Process
The Web Design Process, From the First Call to Launch
My web design projects follow the same six steps, and most of the work sits on my end. You will know what each step involves and what I need from you before we start.
Why it works this way
Structure is what makes it easy.
Most people come to me frustrated by a project that went badly or a relationship that was lost. Some had a website that dragged on and was never finished. Others had a designer who stopped answering. These frustrations are all too common in this industry.
So I have put a lot of time into my website design process, the way we get from the beginning of a project to the end. I decide early where your input matters most. The big decisions get made up front, so they only need to be made once, and you always know where things stand.
Everything about it is intentional. Doing the steps in order is what lets the build move steadily toward the finish.
It is designed so you feel heard and your time is respected. I don’t overburden you with decisions, and I save your time and attention for the things that really matter.
Six steps in the web design process, and four of them happen before a single page gets built.
The six steps
From your first message to the day it launches, and after.
01
You Reach Out
One form, and no phone tag.
It starts with the contact form. You tell me what your business does best and what you want the website to do. A few sentences is plenty, and starting in writing lets me think about your situation before we talk.
I read every inquiry myself and reply as fast as I can.
02
A Short Call
Twenty to thirty minutes to see whether we’re a good fit.
If it looks like a good fit, I will suggest a time for a short call, usually twenty to thirty minutes. It is a chance for us to get to know each other. I will ask about your business, your customers and your goals, and you can ask me anything you want. By the end of the call, we both have a sense of whether we’re the right match. If we are, I will walk you through how we get started and what the next steps are.
Sometimes the answer is no. If I am not the right person for what you need, I will say so on that call and point you in the right direction. It is much better for both of us to find that out on the first call than three months into a project.
Your part Twenty to thirty minutes on a call.
“From our very first conversation, he was responsive, easy to communicate with, and genuinely interested in understanding our practice and its needs. He immediately demonstrated an ability to appreciate our business from multiple perspectives and translate that understanding into a beautiful, highly functional website.”
Dr. Anita Shane · Ophthalmologist & Founder, Venice Retina
03
Discovery
Where I learn your business.
Discovery is where I learn your business well enough to make decisions the way an owner would. I have a set process for it, and the questions that matter stay much the same from project to project:
- How the business started
- Who your customers are, and how they find you
- What you want to be known for
- What is coming in the next few years
- What your competitors are doing
- What you have already tried
Discovery happens in writing. I share a project folder with you, and you answer the questions over a couple of days, at your own pace. That way you can add things as they come to mind and change an answer when you think of a better one. Your own words also become the starting point for the site’s content.
While you answer, I do research of my own. I look into your business and how it shows up online, and I study your industry and your competitors. A lot of the work in discovery happens on my end, so by the time I write the plan, I have a full picture of where your business stands.
By the end, I understand your business from the inside. Nearly every design and content decision that follows traces back to something you told me or something I found in discovery.
Your part Answering the questions in writing, at a pace that works for you.
“My goal in discovery is for you to pass on what you know about your business so thoroughly that I can build your website as if I were you. Your knowledge of the business, fused with what I know about the web and marketing, is how we build something exceptional that’s unmistakably yours.”
Josh
04
The Plan
A strategy, in writing.
When discovery is done, I come back with a written plan. The plan is a strategy for your business on the web, starting with the website and looking well past launch. It says what I think you should do and why, in plain language. It covers:
- The scope of the work and an estimated budget
- How many pages the site needs, and what they are
- What gets built first, and what can wait
- How long it should take
- What comes after launch
Then you decide. If it makes sense, we set a start date.
The plan fits your business. For some clients it is a new website with ongoing SEO. For others it is SEO alone, because the site is in good shape and people just aren’t finding it. I recommend the smallest thing that actually solves the problem.
Your part Reading the plan, and asking anything you want to ask about it.
05
Design and Build
Where the thinking turns into a website.
This is the longest step, and the one that asks the least of you. I plan the structure first, then write the content, then design the pages and build the site. I write the copy from your discovery answers. Before I start, I work out a voice for your business, or put into words the one it already has, and every page is written in that voice, so the whole site sounds like you. You review the copy, and then I show you the design and get your feedback. Each decision comes to you one at a time, with my recommendation attached.
We meet by video on a regular schedule the whole way through, so you always know where things stand. Between meetings, the site is built on a private staging site you can look at whenever you want. Because the big decisions were made in discovery and planning, the build moves steadily.
Your part Regular video check-ins, plus reviewing the copy and the design.
06
Launch, and What Comes After
The site goes live, and we keep working together.
Launch calls for a steady hand. When your new site goes live, the switch from your old site should be seamless for you and your customers. My launches follow a thorough set of steps that I have refined over many years, and it is now down to a science.
After launch, the site keeps getting better. Real visitors show what is working, and the site changes as your business grows. Some clients have me keep improving it on a monthly retainer. Others send requests as things come up. For most clients, the care plan keeps the site hosted, updated, backed up and secure.
