Building a Website? Here Are The 7 Steps You Need To Know
Building a website is a lot like building a custom home here in Central Florida. You wouldn't just start laying bricks without a blueprint, and you certainly wouldn't pick out the curtains before the foundation is poured.
At REK Marketing & Design, we believe that understanding the process removes the stress from the project. We are not a giant, faceless agency; we are the local experts who live and work right here in Orlando, helping businesses establish their digital address. A great website is more than just a digital brochure; it's a hardworking tool that brings customers through your door.
To help you understand how we take an idea and turn it into a fully functional site, we have broken down our process. From the initial research to the final launch, here are the 7 steps in web design that ensure your project is a success.
What is web design and why is it critical for your business?
Web design is the comprehensive process of planning, conceptualizing, and arranging content online to solve a problem for your users. It's not just about making things look pretty; it's about function and feeling.
Two major concepts drive this process: User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI). Think of UX as the architectural layout of your house—does the flow from the kitchen to the dining room make sense? UI is the interior design—the paint colors, the flooring, and the fixtures. You need both to have a home that is comfortable to live in and beautiful to look at. If your website is difficult to navigate, 88% of online consumers are less likely to return after a bad experience. That is a number you cannot afford to ignore.
Step 1: Planning and Research
The first step is arguably the most important because it sets the foundation for everything that follows. Before we draw a single line or write a line of code, we need to understand you.
During this phase, we sit down to discuss your specific goals. Are you selling products directly, or do you want people to call you for a quote? We also look at your target audience. A website for a retirement community in The Villages will look and function very differently than a site for a trendy coffee shop in downtown Orlando.
We also conduct market research and competitor analysis. We look at what other businesses in your industry are doing right and where they are missing the mark. This helps us find opportunities to make you stand out.
Step 2: Content Strategy
Once we know the goals, we have to figure out what the website is actually going to say. Many people think design comes before content, but that is like buying a picture frame before you have the photo.
Content strategy involves planning the text, images, and videos that will appear on the site. This is also where web design meets Search Engine Optimization (SEO). We research the keywords your customers are typing into Google so we can weave them naturally into your headlines and paragraphs. This ensures that when your site launches, it has the best chance of ranking high in search results.
Step 3: Information Architecture
Information Architecture (IA) is the practice of organizing your website’s content so that users can find what they need without getting frustrated.
We start by creating a sitemap, which is essentially a list of all the pages on your site and how they connect to one another. After the sitemap, we create wireframes. A wireframe is a black-and-white sketch of the website layout. It shows where the logo goes, where the buttons sit, and how much space is dedicated to text versus images. We do this to agree on the structure without getting distracted by colors or fonts yet.
Step 4: Visual Design
This is the phase where the website starts to come to life and look like your brand. We take the black-and-white wireframes and apply your visual identity to them.
If you already have a brand style guide (logos, specific colors, font choices), we use that as our bible. If not, we help you define a look that communicates trustworthiness and professionalism. We choose photography, icons, and color palettes that evoke the right emotions in your customers. This step matters because visual appeal creates credibility; customers often judge the legitimacy of a business based purely on how professional their website looks.
Step 5: Front-End Development
Front-end development is the process of turning those visual designs into actual code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) that a web browser can read.
This is where the "look" meets the "function." A critical part of this step is ensuring Responsive Design. This means the website must automatically adjust to look great on a giant desktop monitor, a laptop, a tablet, and a smartphone. With more than half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, if your site doesn't work on a phone, you're losing business. We also test for cross-browser compatibility to ensure the site works whether your customer uses Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
Step 6: Back-End Development
Back-end development involves building the "engine" of the website that operates behind the scenes.
While the front end is what the user sees, the back end creates the functionality. This includes setting up the servers and databases. For most of our clients, we integrate a Content Management System (CMS), like WordPress. A CMS is vital because it allows you to update your own text and images later without needing to know how to write code. We build this so that you have control over your own digital assets.
Step 7: Testing and Launch
Testing is the final quality control sweep where we hunt down bugs, broken links, or display errors before the public sees them.
We review the site on multiple devices and browsers to ensure perfection. We check page load speeds because we know that a slow website frustrates users. Once everything is polished and approved, we flip the switch. Launching the website involves pointing your domain name to the new server. But we don't just walk away; we ensure everything propagates correctly across the web so your new digital storefront is open for business.
Your Partner in Digital Growth
From the initial blueprint to the final coat of paint, these 7 steps in web design ensure you get a product that works as hard as you do. A professional website is an investment in your company's future, providing a 24/7 resource for your customers.
You don't have to navigate the technical world alone. We are here to handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on running your business.
Ready to build a website that actually grows your business? Contact REK Marketing & Design today for a free consultation.