Development Process

Collaboration, in support of self-sufficiency

I believe that what you can do, in developing your website, you probably should do, so that it best reflects your desires. However, what you cannot do, or wish not to do, I can do for you.

On the way to full clarification of what you and I will each do to produce your website, we will engage in substantial collaboration. This is the fundamental development process. Beyond this, there will necessarily be a focus on the following eight discrete elements of any website production effort. (Some must obviously come before others.)

Fundamental website elements

Regardless of who does the work, here are the elements needed to build your professional website:

1. A Goal Concept which specifies what you want your site to do for you. Some possibilities:

• The website should function as an electronic business card – identifying your, your qualifications, your services, your location, and how you may be contacted.
• The website should notify visitors of periodic, short term services – lectures, workshops, classes, etc.
• The website should provide a way for people to engage your services, by whatever means you prefer – personal contact, mail-in forms, faxed forms, or direct payment through credit card services.
• The website should provide people with access to your thought and writing, in the service of self-promotion or public education (or both).

2. Written content copy, in electronic form.

3. Graphic elements you may wish to use, to promote individualization and support for your central message.

4. A Layout design for the home page and for all other pages (the two are often similar but not identical).

5. A Website Structure Design built to facilitate access to your site content by those people to whom you wish to speak.

6. A Color Design Concept, with a small set of well chosen colors for use with website elements.

7. One or more Style Sheets, which determine page element placement and appearance.

8. An Internet Location for the website, which could be:

• A free website address provided by your Internet Service Provider as part of their service package.
• A domain or sub-domain you have purchased for your own use. (This latter choice has several distinct advantages, at little added cost.)

There are important decisions to be made regarding each of these elements. I can assist you with each of them, in our initial consultation, addressed on my Services and Prices page.