If your 2022 goals include investing in a new website for your business, congratulations! It’s an exciting milestone for any brand. Depending on your level of familiarity with web design, you might not be totally aware of what to expect as you move through the web design process. While that experience will vary based on the designer you choose to partner with, here’s a general idea of what you might experience as you watch your brand’s website come to life:

Step one: Creating a vision for the project

Before your designer gets started, they’ll want to make sure that the two of you are on the same page when it comes to the finished product.

They might ask you about your preferred layout, color scheme, and more. They might ask you to come up with a few words that you hope will describe your website when it’s complete. They’ll probably ask you to send them a few samples of websites that you love so they can get a good sense of your taste and style.

If this feels like a tall order, don’t worry. There really are no right or wrong answers! It’s all about your personal preferences and goals.

Creating the wireframe

Once your designer has a good idea about what you’re looking for, they’ll begin “wireframing” the site, or creating a rough map of the site to see how the various pieces interconnect and create a seamless user experience. Think of this as the rough draft.

Generating content

Though many people think they’ll save content creation for the final stages of the web design project, it’s actually quite helpful to get a jumpstart on your new site’s content early on in the design process. Many people are surprised by how long it takes to craft all of the content necessary to bring your site to life, so you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to complete this step. If you’re outsourcing this role to a copywriter, you’ll still want to get a headstart on this. There’s nothing worse than having a beautiful website that’s ready to launch, but has no content to put onto it yet!

Designing the visual aspects of the site

Once you have a general idea about what the site should look like and how it should be designed, you can begin creating the visual components that make that particular site unique. This is when having a good handle on your vision and hopes for the site become helpful. Think of this as taking a picture you’ve sketched and coloring it in.

Testing the site

As the site begins to move to the final design stages, your designer will begin testing the site to ensure it’ll provide a smooth user experience. This includes identifying any broken components or other hiccups that you’ll want to avoid down the road.

Launching the site

You’ll be waiting with eager anticipation for this part of the web design process to arrive. Launch day is always a thrill for both the client and the designer. There’s nothing quite like unveiling a brand new website to the world.

While every web designer’s process is different, I’d be happy to offer more insight about what you can expect when you kick off a web design project. E-mail me at Keith@BuckleUpStudios.com for more information.