Why WordPress?

As the most popular content management system, WordPress is a great starting point for performance and functionality for a wide range of websites. It’s easy to update and edit content, and has many options for enhancing search engine performance and site security.

My Approach

I’ll build you a custom WordPress theme based on a design we work through together. I’ll use a few powerful plugins and a clean starter theme with custom programming to style it and tie it all together. This approach keeps your site from being cluttered with unnecessary features and most importantly – makes it easy to update and maintain.

Before we begin a project I’ll speak with you to get an overview of your needs. We’ll cover the basics here – What’s going to be on your site? What goals do you hope to achieve? What special functionality will your site have? Etc. – This initial consultation will help ensure we’re a good fit for each other, and will allow me to generate a cost estimate for the project.

The basics of the process are outlined below.

1 Site Planning
2 Design Mockups
3 Programming
4 Buildout

1 Site Planning

Content Planning

Your content is the most important part of your site, so we need to start here first! This step can range from simply pulling text from existing marketing materials to writing everything from scratch, and lots of options in between. I can give you as much help as you need with this step, and I can call in additional expert help when content strategy or extensive copy writing/editing is required.

We’ll create a detailed content outline and flesh out key landing pages that we can use in the design phase.

Of course, if you have an existing website and are pleased with the content and overall structure, I’m happy to help give your site an updated look and feel using your content just the way it is. You’ll still get a custom design and a slick, easy-to-use WordPress site.

Capabilities + Functional Specs

Based on the capabilities we covered during our initial discussions, we’ll dive into the technical approach here. We’ll confirm what can be done with the basic WordPress setup, what will require custom programming, and what kinds of premium WordPress plugins and 3rd party web services we’ll need.

Covering these details early on helps ensure you get all the functionality you’re looking for, and confirms that our cost estimate is on track.

Your Siteplan

Typically, a site plan will be a simply designed PDF clearly outlining the main sections of the site along with a description of the content and capabilities on each section/page.

You’ll get a clear overview of your site based on our initial consultation and follow-up discussions. This will help us as we move forward into the rest of the development process.

We’ll use online collaboration tools like InVision and Google Docs to make it easy for everyone to review designs and provide feedback.

2 Design Mockups

Using the siteplan and your approved starting content, I’ll produce design mockups for you to review. This typically includes 2 unique options consisting of 2-3 sample pages. If animation or motion design is a key part of your project, this step will also include sample animations or storyboards.

Once you’ve chosen a look you like, I’ll refine the design and produce additional mockups for mobile/tablet layouts and any other unique pages.

3 Theme Programming

My goal is to keep the development process as efficient as possible. To help your site from being cluttered with unnecessary features and make it easy to update and maintain, I’ll use a simple, “blank” starter theme from the makers of WordPress.

Custom WordPress Themes

The Core

WordPress with a “blank” starter theme provides a powerful, user-friendly base for your website.

The Extras

Using just a few flexible plugins and scripts keeps your site easy to update and maintain.

The Glue

Custom programming ties it all together efficiently.

This approach also allows me to fine-tune details of the site to match your branding, and tap into the rich library of functionality that comes with WordPress.

4 Site Buildout

Content, Testing + Refinement

Once the page templates are in good shape, we can begin adding in all the content, testing on various browsers and screen sizes, and making our final tweaks to the site. If your site has extensive custom functionality, user testing may happen during this phase as well. Any other unique technical needs uncovered during site planning will also be finalized here.

I’ll also train you and your staff on updating your website, and continue to be available for ongoing support and maintenance.

Finalize Content

We’ll add all the images, text, video, etc. into the site during this stage. Some clients prefer to get trained right away and handle parts or all of the buildout themselves. If your site has a large number of text pages or product data, this can help keep your costs down.

Design/Usability Refinements

Major changes should be taken care of by this point, but we’ll allow for time to make tweaks and refinements to certain details of the site as we get closer to launch.

Browser/Device Testing

Your site will work on a wide range of modern browsers (including Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and screen sizes. Using a style framework like Bootstrap helps make this process easier, and I’ll test on various browsers throughout the theme development process.

// Post-Launch

We can still keep working together once your site is live.

Updates & Additions

Have an idea for some new feature you’d like to add? I can help recommend the most efficient solution.

Ongoing Maintenance

Site backups, plugin updates, security notices, etc. If managing these things sounds like a headache for you, let me help!

New Staff Training

Don’t have the time or the energy to train new staff members on using the site? I have experience training new users of all skill levels.

Custom WordPress Theme Development

Web Design Process

Why WordPress?

My Approach

The basics of the process are outlined below.

1 Site Planning

Content Planning

We’ll create a detailed content outline and flesh out key landing pages that we can use in the design phase.

Capabilities + Functional Specs

Covering these details early on helps ensure you get all the functionality you’re looking for, and confirms that our cost estimate is on track.

Your Siteplan

We’ll use online collaboration tools like InVision and Google Docs to make it easy for everyone to review designs and provide feedback.

2 Design Mockups

3 Theme Programming

Custom WordPress Themes

The Core

The Extras

The Glue

This approach also allows me to fine-tune details of the site to match your branding, and tap into the rich library of functionality that comes with WordPress.

4 Site Buildout

Content, Testing + Refinement

Finalize Content

Design/Usability Refinements

Browser/Device Testing

// Post-Launch

We can still keep working together once your site is live.

Updates & Additions

Ongoing Maintenance

New Staff Training

Why WordPress?

My Approach

The basics of the process are outlined below.

1 Site Planning

Content Planning

We’ll create a detailed content outline and flesh out key landing pages that we can use in the design phase.

Capabilities + Functional Specs

Covering these details early on helps ensure you get all the functionality you’re looking for, and confirms that our cost estimate is on track.

Your Siteplan

We’ll use online collaboration tools like InVision and Google Docs to make it easy for everyone to review designs and provide feedback.

2 Design Mockups

3 Theme Programming

Custom WordPress Themes

The Core

The Extras

The Glue

This approach also allows me to fine-tune details of the site to match your branding, and tap into the rich library of functionality that comes with WordPress.

4 Site Buildout

Content, Testing + Refinement

Finalize Content

Design/Usability Refinements

Browser/Device Testing

// Post-Launch

We can still keep working together once your site is live.

Updates & Additions

Ongoing Maintenance

New Staff Training

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