How Do We Engineer a Web-Site?
Ten Steps To Success

1. The first thing we do is have you surf the net for 4 or 5 web-sites that you feel are "what you're looking for." This gives us a fair starting point for colors and format. We also have you start thinking about a clever name for the domain name like, www.mybusiness.com
2. Then we discuss, either via email or meeting, what the general outcome is that you want to achieve with the page. Is it a plain, garden variety page to show information? Is it a transaction oriented page with hooks to Master Card and Visa? Does it need a search capability? What type of documents do you want to store and display?
3. Then, we design what is known as a prototype¹. The prototype is a rendition of what we think you are looking for, based on steps one and two, above. We design the initial web-page on our servers and make it available for you to view via your home or business PC. It is not the complete design, just enough to see if it is what you are looking for. If it is, we continue. If it isn't, we backtrack and make changes and review it again.
4. The prototype is modified in this "back and forth" manner for a few weeks until you are happy with the outcome.
5. We iterate through steps 2, 3 and 4 until the web-site is finished.
6. We register your domain name so nobody else can claim it. We also register your site with various search engines so people can find you.
7. We move the completed source code (XHTML, PHP, Java code, etc) to an Internet Service Provider(ISP) of your choice. You can optionally leave the site on my servers.
8. We have a saying in the business called, "Go Live." That is what we do after you are satisfied everything is working properly and looks pleasing to the eye.
9. We create a complete set of documentation about the site, the data files, the logic flow, etc. with a write-up about what the site does and any idiosyncrasies that may have been programmed into the site. We create a CD of all the XHTML, PHP and Java code. All this documentation is delivered to you for safe keeping.
10. Maintain the site. Even though we "Go Live" we may still find some things that need modified or enhanced.

Footnotes
1 -- Sommerville, Ian. (1996). Software Engineering. Addison Wesley. Page 137.

Presentation We Delivered to Arizona Small Business Association on September 13, 2005 Download

No Fluff. No Nonsense. Just Guaranteed Software.
Software Consulting, Software Engineering, Web Page Design, Web Site Engineering