Consultation

The first step in any project is the project consultation. This can be done over the phone, by e-mail, or in person, either our office or yours. We will go over your requirements and how we can meet them within your budget. At the end of this process we'll know approximately how many pages you'll require, what the general look and feel of your site should be, and what services you will need us to perform for you.

Design Proposal

Once the scope of the project is determined, you will receive a written contract, which will include details of project, terms and conditions, the proposed timeline, and the total cost of designing your site.

When you approve the contract, you will return it along with a deposit. This will be a fixed-price contract and will include everything specified in your project scope. You will only incur additional expense upon your written authorization to change the scope or specifications of your project.

Web Project Development

Upon receipt of your signed agreement and deposit, your project will be put on our schedule, and we'll have further discussions about your company or organization and the design of your site.

We will listen to your ideas about how your web site should look and who your target audience is.

We will discuss web sites that appeal to you, as well as those that don't, and we'll try to determine why.

This is also the time for you to provide us with any materials that you have agreed to supply:

• Photos
• Logos
• Graphics files
• Existing brochures or business cards
• Text

The completion time for your project will, of course, depend on your prompt submission of these materials.

During the design process, you will be contacted with questions, suggestions and options, and you can feel free to communicate any ideas you may come up with after the planning stage.

Web Site Flow Chart and Prototype Layout

Next, we will develop a flow chart that outlines the structure of your site ( how pages link to one another and how the navigation will work), and we begin the actual graphic layout of your pages. This involves determining the colors, fonts, menu and button types, header and footer designs, backgrounds, form design, etc.

Southern Shores Web Design has its own client portal site on which you can view designs in progress. You will be given a username and password to enter your area of the site, and there we can upload design ideas, page layouts, colors, fonts, or anything else that we would like you to review.

All client changes at this point are included in the contract price, and revised layouts will be uploaded for your review until you are satisfied with the design. Once the prototype is approved, we will complete the layout of the remaining pages, including any photo editing or graphic design you've asked us to do.

Coding and Search Engine Optimization

When all the page layouts are done, the technical work begins. We know how important it is to prepare a site so that search engines can find you. This includes understanding the importance of file names, headings, page titles, and "alt" text on photos (text that gets read aloud to people using alternative devices for viewing web sites). Search engines use these "cues" to find and categorize your web site.

During this phase we will also test the site in different browsers to ensure that it will look the way it's supposed to look no matter what browser is being used.

Going Live

When the site is finished and functioning properly, you will give your final approval and pay the balance on your contract, and we'll upload your site to your web host. Ta da!

If your company or organization already has a logo, a color scheme, and graphics or photo images that tell your story, you're ahead of the game. You can simply supply us with the digital files (.jpg, .gif, .png, .ai, .psd) and we'll insert them into the site. Image re-sizing is done as part of your site design.

On the other hand, you may have a drawing or business card with your logo on it, but you don't have it in digital form. No problem! We can take any artwork you have and create a digital version for you. We can also edit photos to take out unwanted elements, improve the contrast or lighting, change colors, or combine images.

If you have a new business, or you've never had any graphic designs done, we can start from scratch and work with you to produce a graphic design and color scheme that best represents your message to the world. The costs of these custom graphics services are listed on our Pricing pages.

Whether you simply want an animated entry page or header, Flash navigation, or a complete Flash site, we can design it for you. If you have a video you'd like to embed, or you'd like a Flash slideshow to exhibit your work or products - no problem! We do, however, believe that Flash can be overused, and can be annoying to your user if not done with care. Clarity is our number one priority!

If you need dynamic web pages designed for your web site, we can help you determine what information you want to collect and/or how you want your site visitors to be able to interact with your data. If you already have a database of your products, staff, etc., we can use that to build your dynamic pages. If you don't have a database, we can design one for you.

Southern Shores Web Design has a network of consultants available to tackle any web site needs, including advanced programmers. If our designers can't handle your specific requirements, we have someone who can!

If you will frequently need to add or update content on your web site, or if you need to incorporate news feeds or other dynamic content, Southern Shores Web Design can design a Content Management System or a Joomla! site for you.

Every web site needs its own domain name - the URL address that locates your site on the World Wide Web. If you already have one, you will just have to give us the information we need in order to upload your site. If you don't have a domain, we can walk you through the process, or, if you really don't want to deal with it, we can find a domain name and register it for you.

Once you have a domain name, you must choose a hosting company - that's where your web site files reside so that browsers can find you. If you need help choosing and registering your domain with a web hosting company, we can assist you. If you prefer, Southern Shores Web Design can even host your site for you. All these options will be explained to you in our initial meetings.

Once your site is up and running, you will want to optimize your chances of being found by search engines. Search Engine Optimization is only one part of maximizing your exposure. The next step is to get your site into the most important search engine catalogs. We will submit your site to appropriate site directories as well as the most popular search engines, including, of course, Google. We can even set you up with Google Analytics, which tracks your site visitors and generates reports about them.

Finally, once your site goes live, it belongs to you and you can maintain it yourself, if you prefer. We can show you how to update your site without any training or knowledge of HTML, using either InContext Editing (an online editing service) or Contribute (a software program that allows you to edit your site easily). If your site involves a Content Management System, you will have password-protected pages that will allow you to upload and download content right in your browser..

If you'd rather not deal with that, however, we also offer site maintenance and updating on an hourly basis, or for a fixed annual fee. The choice is up to you!