by handling the entire process, or by partnering with our clients to provide key services such as information architecture design or content development.
If you want us to handle the whole process, we will. With dozens of sites under our collective belt, we have the expertise and the contacts to do just about anything. Or, if you'd like us to work with your in-house staff on one or more phases of a project, we're comfortable with that approach as well. We're firm believers in the team approach to building a web site, and we can help you tailor the team to the project, whether you're interested in marketing or e-commerce. Our approach works for new sites, special projects or campaigns, or existing sites that need an infusion of energy and fresh ideas.
Maybe you just want us to handle it all. No problem. We have years of soup-to-nuts web development experience, and we combine our unique concept development with solid expertise and some of the best web specialists in the business. We'll be happy to meet with you to discuss your web plans, and make recommendations on what will work for you.
We'll also help you maintain your new site – from regular updates like editing and posting new content, to adding new features and sections.
Speak web-ese?
If you're feeling a little web-shy, call us for a fast-and-free Web Site 101. We'll walk you through the basics – how it all works, what you can expect from a web site, what your web customers will expect from you. Then, when you know bandwidth from a sandwich and start to feel a little cocky, we'll give you your homework – some questions for you to answer that will help you define the sort of web site you need, and the material you should put on it.
Want to keep your hand in?
Maybe you don't want to hand it all over. Perhaps you've got a web site – but it's on training wheels, so to speak, and you're ready for one with curvy handlebars. Or you've realized that the site is up but no one's minding store – or you want to run a promotion and need someone to write the copy.
Researcher, organizer, project manager, designer, programmer, writer, editor – it takes a pretty diverse team to build and maintain a successful web site, and few companies have that range of talent lying around. If you're keeping your web work in-house, contract work can fill the gaps. Here are a few of the services webbones offers. If you don't see the skill you're looking for, ask us – if we don't have it chances are we know someone who does!
I. Project development
This all-important first stage of site development sets the stage for the success of the whole venture. We break the process into two manageable parts: discovery/concept exploration, and information architecture development.
Discovery/concept exploration: We start with client meetings and brainstorming sessions. These will indicate what sort of creative up-front raw materials we need to collect as we do the research that shapes and inspires a project.
They may include:
These are gathered into a Creative Brief, a document that will serve as a road map to design and development of the site.
Information Architecture: Once the client and the web team have absorbed and prioritized the discovery materials, we develop a detailed site map defining the architectural structure of the site. The architecture is crucial; it must be clear and intuitive to the immediate user, and it must be able to accommodate future projects.
II. Guidance/project management
This is value-added project management. We have years of experience coordinating between client and web team, translating client requests to technical language and keeping the lines of communications open.
V. Graphics/design
Whether you need banner and branding for a special project or photographs cropped and optimized, we're happy to provide the graphic support you need to bring your site to life.
IV. Content
Writing, editing, maintaining consistency. The words on your web site are all-important. They should be compelling, pithy, maybe witty too, or urbane but always timely, accurate, well-written, and just right for the job. We create new text and/or re-work existing text, tailoring it to the web and making it consistent and grammatical.
V. Maintenance
Once a site goes up, regular updates keep it interesting, useful – and respectable. We provide a range of site maintenance services, from editing updates and new content for grammar, tone and consistency, to providing regular maintenance of information pages such as calendars and schedules.
