— Michael C., NETTWay Solutions, Inc.
Web Site Design
Choosing a Web site design company shouldn’t be a roll of the dice.
If you are in the market for a custom Web site, you are facing decisions that will be critical to your success. You can use in-house resources, you can work with an independent designer, you can use an advertising agency, or you can hire a Web site publishing firm.
Web design professionals vary in their skill sets. Some are focused on creative design; others are IT shops that offer custom design services as a sideline. Web site design requires a balance between art and science—a firm that combines design excellence and technical skill.
For example, you need to understand how well a firm’s design team interacts with their production and engineering team. Do they work together or do they make decisions without each other’s input? Do they work in the same office or are certain members outsourced?
At Brook Group, our programmers work side-by-side with our design and information architecture experts. Working as one team, we make every development and every decision based on the best interest of the end user.
Shoot for a company that knows how the Web relates to your business goals. They need to enhance customer experience; increase customer response; persuade customers to take action; drive sales and increase ROI. Examine portfolios, seek out referrals, interview the staff.
It takes a team that works together to make a winning Web site. A winning Web site gets results and provides ROI. You can settle for the conventional 1-3% rate of response or you can work with a seasoned team like ours that has been known to deliver up to 20% response.
A single experience can bring a customer into the fold, or turn that customer away from doing business with you forever. Customer experience design at Brook Group focuses on making sure that the experience of using your software or visiting your Web site brings customers back again and again.Together with you, we get to know your customers, to anticipate their needs and expectations, to frame their experience online in a way that provides you with measurable results.
The Web Site Design Process
A complete Web site overhaul can include all these steps and can take 8-12 weeks depending on the project size.
Discover
The first step in Brook Group’s process, discovery includes: goal setting; mission planning; brand attribute establishment; audience identification; competitor research; marketing strategies. We will identify your business’ inner workings—your sales cycles and processes, revenue streams, budget constraints, business goals and competitors.
Analyze
We analyze your current Web traffic patterns, information architecture, Web site accessibility, identity and branding support, audience responsiveness, Web site usability. Here we study your audience and map their needs. We work with you from day one to establish exactly the sales and awareness approach that will resonate with your audience and translate your “wish list” into detailed technical specifications. We make recommendations for your project which may include a technical assessment, quantitative site analysis and or suggestions about search engine optimization strategies.
Prototype
Brook Group uses its own RAD Web Visualization process to quickly define site navigation and content. The RAD content management tool powered by Brook Group's Tacklebox CMS provides the power to create a working prototype that can help the creative team—including client staff—quickly and easily build a working prototype of their site, creating the information architecture and entering actual content through an easy to use word processor-like editing tool.
Many firms will not begin development until designs are approved. The RAD prototype not only provides a fast visualization of site structure and content, but serves as an easy-to-use content development tool, allowing Web site owners to add content to the prototype site even as the design team works through the process of developing creative approaches and mockups. The prototype encourages designers and content creators to work off of each other’s ideas, ensuring the look and feel will be closely integrated with site content and navigation.
Develop
This is where we create together, developing the Web interface designs. With the content writing and navigation already started, the design process supplies you with a conceptual site view including page templates, a style guide and a map which outlines all the content that needs to be gathered for each field in the site.
Implement
From the first meeting to launch and beyond, this plan will guide the project to completion. From inception to production, testing to deployment to follow-up support, this step of the process incorporates the entire process into a final result.
Implementation often involves database development, search integration, application development, content writing and integration, prototyping, quality assurance, deployment, and post launch support.
Refresh
The launch of the site is not the end of a project. Our goal is to help you stay successful. Our Refresh program is a chance for you to tell us how it’s working and where it can be improved. Search Engine Optimization tactics can be constantly revisited.
In today’s world, technology is constantly evolving and your Web site should look fresh and up to date at every turn. Even after launch, Brook Group continues to work with you, becoming your partner and helping to ensure your future success.