Design Process
Building a new website is a lot like building a new house.
It takes proper planning, great organization, an eye for
detail, and an experienced, efficient building crew. To ensure
success of your website project, these same principles must be
applied.
Planning
Planning is the first step in establishing an understanding of
your company and project requirements. Comstar’s i.Marketing
Organizer will be used to step you through the process of
developing your website. The planning stage encompasses your
online philosophy, desired website characteristics, and other components necessary to customize your web presence.
A design workshop may also be part of the planning process
if online shopping or other web applications will be a
component of your website. The primary purpose of the design
workshop is to identify the requirements of the online store
or application from both a business and technical standpoint.
Upon completion of the workshop, an integrated design can be
developed.
Prototyping
A prototype is a static illustration of your final website.
This is the first stage in which you will be able to see what
the site is going to look like. Prototyping your website will
save you time and money, allowing you to easily suggest
changes and adjustments before the website is actually
assembled. During this phase, Comstar’s talented graphic
designers will produce a unique look and feel for your
website.
The prototype design will follow the results of the
planning stage. Its goal is to incorporate your business needs
and identity along with website development best practices,
ultimately setting your site apart from your competition.
Assembly
After you approve the prototype, your web project moves into
the assembly phase. During assembly the prototype illustration
is broken into separate components which become the building
blocks for the visual component of your online presence. For
websites that incorporate eCommerce or other web applications,
the assembly phase also includes the development of the
functional programming.
Comstar’s experienced developers take all of the individual
components, apply the necessary programming, and build your
actual working website. Before this phase is completed, the
overall look, optimized photos, navigation, and any content
you provide will be added to the site for your final approval.
Testing
Once your site has been assembled and programmed, it will be
thoroughly tested to make sure every page and every feature
works as designed. At every phase of development you will have
the opportunity to look in on the building process making sure
that work is completed to your satisfaction. The testing phase
is no different. While we are looking to make sure the site
works technically, you should make sure the site will work for
your needs. The testing process helps ensure that when your
site is published, i.e. made available to the world, that it
will work exactly as needed to be the asset you desire.
Publishing
Your new website is ready to debut! Publishing your site is
the final step in its primary development. Once published,
your site can be viewed throughout the internet. Publishing
your site does not mean that it can no longer be changed.
“Remodeling” can take place at any time.
While most companies would view this as the end of your
project, at Comstar we believe it is only the beginning of a
long-term relationship. We believe that our success is
directly related to your success. Once your site is published
it is time for you to focus on the marketing of your website,
both online and off. Comstar’s internet specialists will help
you take the next step, bringing you the latest solutions,
customized to your needs.
Project Management
Project management is necessary in every web development
project. It keeps the project on track, documents key
decisions, and keeps you informed of progress. Whether you’re
spending a little or a lot on your web project, you can take
comfort in knowing the status of your project at any time.
Comstar uses a variety of project management tools and
techniques, the most popular of which is the online Project
Management Tool. This online tool will allow you to easily
note the status of your project and gives you access to all of
the documents and prototypes used to build your site. This way
you can check the progress during the day or in the evening,
from the office or at home, on a business trip or vacation.
Your website is important to you and we will treat it as such.
For larger or more collaborative projects, Groove Virtual
Office and Microsoft Project may supplement the online tool to
track the development process.
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