Process

The web design process typically goes like this:

• SEND INKSHOT AN EMAIL

  You tell me all about your project: what features you need, what you want to achieve, who your target market is, etc. The more information you can provide about your business and your site, the better.

• INKSHOT SENDS YOU A QUOTE

  I ask you more about your project’s style and requirements and then get back to you with a free quote. Websites typically range from $1,500 to $5,000 and I’ll send you an itemised quote tailored to your budget.

• BUY A DOMAIN AND HOSTING

  Inkshot does not offer domain registration (www.yoursite.com) or web hosting (the server where your website actually lives) services. However, l can point you in the direction of some great hosts and help you get set up – this stuff is probably way easier and way cheaper than you think. Once you’ve bought your domain and hosting, you send the server details to me and I set up your email accounts and sub-domains.

• CHOOSE A CMS

  Websites are growing organisms that need ongoing love and care. Inkshot specialises in setting up Content Management Systems (CMSs) to help you keep your site up-to-date for years to come. If you do need a CMS, I help you pick the right one for your project, allowing you to remotely edit the site’s content like a Word document. The range of CMSs I currently support are:

  • WordPress (very attractive and easy to use for the vast majority of websites)
  • Joomla! (for complex modular sites)
  • Concrete5 (for simple blogs and landing pages)
  • Magento (for e-commerce)

• PREPARE YOUR CONTENT

  You send all of your content to Inkshot: logos, headings, text, images, downloads etc. Although changes can always be made, it is important to have your content ready as early as possible in the design process, as the very best web designs are sculpted around their content, not the other way round. After all, your content is ultimately what your visitors come to see.

• THE INITIAL DESIGN

  I send you mock-ups of the site’s layout for your approval. Once you’re happy with its look, feel and structure, I start building.

• THE BUILD

  I pull out my web hammer and code wrench and assemble all the functional bits and pieces of your site out of XHTML, CSS, Jquery and PHP, uploading small samples of your content to demonstrate each new feature. Again, once you’re happy with the way everything’s working, I load the rest of your content into the site.

• SEO

  A great search engine rank is essential for leading visitors to your website. My user-focused design and compliant programming is optimised for both Google’s robot spiders and discerning human visitors. One of the most important SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) techniques is “backlinking” – having as many links to your site on other popular sites as possible – and it’s a good idea to spread the word about your site using popular social media (eg Facebook, Twitter), review sites (eg Tripadvisor, Urbanspoon), blogs, press releases, Google Maps etc.

• THE LAUNCH

  Ta da! Your website is finished and launched so that the general public can marvel at your glory. If the site is built on a CMS, I show you how to update it. And if you need after-sale care a few months later, you can hire Inkshot again for an hourly studio fee to perform whatever additional tweaks and adjustments you might need.

Interested in working together or want to know more? Shoot me an email!