Based off the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), my process helps ensure quality and efficiency on your project. I prefer this system because it is relatively simple to understand and it keeps all parties in sync with the current phase. I’ve decided to post this on my blog to share with other freelancers or web development firms.

Project Planning & Requirement Collection

The first phase of WDLC is planning and requirement collection. The main goal of this phase is to compose a specification document planning out all of the requirements for the web project. The following is a more detailed outline of this phase:

• Discuss hosting requirements for the website. I do not offer hosting services, but I will set you up with a fast and reliable host.
• Collect content for the pages on the website. This includes text, images, videos, or any other media for the project.
• Discuss the graphical design of the website. We will talk about styles and colors for your website (and provide examples). I will also provide suggestions on the structure/sitemap of the website in this phase. This gives me the chance to help ensure that your site is user friendly and has its content correctly distributed.
• Discuss # of layouts & graphical elements on site.
• Put together a timeline (estimated) for the project.

Design

The second phase involves combining all of the information from the planning phase and putting it to work. I will graphically design pages your website using Photoshop and provide you with a “mockup”. At this point, you will receive 1 round of revisions on the design of the website. If you wish to start from scratch – it is an additional $200 each time.

Development

In a nutshell, this phase involves these steps:

1. Slice up the website into “web friendly” graphics.
2. Code the website structure and layouts using XHTML & CSS. I will also ensure that if you did not pay for Search Engine Optimization, that you still receive a search engine friendly structure so that you can implement some of the SEO basics on your own.
3. Develop the structure into a web-based content management system.
4. Input all of the content for your website using the corresponding layouts.
5. Any additional functionality for the website (custom apps, forms, etc) will also be developed at this time
6. If you need to have email accounts set up for your website, this will also be done in this phase (e.g. yourname@yoursite.com)

Testing

In this phase, we will make sure that your website is set up in a Beta Folder on your final hosting solution. This helps ensure that there are no problems when your website goes live on your new hosting environment. I will also check for bugs and errors on your website and make the corresponding corrections. And custom applications or forms will also be tested at this time.

*Different web browsers render web pages differently. During the testing phase, I will ensure that your site renders properly on Firefox, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 (the 3 most popular browsers). Additional browsers can be tested on for an additional cost.

Implementation

At this point, your completed site will be removed from the Beta environment and put live on your domain for your visitors to see. Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools will also be set up at this time. In addition, I will create an XML sitemap of your website for SEO benefits.

Maintenance

Any changes or updates to the website that you wish for me to make must be done on an hourly basis. Because I have set your site up in a content management system, this phase should be rather limited. However, if instead you wish to add a new application or piece to the project, it must be bid out as its own new project.