From first message to launch: how a web project runs

Many people who commission a website for the first time don’t know what to expect: when they’ll see something, what they need to provide, and when decisions are due. Not knowing makes projects feel uncertain, even when they’re on track.

Every project here runs in five steps. This post walks through them, including what happens in each and what it needs from you.

1. Inquiry: understanding the project

It starts with a conversation. What’s the project, who is it for, and what should it achieve? Which websites do you like, and why? What exists already: a logo, texts, photos, an old site, a domain?

The aim is to understand the goal behind the request. “A new website” can mean more enquiries, a shop, a better first impression for applicants or a place to send people from a trade fair. Each of those leads to a different site.

What it needs from you: an idea of your goals, examples you like or don’t like, and access to what already exists.

2. Proposal: scope, timeline, price

From the conversation comes a written proposal: what’s included, how the project is divided into milestones, when each part is due, and what it costs. It also says what isn’t included, so there are no surprises later.

Once the proposal is accepted, the material is gathered: texts, images, logins for the domain and hosting, brand assets. Content is planned from the start, including who writes or produces what.

What it needs from you: a decision, the material, and one contact person who can give feedback and approve steps.

3. Production: design and build in rounds

Production happens in short rounds rather than in one long stretch behind closed doors:

Structure and wireframes: which pages exist, what goes on them and in what order. Simple layouts without colours or images, so the discussion is about content and flow, not taste.
Design: the look, applied first to a few key pages, then to the rest. Colours, type, images and components come together into a consistent system.
Development: the design turns into a working site, built for speed, accessibility and search engines from the beginning, not added at the end.

After each round you see real progress, give feedback, and the next round builds on it. Changes fit in best early, while they’re still sketches, so the early rounds matter most.

What it needs from you: feedback at each round, ideally collected in one place and from everyone who has a say.

4. Testing and launch

Before anything goes live, every page is checked:

Devices and browsers: real phones, tablets and desktops, not just a simulation.
Forms and functions: contact forms, bookings, shop and checkout, with real test runs.
Accessibility: keyboard use, contrast, screen reader labels.
Performance and SEO: loading speed, titles, descriptions, redirects from an old site, structured data.
Legal pages: imprint and privacy policy in place and linked.

The launch itself is planned together: the date, the switch of the domain, and the checks right after. You receive all files, logins and a handover that shows how to update content.

What it needs from you: a final approval, and someone available on launch day.

5. Support and growth

A website isn’t finished when it goes live. Software needs updates, content needs care, and new ideas come up once the site is in use. Support covers updates and monitoring, new pages and features, SEO and GEO work, and regular checks of how the site performs.

How much support a site needs depends on what it runs on and how often it changes, and that’s part of the conversation at the start.

The short version

Inquiry: goals, audience, examples, what exists.
Proposal: scope, milestones, timeline, price, and what’s not included.
Production: wireframes, design and development in rounds with your feedback.
Testing and launch: real devices, forms, accessibility, performance, SEO, handover.
Support: updates, monitoring, new features, SEO and GEO.

If you’d like to start a project, get in touch.