5 Tips to speed up your web development process

Not all web development projects are plain sailing and some can even last years!! So if you’ve decided on a website redesign or are just stepping into the online world for the first time here are a few tips from the experts.

Websites can become very complicated very quickly… KISS, keep it simple stupid!

Websites can become very complicated very quickly… KISS, keep it simple stupid is a motto we go by. While all websites look unique and like once off creations the truth is that the underlying groundwork of them all can be very similar. With this in mind, if you have a clear focus and vision of what you want your site to do and be like, then your web developer  will be very happy.

Some tasks and tips we’d recommend you compleete when delving into the online world of website development:

1. Have login details for your domain and hosting
   Lots of clients have simply lost their details or don’t know them. Essentially, without these details your web developer will not be able to upload your new website. Think of the domain as your mobile phone number and your phone as the hosting platform. You can’t use one without the other. To upload new contacts to your phone you need access to the phone! Same basic concept goes with domains and hosting. The hosting stores your website files and databases. The domain points to these files.
2. Menu Structure
   For  alot of sites the menu structure will be simple enough, however if you have a large body of content then a little thought should go into the structure you want. A simple overview will give your web developer a fair grasp of what is needed for your site.
3. Logo in digital format (eps, jpg or pdf)
   If you’ve got any printed material then you most likely have a good quality digital logo. Having this ready helps your web developer in the mockup design stages. Your logo can hold the key to colour schemes for your new website. Your logo is your brand and you want it to carry through from offline to online.
4. Content & Photo’s
   They say content is king, and when it comes to website development this is very true. Your website developer can only do so much, but without content you’re site will never launch! If you don’t have any content at all, go to your menu structure and simply jot down a few bullet points. We often speak with clients about their business and ask them to jot down some points and then create the content. But beware of this, your web developer does not know your business as well as you, so you are the best placed person to put this together. Also, make sure to proof read it before handing it over!
5. Testing your new site
   Your web developer will not always get everything right first time around, however if you go through your demo and list out all the changes in a clear list things can easily be corrected. Try number each change and make sure to be specific. At iCreative we use a project management system that allows you to track project status and tasks but not all developers have a system in place for this. If tracking tasks / updates via email, make sure to version each round of changes. For example the first round of changes would be labelled 1.0, second round of changes 2.0, etc… 

Follow these few tips and your website development project will be speeding along in no time at all!! If you need any further information about the website development process or just want to ask a few questions don’t hesitate to contact us