How it works
Our website design process
How we design, build and launch your website, step by step. Everything is agreed in writing, you see the site before it goes live, and you always know what happens next.
Overview
A website project should never feel mysterious
You will know what we are building, what it costs, what we need from you and when it will go live. We are based in Belfast, and the same process applies whether you are down the road or elsewhere in the UK.
There are two routes: the standard route for Refresh, Business and Commerce projects, and the Live in a Day route for standard small-business sites where the content is ready.
Step by step
The six steps of a website project
01
Free 15-minute website call
We go through your current website with you, or talk through your plans if you are starting fresh.
- You get: an honest view of what is working and what we would change first
- We need: your website address, or a sentence about the business
02
Scope and price in writing
We recommend a package, or quote if the work sits outside one, and set it all out in writing.
- You get: the page list, features, timing, fee and payment stages
- We need: your go-ahead and the first 50% payment
03
Content and design
You send your wording, logo and photos. We structure the pages and apply the design in your brand.
- You get: a clear content checklist and design direction
- We need: content and feedback in good time
04
Build on staging
We build the site in WordPress on a private staging address you can review on your own phone and computer.
- You get: the site as it comes together, and two rounds of revisions
- We need: consolidated feedback for each round
05
Launch
When you approve, we handle the practical steps: domain, SSL, redirects, the contact form and checks on phone and desktop.
- You get: a planned switch with minimal downtime and email left untouched
- We need: access to your domain and the final 50% payment
06
Handover and 30 days of fixes
You receive access, a short guide to everyday changes and 30 days of fixes for anything in scope.
- You get: a site you own and can edit
- After that: look after it yourself, or choose optional care
Live in a Day
The Live in a Day route
For a standard small-business site, once we have your content and sign-off, we can have your new website live within one working day.
- A standard small-business site: up to five pages (for example Home, About, Services, Gallery and Contact), built on our proven page layouts and styled with your logo and colours
- Your content, ready before the day: final wording (or permission to reuse wording from your current site), your logo, and the photographs you want to use
- Sign-off before we start: the page list and layout agreed in writing before the build day
- Someone available on the day: to check the pages and approve go-live
- Access to your domain: your domain login, or we register a new domain in your name
- A booked build day: agreed in advance and confirmed by email
Online shops, booking systems, large content migrations and custom features are not one-day jobs. For those we give you a realistic timetable in writing instead.
Pointing a domain at a new site usually takes effect within a few hours, although DNS changes can occasionally take longer to reach every network. We do not change your email settings unless you ask us to.
Timing
How long does a website take?
Timing depends mostly on how quickly content and feedback arrive. We give you a realistic window in writing, and we will be plain if it moves.
| Project | Typical timing | What sets the pace |
|---|---|---|
| Live in a Day | One working day | Content ready and plan signed off before the day |
| Refresh (up to 5 pages) | A few weeks | Content and two rounds of feedback |
| Business (up to 10 pages) | A few weeks | Content, migration and feedback |
| Commerce / Growth | Confirmed in the proposal | Products, payments and integrations |
What we need from you
Projects move when content and feedback arrive. If copy, photos or approvals are delayed, the timetable moves with them. We would rather tell you that plainly than promise a date we cannot keep.
Two ways to get started
Talk it through for free, then go live fast
Not sure what your website needs? Start with a free 15-minute call. If you already know, and your content is ready, a standard small-business site can be live within one working day.
Free · 15 minutes · No obligation
Book a free 15-minute website call
We go through your current website with you, page by page: what is working, what may be costing you enquiries, and what we would change first. It is free, there is no obligation, and there is no hard sell.
- Your homepage on a phone and on a desktop, as a new customer sees it
- Whether it is clear what you do, where you work and how to get in touch
- Contact routes: phone, email and forms, and whether they actually work
Standard small-business sites
Live in a Day: your new website live within one working day
For a standard small-business site, once we have your content and sign-off, we can have your new website live within one working day.
What that needs: your content ready, sign-off on the page list and layout, and access to your domain. Shops, bookings and large migrations take longer, and we will say so.
Prefer email? Write to patrick@websitedesign365.com. We aim to reply within one working day.
Process FAQs
Do we need to meet in person?
Not unless it helps. In and around Belfast we can meet in person; otherwise calls, video and email work well.
Will my current site stay live while you work?
Yes. We build on a private staging address and switch over at a planned time.
What if I want more changes than the package includes?
Extra rounds or additional pages are agreed and priced before we do them.
What happens after the 30 days?
You can look after the site yourself, ask us to quote for extra work, or choose optional care from £25 a month.
Get started
Book your free 15-minute website call
Send us your website address and a couple of times that suit you. We will go through the site with you, tell you honestly what we would change, and quote a one-off fee if you want us to do the work.
Or email patrick@websitedesign365.com