Web Design & Development

Service description

Web design and development creates or rebuilds a business website: the structure and layout, visual design, the pages and forms, and the content management system (CMS) the team uses to update it. A provider typically plans the site, designs it, builds and tests it, then launches it and trains the business. Scope can range from a few pages to a custom application.

Common industries

Applies to any business with an online presence, from services to e-commerce.

ROI

A better site lifts conversion and credibility; near-universal need with recurring redesign triggers.

Benefit

Design and build (or rebuild) your website — brand, UX, and the CMS behind it — to convert and represent you well.

Why get it

For many customers the website is the first impression and the place they act. Redesigns are often prompted by an outdated look, a brand change, poor performance on phones, or accessibility needs.

When you benefit

Mostly a one-time project, with a redesign every few years and maintenance continuing after launch.

What it costs

Typically a project fee.

When you pay

Providers usually quote a fixed project fee, often paid in stages: a deposit at kickoff, a payment at design approval and the balance at launch. Changes outside the agreed scope are commonly billed hourly. Hosting and maintenance are billed separately.

Other costs

Domain registration, hosting, CMS or plugin licenses, stock photography, copywriting, and ongoing maintenance or support plans.

Risks to know

A site that people with disabilities can't use can expose a business to discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which the Justice Department applies to the websites of businesses open to the public. Ownership of the design and code should also be set in writing, and a launch without testing can break forms or lose existing traffic.

When risks arise

Accessibility and ownership are easiest to build in at the design stage and much costlier to retrofit after launch. Technical problems usually appear at or just after launch, when real traffic and real devices meet the site.

The process

The provider plans the site's structure and goals with the business, designs the pages for approval, then builds and tests the site, including on phones and for accessibility. The business reviews and approves it, the provider launches it, and trains the team to update content in the CMS.

Your commitment

The business provides its brand assets, content and goals, names a single decision-maker, and reviews designs and pages on schedule, since late content or slow feedback delays launch. It also says up front what accessibility standard it expects the site to meet.

Documents to gather

• Brand assets: logo files, colors and fonts
• Your current site address, analytics and hosting details
• A list of the pages and content the new site should include
• Examples of sites you like, and your goals for the new one

Helpful reading

• Introduction to Web Accessibility — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
• WCAG 2 Overview — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
• The Business Case for Digital Accessibility — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

Further research

• 42 U.S. Code § 12182 — Prohibition of discrimination by public accommodations (federal)
• U.S. Department of Justice — Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (federal agency guidance)
• 17 U.S. Code § 201 — Ownership of copyright (federal)
• 17 U.S. Code § 204 — Execution of transfers of copyright ownership (federal)