1. Define the Website’s Objective by Drafting a Brief or a Specifications Document
To outline the scope of your website creation project, it is crucial to define its purpose and target audience. Preparing a project brief or a specifications document is invaluable for avoiding any ambiguity about your project. This document, which should be adhered to throughout the project, allows the client to clearly communicate to the digital agency their vision for the website.
The initial brief or specifications document outlines the required features and functionalities for the website, which the web agency must follow. Your website could serve various purposes, such as:
- Showcasing your business
- Selling products online
- Sharing information with users
- Generating leads
- Presenting your portfolio
- etc.
Once the objective is defined, consider who the website is for. Who are your ideal customers or readers? What are their browsing habits, interests, and preferences? Knowing your target audience will help you create a website that meets their needs and expectations. These details can be included in the initial brief or specifications document.
Once this document is finalized, the agency is responsible for delivering a product that aligns with the client’s expectations. However, the client has the flexibility to adjust the specifications as the project evolves. A digital agency can also assist in drafting this initial brief and specifications document to ensure clarity and alignment.
2. Drawing up the project and technical brief, and the schedule
Drawing up a project and technical brief, as well as a roadmap, are crucial steps in ensuring that the project runs smoothly. The project and technical brief is a document that includes information on the company, the purpose of the site, the target audience, desired functionalities, design, content requirements and other relevant elements. This document includes a detailed description of the technical aspects and functionalities of the project, the technologies used and the digital performance requirements. With regard to project planning, this is a key step in ensuring that deadlines are met and resources are correctly allocated. A well-defined schedule should include an estimate of the time required for each phase of the project, as well as clear deadlines for deliverables. It’s important to update this schedule regularly, and to communicate with the team and the customer to ensure that everyone is kept informed of progress and any adjustments. These documents can be updated as project meetings are held.
3. Designing your website’s tree structure
The design of your website’s tree structure represents the way in which the various pages of your site will be organized and interconnected. A well-designed tree structure not only makes it easier for users to navigate your site, but also contributes to SEO optimization. The first step is to define the main sections of your site. For example, a corporate site might have sections such as “About”, “Services”, “Blog”, “Contact”, etc. These sections need to be clearly defined and distinct from each other. These sections should be clearly defined and distinct from one another. Then you can start organizing the sub-pages within each section. Try to keep the structure as simple and logical as possible. Each page should have a clear purpose and be easily accessible from the home page or other relevant pages. It’s important to plan which pages will be in the menu, and which will be accessible via links between pages. There are a number of tools available for creating a clear tree structure. At Toclic, we use the Octopus tool.
4. Define wireframes for each page
A wireframe, or functional mock-up, is a simplified diagram representing the layout of elements on a web page. It serves as a guide to the page’s content architecture, design and functionality. You need to identify the key elements that will be present on each page. This may include elements such as headers, images, text blocks, buttons, forms, navigation links and more. Each element should have a specific purpose and contribute to the overall objective of the page. Once you’ve made these elements, it’s important to determine how they will be organized on the page. The aim is to create a layout that is intuitive and easy for users to navigate. When organizing the elements, think about how users will read the page (usually from left to right and top to bottom) and the hierarchy of information.
Example of wireframes
5. Create mock-ups of the future site
Once the tree structure and wireframes of your website have been defined, the next step is to create mock-ups of the project. These are visual representations of your site’s final appearance. They allow you to visualize the design, colors, typography, images and other visual elements. The digital agency has a graphic designer who can produce these mock-ups. First, you need to define the design style of the site, respecting your graphic charter. You can provide several links to competitor sites that you like. With the various briefs, the tree structure, the wireframes and the graphic charter, the graphic designer will be able to build models of the home page, internal pages and any additional templates. It’s important that all your site’s pages have a consistent design. This means that the same colors, typography and element styles must be used uniformly throughout the site. The graphic designer generally uses design tools to create your layouts, such as Adobe XD or Figma. Once your mock-ups are complete, test them to see if they are attractive and easy to use. Ask collaborators and potential users for feedback. You’ll be able to make several modifications during meetings with the graphic designer.
Exemple de projet sur Adobe XD
6. Integrating mock-ups into a demo site
Once you’ve created your website mock-ups, the next step is to integrate them into a demo environment, also known as a development environment. This process, often carried out by web developers, transforms your mock-ups into a functional website before going live. Most websites today use a CMS such as WordPress to create a website. You’ll also need to choose a theme. At Toclic, we recommend Divi or Elementor. Web developers begin to parameterize and code the layout using web programming languages. The aim is to reproduce the mock-up design as faithfully as possible, while creating a website that functions correctly on different browsers and devices. Once the mock-ups have been integrated and the demo site is online, the customer has access to this version for feedback and modifications. The developers then make the necessary corrections and improve the site. This may involve design adjustments, code optimization, performance enhancement and so on. Once the elements have been validated, the developers and integrators can import the text, photos, videos, etc., into the site.
7. Write content
The content of your site should be relevant, informative and interesting to your target audience. Well-written content also contributes to SEO optimization and user engagement. It’s important to structure your content clearly and logically, using headings, subheadings and bulleted lists to make it easy to read and understand. Make sure that every page on your site has a clear purpose, and that the content is consistent with it. Avoid long sentences and paragraphs, and get straight to the point. To improve search engine visibility, be sure to include relevant keywords for each page. Take the time to proofread and edit your content, or use a professional proofreader to ensure it’s beyond reproach. Once your content has been written, you can send it to the agency for integration and formatting on the various pages of the website.
8. Optimizing the mobile version and testing the site
We’re in the final steps of building your website. Optimizing the mobile version of your site is an essential step in ensuring an optimal user experience, whatever the device used. This stage involves adjusting the design and layout so that the site is fully functional and visually appealing on all media (Smartphone, Tablet, PC). This may include adjusting font sizes, optimizing images, and setting up an adapted navigation menu. The aim is to make navigation on your site as easy and intuitive on mobile as on the computer.
Acceptance, also known as the testing or validation phase, is the process of checking that all the site’s functionalities are working correctly and that the site meets the initial specifications. This includes checking that links, forms, buttons, e-commerce functionalities, and much more are working properly. Acceptance testing also involves testing the site on different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and different types of devices (computers, smartphones, tablets) to ensure that the user experience is consistent. Any anomalies or problems encountered must be corrected before the site is launched.
9. SEO Optimization and Website Launch
Once your website is optimized for mobile devices, the testing phase is completed, and the content is written, the final step is to optimize your site for SEO. This process includes creating engaging meta descriptions, improving your site’s loading speed, properly structuring URLs, setting up internal links, optimizing images, and many other factors. Effective SEO optimization will help your website rank higher in search engine results, increasing its visibility and attracting more traffic. We recommend reading our article on techniques to develop an effective SEO strategy.
Additional elements can also be addressed at this stage, such as GDPR compliance, website security, and the purchase of a domain name and hosting. Once all corrections and optimizations are completed, the website will be launched on its final hosting. You will then be able to share it with your clients.
10. Follow-Up and Improvement
Creating a website is just the first step in a comprehensive digital strategy. The next step is to promote it to attract visitors. Several acquisition channels are available: SEO optimization, Google Ads advertising, social media, email marketing, and more.
To analyze user acquisition and behavior, you can use tools like Google Analytics and Matomo. These tools allow you to identify areas for improvement and adapt your site based on the needs and expectations of your visitors.
In conclusion, building a website requires strategic thinking, meticulous planning, and careful execution. By following these steps, you will be on the path to success in your website creation project.
