account will normally be registered in your name, and you will be responsible for any ongoing fees associated with the hosting service, including annual renewal charges.
We will discuss a suitable .com or .co.uk Domain Name for your website. Please see What is a Domain Name and Why does it Matter. It will be registered in your name and you will be responsible for annual renewal charges. Additional variants of your domain name can be registered at this time and will be charged extra. Some specialist domain names will also cost extra (some can cost a lot extra!). All this can be part of our discussion.
Hosting with WordPress includes an SSL certificate which is required on most websites. If you wish to host elsewhere, and SSL is not included, then this needs to be set up which will require an additional charge.
I strongly recommend using your domain name as your email address, which I can set up for an additional charge.
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is important if you intend to rely on search engines such as Google to attract new customers to your website. SEO is a long-term process that involves ongoing improvements to content, structure, and visibility. For a fuller explanation, please see What is SEO and Why Does It Matter? While SEO can be highly beneficial, it may be less critical if you are primarily driving traffic through other channels, such as social media, paid advertising, email marketing, or direct referrals.
Another useful option for improving your website’s visibility on Google is Google Site Kit. This tool connects your website with Google services such as Search Console and Analytics, giving you valuable insights into how people find and use your site. These insights can help guide ongoing improvements that support better search rankings over time. Setting this up properly involves configuring several Google services and integrating them with your website, so it is offered as an additional enhancement. It also requires a higher level of WordPress hosting to support the required features.
Maintenance
All but the simplest websites require some level of ongoing maintenance. Over time, your business may evolve – for example, changes in personnel, products, services, or pricing – and these updates should be reflected on your website to keep it accurate and relevant.
An equally important aspect of maintenance is its role in security and reliability. WordPress and any installed plugins require regular updates, similar to the software on your phone or computer. These updates help protect your website against security vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of damage from malicious activity.
Updates can be configured either:
- To require manual approval before installation, or
- To run automatically in the background.
Each approach has advantages and associated risks, and we can discuss which option best suits your requirements.
One of the most important elements of website maintenance is a reliable backup system. Regular backups allow the website to be restored quickly in the event of technical issues, corruption, accidental changes, or security incidents. Without up-to-date backups, recovery options will be limited.
I can provide ongoing maintenance services to manage updates, security monitoring, and backups on your behalf. We can discuss your requirements and agree a suitable maintenance package and pricing.
Alternatively, you may choose not to take a maintenance plan and instead request assistance only if an issue arises. However, without regular backups and updates in place, full recovery might not be possible.