Making a website of any kind can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before or you’re already overwhelmed by the projects on your plate. So whether you’re looking for help designing a new website or you’re considering a website redesign, we have a plan that works.
The thing is when you’re looking for help, it’s so much easier to trust someone who has a plan—and someone who’s worked that plan over and over again.
So, that’s what we’re going to do in this article. This 3-Step Website Plan is the same process we’ve used for clients in executive coaching, manufacturing, e-commerce, cannabis, consumer packaged goods, and more.
If you’re in one of those industries, that’s great! But even if you’re not, this plan will work for you.
With Discovery, Design & Build, and Ongoing Support, we’ll work together to design and develop a website that has your customers hooked.
Step 1: Discovery
Most website projects start with a free one-hour discovery call where we dive deep with your team to understand what you’re hoping to create. We’ll ask questions like…
- Why do you need a new website?
- What do you need your website to do for your business?
- What worked on your last website? What didn’t work?
- What platforms are you using and do you like them?
Whatever your project, our Strategy team will dive into your business objectives and figure the best UX and technical way to create your website.
In the end, you’ll walk away with a defined website scope, sitemap, and detailed plan to kick-off your project.
Step 2: Design & Build
Next, we’ll create custom wireframes of each page on your website and design mockups of the main pages. Upon your review, our development team will begin building your website on a development site so your live website isn’t affected.
As standard practice, we’ll optimize your website for all devices, conversion, SEO, accessibility, and load-speed. When the website is fully built, you’ll get to try to break it. Good luck! However, if you can, we’ll implement a fix so it can’t be broken again.
When you’re ready, we’ll launch your website and push it live onto your domain for customers to use and love.
In the end, you’ll have a new website, set to delight every visitor. Your website will be easy to manage and totally set up to work for your business.
Step 3: Ongoing Support
Lastly, all websites need to be updated and optimized—especially after they’ve been redesigned. After all, how do you know your redesign made the website experience better for your users and not worse?
We’re not fans of locking you into a hosting plan you don’t know why you’re paying for. That’s not our style and, to be honest, they’re typically a rip-off.
We want to hand off your website to your team with training and support to make sure it’s working and meeting your business goals.
However, some clients don’t have a team to hand their website off to so we continue working together with an active website maintenance retainer. Think of it as a partnership for growth; through ongoing strategy, conversion optimization, design, and development.
We’re here for whatever you need, as long as you need it.
Website Process Common Questions
How much does a website cost?
There’s no easy answer to this question. However, you can expect to spend at least $5,000 when you hire an agency to make your website. For Structure, this is the minimum website project fee that we offer. The average cost of a website we make is more near the $10,000 range.
However, whether you’re wanting a new website site or redesign, there are a few one-time and ongoing cost factors to consider:
- Hiring an expert ($5,000 to $400,000)
- Software fees ($30 to $300/month)
- Hosting fees ($5 to $2,500/month)
The best way to find out is to create a Website RFP and take it to a few experts to see what they have to say.
How do we know you’re the right fit for us?
The best way to know is to start. We offer a free discovery call (what we covered in step one of this article) where we’ll get to know each other and share how we can help.
As a rule of thumb, we typically don’t do small website builds for bloggers on Squarespace. We work with funded companies who are looking to make significant growth in the next few years.
Do you use WordPress?
We build the majority of custom websites on WordPress using advanced custom fields so that it's easy for our clients to make content adjustments on their own. It's a time-honored CMS that just works. That being said, different companies have different needs. That's why we've also built on custom websites on Webflow, Squarespace, Shopify, and CraftCMS. We'll weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each for your custom website design and development project.
What types of clients do we take on?
We work with organizations of all sizes—from solo founders and small startups to established mid-size companies. You can see our work with Warrick (an ambitious one-man consultancy), Supportist (a powerful Bend startup), and BlackRock Coffee Bar (a national coffee chain).
What if our project is highly technical or complex?
First of all, we thrive in challenging environments. However, if it’s outside of our expertise, we have a trusted network of partners that we work with to deliver a great product.
Do you work with existing marketing, technology, or design teams?
Building digital products is a team sport. On many of our projects, we work beside internal and external teams within the organization. In fact, this is our preference.
Will I be able to make changes or updates to our website myself?
Absolutely. Whether we’re building a website in WordPress, Shopify, or another platform, we make sure it’s easy to update on your own. Nobody likes paying a developer just to update copy, so we try to help you avoid that if all possible.
What if my website has a lot going on and is a mess?
The truth is, most people don’t hire us when they have it all figured out. So if your website has a lot going on or feels like a mess, you’re in good company.
Not to mention, your website is probably not as bad as you think. We’ll dive deep and figure it out together.
If by chance we run into anything that’s too complicated for our team or needs additional resources or support, we have a trusted network of partners that we work with to deliver a great product.
Can you build a website for us using Elementor?
Yes, we do build in Elementor. As with any website builder, there are benefits and drawbacks to consider, especially if you're a growing company. The best way to determine if Elementor is right for you is by scheduling a discovery session with our team and we'll make sure you have a good plan.
What if I want to switch e-commerce platforms?
Not a problem at all. We’ve worked with clients to help them switch from Shopify to WooCommerce and vise versa. We’ve also helped clients switch from Squarespace to WordPress.
E-commerce replatforming, especially during a redesign, is a very common task to undertake. It's also a great time to do it!