This article aims to increase your knowledge of the website development process, and the specific roles performed before, during, and after completion of a website. By the end you should have a basic understanding of the development process and be able to identify critical elements required for website (online) success on your next project.

There are three key areas performed in the creation of a website:

1. Strategic - the creation, implementation and evaluation of your website/online strategy.
2. Creative - the conceptualisation and delivery of design elements affecting the overall look and feel of your website.
3. Technical - the actual building of your website, including the functionality to perform as required.

Strategic services occur at the beginning of any web project and will pick up again after project completion. Strategic services are used initially to gain an understanding of your broad business activities. The information collected at this stage is then used to determine your specific online needs. This is a collaborative process, facilitated during a workshop. Your company, competitors, online markets segments, goals and objectives for the project will all be addressed.

Strategic services also encompass techniques to measure the performance of your website (statistical analysis) as well as how to attract more traffic through paid and unpaid online marketing techniques (Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing).

Designers will draw upon elements highlighted in the strategy document, specifically knowledge about your company, your brand attributes and user group’s requirements. Their aim is to accurately represent the brand online while promoting an enjoyable online experience through the use of strong visuals that connect with the user and assist them to perform their desired tasks.

Developers perform the complicated task of coding websites, configuring back end systems plus application design and development. Front end coding refers to the implementation of designs; back end development refers to the integration of various external systems into a website e.g. Content Management System or database integration.

The number of people working on your project will depend on the size of the project itself and the scale and resources offered by the company you use. A larger web firm will have separate teams or individuals specialising in each aspect of website creation, whilst in a smaller firm all stages of a sites creation will be handled by only one or two people.

Before starting any design work your web developer should, at a bare minimum, provide you with a document detailing the exact services you will be receiving together with a project schedule and a set of terms and conditions.