Typical website development projects consist of 4 Phases – timeframes and descriptions for each phase are outlined below.

Phase 1: Planning 

Timeframe: 7 Business Days

Prior to commencing this project, Refreshweb will discuss several things with you during a planning consultation. This meeting allows us the opportunity to review the scope with you and ensure we’ve correctly interpreted and your requirements.

In preparation for this meeting it helps to look at as many websites as you can that are related to yours in some way. This will not only help you see what your competition has going and an overall perspective of Websites in general, it will also help you brainstorm for your own site.

Make note of the following:

• Websites that you like and why;
• Websites that you don't like and why not;
• Any Websites that have elements that you like, such as colours, navigation, overall layout, the type of content and how it's presented;
  

If you haven't already done so, write or gather your content and other materials as needed for your Web site. Your Website design is based on its content and purpose, not vice versa.

Organize the following materials on CD / DVD and bring these with you to this meeting. 

• Text for your Web site;
• Digitized photos / images; 
• Logos;
• Corporate colours;
• Any other pertinent information

By ensuring we commence the project with all the necessary materials, and a solid understanding of your brief, and you with a solid understanding of our development strategy, we can eliminate budget and timeframe blow-outs, scope-creep, minimise risk, and streamline the project turn-around. 

Phase 2: Design

Timeframe: 10 Business Days

This involves the creation Mock-Up drawings of the website we plan to build. These mock-ups demonstrate the proposed layout of the site for approval purposes. The mock-up will show the position of each element on a typical page, the colour scheme, typography and font sizes.

We include an allowance up to 2 sets of changes to these layouts in our pricing. With each iteration of changes, new mock-ups are created and supplied for approval. 2 iterations is generally ample for most projects, however further changes and mock-ups can be produced as needed, at an hourly-rate.

Phase 2 is concluded when approval has been reached on the layout, allowing us to commence production.

Phase 3: Production

Timeframe: 10-14 business days

We start by configuring the hosting server to accommodate the new site and the CMS is installed. We provide you with a temporary domain name so that you can monitor the project’s progress in real time. The layout is turned into a functional design at this point and applied to the site. Any content provided to us during the Phase 0: Planning, is added to the site at this time. All inclusions outlined in this document are also implemented at this stage.

The site is then carefully tested in Mozilla, MS Internet Explorer 6 and MS Internet Explorer 7.

Phase 3 is concluded when all functionality has been tested and found to coincide with the scope confirmed in Phase 1 and design has been applied as per the layous approved in Phase 2. 

We invest a considerable time in the initial planning stages of our projects to ensure all requirements are identified from the outset, however clients occassionally request additional requirements and features at this point. Should this happen, these requirements will be tabled for a possible stage 2 release but it is important these are not crept into the current production else the completion date, budget, and stability of the project can be effected. 

Phase 4: Go-Live

Timeframe: 7 business days

All existing POP3 email addresses are replicated onto the new server and configured in collaboration with your own internal IT provider (if applicable).

A complimentary 1 hour debriefing / training session is offered to the client. Printed owners manuals are provided to the client to accompany this training.

DNS records are updated for the necessary domain names and the site is made live. It can take up to a week in some cases for domain names to correctly transfer and DNS records to propagate and this should be considered when booking advertising, etc, publicising the new website.