Custom web design & development

Here at GGC Digital we break this down into 6 key deliverables which are:

Discovery and Planning: We start with a call with you as the client. We discuss your needs, current issues and etc. This allows us to put together a proposal and project plan for you. Depending on the size of the project, we’ll use this time to gather a full scope requirements document. This isn’t always necessary but for larger projects, it’s important so we don’t miss functionality.

Content writing / assembly and/or migration: It is important that all copy is ready so we know how to design the site. If you are having us do SEO for you, we work with our copywriters to make sure the content is where it needs to be before we start the design.So content writing and preparation is step 2. If we are just using existing content with no changes, then this step switches to step 4 where we migrate the content from the old site.

Design: Once we have everything in place, we hand off a list of key elements to our designer so he knows what he has to design. We include the copy that needs to be placed in the design so he knows how much space he needs to accommodate it. Once the design is done, I walk you through it and discuss they method to our madness and any functionality we are including. Once all the different pages has been designed, we move to coding.

Coding: Here is where the magic begins. Depend on the option you chose we will either custom build this in WordPress or we will use a builder like Elementor to get the site ready for you.

Testing and Reviewing: Once everything is designed and coded, we do an internal walk-through to make sure it matches the design. We also check that any functionality outlined in the requirements document has been met. You will then be given a link where you can walk through it as well and submit any changes.

Launch: Your site is ready to go live. We point your URL or we can work with your internal IT team to get the site migrated to your servers. Once live, we do another check to make sure everything appears and functions as it should.

A content management system or CMS as it’s known is an easy to use tool to manage your web pages, images and content in an orderly manner. Back before there were these tools, you had to custom code your sites using HTML. You used to have to FTP individual pages to a web server to get that done. And unless you knew code, it was difficult as an everyday person to manage your site. Now with the creation of tools like WordPress, it makes it very easy to maintain your old website. WordPress isn’t the only option but it’s our preferred option. 

As mentioned above in our web design process, we either custom code your site or use the Elementor Pro builder within a WordPress install. Elementor is a robust website, drag and drop builder. You can code a website easily using it. Matter of fact, this website has been built with it. It is robust and includes a considerable amount of built in elements like accordions, animations, banners and etc. You can easily custom code with Elementor as well so you can really expand it’s capabilities if you know code. It also has a large following and there are a variety of sites that have created some very cool add-ons for it. We like to give this to our clients who don’t need a custom site solution or really want the flexibility to be creative as they build out their content. Many of our larger clients utilize code while others like the flexibility of Elementor and Elementor Pro. Lastly it’s stable. It really is a great solution for many of our clients.

Once your website is built, we teach you how to update it. You’ll get a one-on-one, virtual training session to learn how to use your WordPress site. This training takes about an hour.

But it doesn’t stop there. We are always here should you have any questions or run into issues with updating your site. If you’re looking for enhancements or add-on features we can talk about that including search engine optimization (SEO).