How a Corporate Website Project Runs: Four Steps from Discovery to Launch

Deciding on a new corporate website is the easy part. The real question is what happens next: who does what and when, what we will need from you, and when the site will go live. This article walks through how a typical corporate site project runs with us, in four steps from first call to launch. For a standard corporate site the process usually takes 2–4 weeks; the exact schedule is fixed together with the quote.

1. Discovery and quote

Everything starts with a short call. We talk about what you do, who the site is for and what it needs to achieve for you: more enquiries, a stronger brand image, fewer phone calls? After that call we put together a roadmap that pins down scope, timing and price.

What we need from you: your current site if you have one, a few sites you like, and your competitors. Saying "I like this, I really don’t want that" is worth more than a long brief.

2. Design

Before any code is written, we design how the site looks and how its pages are structured. We usually start with the homepage and one inner page; those two set the tone and feel, and the other pages build on them. We present the design for your approval and refine it with your feedback.

What we need from you: your logo, your brand colours and clear feedback gathered by one person. Conflicting comments on the same design from five different people are one of the biggest causes of delay.

3. Build

We code the approved design mobile-first, fast and ready for search engines. This is also when the content falls into place: copy, images, the contact form. During the build we share a preview link, so you can follow progress from your own phone.

What we need from you: the page copy and images. What delays a schedule most often is not code but content. If the copy isn’t ready, we can work from a draft together, but the final sign-off has to come from you.

"In a web project, the longest wait is usually for content, not code."

4. Launch and measurement

After final checks we put the site live: domain and SSL redirects, redirecting old pages to their new addresses, notifying search engines, and testing that the forms really reach you. We hand the site over with its speed and SEO measurements, so you know your starting point.

What we need from you: access to the domain and hosting (or the contact details of whoever manages them), and the email addresses the forms should go to.

What stretches the timeline?

• Copy and images arriving late.
• Scope growing after the design is approved ("let’s add one more page").
• Conflicting feedback from more than one decision-maker.
• Domain or hosting access that cannot be reached at the last minute.

Conclusion

The secret of a web project that goes well is not complicated: a clear start, one decision-maker, content that arrives on time, and both sides knowing what happens at each step. Tell us about your project and we will send you a roadmap with scope and timing within 24 hours.