Even though there are six distinct stages that comprise the development of a web site, it is never truly complete. Regular updates, additions, and improvements are always ongoing. It is important you understand this before deciding to develop your own web site. But it is also fair to say that the majority of the time, effort, and cost occur when a site is first developed. Later changes and improvements are generally quicker and less costly, especially if the site was initially designed to be flexible and easily modified.

In this section, we’ll look at the various phases you will go through when developing and deploying a web site. We’ll point out some things you need to be aware of and explain the benefits and potential pitfalls of various options you’ll encounter at each phase.
 

Planning the Site

Too little time is usually spent here, resulting in numerous mid-development changes, costly overruns, and startovers. When planning your site, consider each of the following variables:

• Purpose of the site
• Expected Results
• Type of Site
• Functions it will perform
• Options and Features
• Selection and securing a domain name
• Development of a long term plan, with steps and costs
   

The Design Phase

The design phase comes after the planning is done and deals with specific aspects of the site: what it will look like and how it will accomplish the purposes and goals set up in the plan. Although design deals with the look and feel of your site, it also encompasses issues of site structure, functions, navigation, usability, and continuity. This is often the phase where trial mockups are created, evaluated, and adjusted to obtain the final site style and look. The design phase includes:

• Site Style
• Look and Feel
• Design of individual elements
• Design Elements: Graphics, Buttons, Color Schemes
• Navigation Elements: Buttons, Nav Bar, Rollovers, Drop Down Menus, Tree Structure
• Functional Elements: Forms, Search Tools
• Images and Photos
   

The Development Phase

Whereas design focuses on the look, structure, and capabilities of the site, development is where it is brought to fruition. A good site team will seamlessly meld these two phases into a working project.

The development phase Is the part of the process where the design takes form. It focuses on implementing the features and capabilities called for in the plan for your sit. This includes creating the programming and creating and integrating the design elements included in the plan. Development incorporates the following steps:

• Creation of individual elements
• Style Elements: Graphics, Buttons, Color Schemes
• Navigation Elements: Buttons, Navigation Bars, Rollovers, Drop Down Menus, Tree Structure
• Functional Elements: Forms, Search Tools
• Images and Photos
• Developing the programming and animations
• Creating and editing the video and audio
• Page creation - Assembling all the elements together into coherent web pages
• Alpha Testing, revising, debugging and final signoff
   

Deploying Your Site

Deployment is the processing of uploading the individual web pages and elements to the actual site and activating them. The deployment phase includes the following:

• Email setup
• Mailboxes
• Post Office
• Auto Responders
• Publishing
• Testing
• Refining
• Final signoff
• Submit site to search engines
• Install web site traffic monitoring and reporting tools
   

Marketing Your Site

So your site is deployed, you’ve registered with 150 search engines, and you’re now waiting for the orders and feedback to come rolling in. But nothing is happening. What’s gone wrong? Answer: You’ve neglected marketing and advertising. You need to actively market your new web site just as your would your business.  Many companies have found success incorporating their web site into an overall marketing program where it is the place where customers obtain detailed information about products and services and even submit orders. Advertising is structured with teasers that are meant to drive people to the web site. An integrated marketing plan for your web site also includes:

• Using the web site to gather market research
• Providing on site promotions to encourage site visitors to return
• Including your web site address in all company stationery and communications (Press Releases, invoices,  ads, brochures)
• Placing banner ads with links to your site at high traffic related sites
• Registering your site with search engines and judiciously using Meta Tags to improve your ranking
• Exchanges links with other related sites that send visitors to your site
• Utilizing traditional advertising to drive visitors to your site for more information
   

Maintaining and Improving Your Site

Once your site is up and running, you’ll need to address the issue of maintenance (Making sure the site keeps on running effectively and handling its day to day operations) and upgrades (adding new content to keep the site fresh, visitors returning, and accurately reflecting your company’s business changes. This can be set up for you to do form your PC or you can have a professional firm such as Web Fin handle it for you for a monthly fee.