The Website Development Process: What to Expect From Brief to Launch

A good website project follows a clear process. Knowing the stages helps you prepare, give useful feedback and avoid delays.

1. Discovery

You explain your business, customers and goals. The developer asks about competitors, features, content and budget. A clear brief here saves time later.

2. Structure and content

You agree the pages and how they connect, often as a simple sitemap. Content is the most common cause of delays, so decide who will write the text and supply images, and when.

3. Design

You see how the site will look, usually starting with the home page and key templates. Give feedback in one consolidated list rather than piece by piece.

4. Development

The design is built into a working site, for example in WordPress with Elementor, or as a store on WooCommerce or Shopify. Forms, tracking, SEO basics and speed settings are configured.

5. Testing

The site is checked on different devices and browsers. Forms, links, payments and emails are tested. You review it too and note anything that needs changing.

6. Launch

The site goes live, DNS and SSL are checked, and analytics and Search Console are set up. If it replaces an existing site, redirects are put in place.

7. Handover and support

You receive access to your accounts, a short walkthrough and documentation. Agree what ongoing maintenance, backups and updates look like, for example through a maintenance plan.

What we need from you

• Your goals and target customers
• Logo, brand colours and images
• Text for the pages, or time for us to help write it
• Timely feedback and approvals

Safe access

You will never need to share passwords. We work through delegated access, as explained in our safe access guide.

To start a project, see our website development service or request a quote.