Our Process

 

So you've decided you want a website - but what's the next step? Below we discuss our typical process and what you can expect when choosing Networking Plus.

 

Initial Consultation: Our consults are free and without obligation, so you have nothing to lose! When you first contact us about a website, we set up a meeting to sit down with you and discuss your needs. This gives us a better understanding of who you are, what type of website features will work best for you, and what your overall goals are for this project. More importantly, it helps you determine if Networking Plus is the right fit for you and if we can provide the services you need. Before our initial consultation though, it's a good idea to first think about what you want to accomplish with your new website. What information do you want to relay to your customers, do you want special functionality or interactivity? Do you have a specific deadline for your project, and do you have any website copy written or put together. These are some of the questions we will ask during our initial consultation, and often times it is helpful if you are prepared in advance.

Agreement: After our initial consultation, if you decide Networking Plus is the right fit for you, we will draw up an agreement with an outline that details your project and payment details. This agreement can be emailed, faxed, or delivered (if local) - you will be asked to authorize and return the original copy to us, where we will endorse our portion of the agreement and send you a final copy.

Payment: Before starting your project, Networking Plus requires a 25% down payment, with the remaining balance on a payment plan based on your site's progression. Once we launch your website ('go live'), you will be billed for any remaining balance.

Getting Started - Once we receive your down payment and authorized agreement, the designer or developer in charge will contact you to confirm receipt of your down payment, and to let you know we can begin working on your project. The designer may also set up a meeting with you or ask questions to help them get started on your website. If there are sample websites you would like us to refer to when designing your website, you will be asked to provide this information as well.

You will also be asked to supply all information to be included on your website, including any materials such as website text, company logo, specific photos, etc. We typically recommend that you create an outline for your website, or even just a list of the pages you would like to include (ie. Home, About Us, Contact Us, etc) and what text/functionality you would like to have on each page.

If we are creating an e-commerce website for you that requires us to enter all products you are selling into a database, you will need to supply an Excel spread sheet listing all required database criteria for your product. Examples of this criteria include Product Name, Product Number, Product Description, Product Options (size, color, etc), Price, Weight, as well as all product photos corresponding to each item on the spreadsheet.

It is preferred that all information above be provided to us before we begin the design phase, as this information is often critical in determining the design and layout for your website.

 

Design Phase
After we have discussed, researched, and received any information provided to us in the 'Getting Started' phase, our designer(s) will begin creating the look and feel of your website. Depending on the design package you may have chosen, Networking Plus typically completes your sample designs within two-four weeks, given you have provided all the content required. After we present you with design samples , you will have the chance provide feedback and ask for revisions on colors, layout, features, and any other visual elements related to your website. We want you to be completely satisfied with all elements of your design before we move on to the programming phase.

 

Programming Phase
Once your design is finalized and any requested revisions have been completed, we begin turning your design into a functioning website! In this phase, we code and configure your website with all necessary links, and program your Content Management System or any other backend features (if applicable). Networking Plus does this in a test environment on our own server to ensure confidentiality, and it allows you to check on the status and even start playing with the features of your website as we build it!

 

Launch Phase
By this time, your website is nearly finished! However, we first want to make sure everything is functioning the way it should across all browsers and according to your specifications. After your website has passed our tests and you have given approval to 'go live', we will upload the website for you on your host server. Now your website is officially live!

 

After Launch
Once your site is up on your host server, we will complete any basic site optimization for search engines. Please note that Networking Plus has no control over when a search engine will index your site, or where it will fall in the search rankings. Our service package only includes basic optimization and submission. At this point, you may consider our Website Maintenance Services to help keep your website content fresh and updated.