Website Project Methodology

Design the Website

Garnet Design Group builds a semi-functional model to illustrate the general appearance and functionality of the website (page layout, color palette, graphic theme, site navigation), and reviews it thoroughly with the client. This interim step helps avoid potential problems later in the development process, when major changes would be difficult and time-consuming.

Only when the design is approved by the client do we begin full development.

Make It Work

Although this consists mostly of independent work on our part, any text or graphics that the client has agreed to supply must be delivered early in this phase in order to stay on schedule.

No website is considered complete until it has been tested for usability by at least two people not associated with its development. We utilize volunteers with varying degrees of internet experience (usually friends or neighbors) to ‘test drive’ the site and provide objective, unbiased feedback. This step helps insure that the content is easily understood, the navigation is clear and intuitive, and the overall layout and appearance is pleasing.

We also test your site using both current and previous versions of the most popular browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari), on both PCs and Macs to insure the site functions as intended across all user platforms. Each hardware/software combination has its particular quirks, which can make web pages appear slightly — sometimes even radically — different. We resolve any issues uncovered in this process, before the site is launched.

Make It Visible

As with most things in life, preparation is key to the success. The launch of a website should be a culmination of work that’s already been well-planned and executed, not an afterthought or last minute drill.

Unfortunately, the ‘Build it and they will come’ approach does not apply to websites. Specific meta tags and other indicators which allow search engines to locate and properly index your website must be in place. Understanding the peculiarities of web crawlers, or the various site submission procedures is not particulary easy. Garnet Design Group includes a standard-level submission service as part of any website we develop. This helps your site gain the visibility needed to succeed.

For additional fees, a website can gain even higher search engine rankings by using a ‘pay for position’ approach with the major search directories. We can discuss those issues in more detail to determine cost-effectiveness on a case-by-case situation. If appropriate, we can also handle that aspect.

Keep It Current

Most experts agree that a good website is a continuous process, not a product. A static, outdated site is almost as unproductive as none at all.

There are usually a number of simple and inexpensive ways to improve your website. A tweak here, an update there will also help maintain a site’s favorable search results. It can be relatively easy to add recent news, announcements, upcoming events, etc.

Garnet Design Group is organized and well-equipped to handle website maintenance, enhancements and re-design as well as new site implementations. To further simplify the process, we offer the option of an annual packaged approach to site updates. This keeps the cost low and predictable, and insures that your website looks fresh for repeat visitors.