I still work with clients from my first years in business. That is the part of this I am proudest of.
Your part As much or as little as you want.
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
Marcus Aurelius
In their words
What the process feels like from the other side.
“Working with Josh was extremely easy. From our initial discovery conversations, he seemed to understand very quickly what we were trying to accomplish. His creativity, knowledge, and technical skill allowed him to take our ideas and translate them into something we were proud of without requiring endless meetings, rounds of proofs, or revisions. The process for providing images, content, and information was organized and straightforward, and he delivered within the timeframe he projected.”
Denise Didley · Skin Health Forever
“The process was seamless. We could easily track progress, and edits and updates were handled promptly. That responsiveness has been just as valuable over the years as it was during the original project.
For any business owner considering Josh, I would recommend him wholeheartedly. He combines a creative mind with an organized, efficient process and dependable ongoing support. Years later, I’m still proud of what we built together.”
Ash Ahmed, R.Ph., MBA · Founder and Owner, MedRock Pharmacy
“Josh was extremely considerate of my schedule. He quickly and efficiently implements any necessary changes. He has the capacity to listen and analyze my needs into the product desired. I appreciate his talent!”
Nancy Fazekas Grubb, MD · Optimal Health Institute of Ohio
“Josh took the time to find out about us, the business, and our vision for it. He then took this information and made it a reality. More importantly, he was there for the follow through. Managing the things that either needed to be tweaked after the site went live or to help us learn how to operate the site. While many web developers can give you product, Josh delivers and does not walk away when that product is delivered.”
John Ciribassi, DVM · AVSAB
Built to keep improving
My process keeps getting better, and AI is a big part of why.
I keep improving my own web development process. Since 2011, I have been noticing what causes trouble on projects and removing it. AI has changed what one person can do in a week more than anything else in my career.
Research that used to take days now takes hours. Your discovery answers become a clear, organized brief that guides the whole project. Before launch, I can check every page of the site for small broken things.
For you, that means the same careful work in less time. The time AI saves goes into the work that needs a person, like the thinking and the design.
How I work
Six things you can count on.
You know where things stand.
I keep you updated on what is happening and what I need from you. If something slips, you will hear it from me first.
Plain language, always.
I explain each decision in words that make sense for your business. If you want the technical details, I am glad to go deeper any time.
Decisions arrive one at a time.
Each one comes with my recommendation and the reason behind it, so you can decide quickly and get back to your business.
The thinking happens up front.
Getting things right early costs less than fixing them later, for both of us. That is why my projects always start with discovery.
You get a straight answer.
I will tell you when something is not worth the money, and I will tell you when I am not the right person for the job.
You work with me.
The person you talk to is the person who does the work, from the first call through launch and for years after that.
“He is exceptionally responsive, often answering communications immediately and completing requested changes remarkably quickly. He provides clear, regular updates about what he has accomplished, what he is monitoring, and what he plans to improve next. He welcomes feedback, incorporates our suggestions promptly, and is consistently professional, intelligent, and easy to work with. We trust him completely, which allows us to give him the access and autonomy necessary to manage our online presence efficiently.”
Dr. Thomas Shane · Ophthalmologist & Founder, Shane Retina
A few common questions
What people ask before they start.
The questions that come up most in a first conversation. If yours is not here, ask it on the contact page.
How long does a web design project take?
Most projects take two to three months from start to launch, depending on scope and how quickly feedback comes in. A clear timeline is established at the start of every project. Discovery and planning are what keep the schedule on track.
What if I do not know what I need yet?
That is normal, and it is what discovery is for. Most people arrive knowing something needs to change without knowing exactly what. If you can describe your business and what you want the website to do for it, I will tell you what I think you should do.
Do I have to sit through a lot of meetings?
No. There is a short call at the start, and discovery happens in writing. During the build we meet by video on a regular schedule, so you always know where things stand. I know how busy you are, so I respect your time and only ask for your input when it matters.
What if we are not a good fit?
I will tell you on the first call, and I will try to point you toward someone who is. It happens, and it is fine. Saying no early is part of why the projects I do take on go well.
Can I see the site while it is being built?
Yes. Everything is built on a private staging site you can look at any time, so you can watch the site take shape and give feedback along the way.
Does this work the same way for SEO, or for a few pages instead of a whole site?
The shape is the same, and the middle is shorter. Every project starts with a conversation and some form of discovery, because I need to understand a business before I can make good recommendations for it. A smaller project just means a smaller plan. A redesign follows the same steps, with an audit of what the current site has already earned at the start. More on how I approach SEO.
What happens after launch?
Most clients keep working with me. The care plan keeps the site hosted, updated, backed up and secure. New pages, SEO and other improvements are covered by a monthly retainer or billed hourly as they come up. Either way, the person who built your site is the person you call.
Get in touch
The whole thing starts with one form and a short call.
Tell me what your business does best and who you want to reach, and we’ll both get a sense of whether we’re the right match.