So you’ve taken the leap and decided to have Web Savvy Mama design you an awesome new site! Great! Now what?

1. First of all, I’ll email you to confirm your purchase and ask you any pre-design questions that we may not have covered. If you filled out a Quote Request form prior to purchase we’ve probably already discussed everything, if not then this is what I’ll have you fill out to get started.

2. The next step for me is to start working on your full scale graphic mockup. All design projects take a projected 6-8 weeks, as noted in the design contract. Some may get done quicker, some will use the entire time. This is a commonly asked question so I’m throwing it in here. The mockup process is usually the longest stage. This is the time I use to look over your ideas, suggestions and review sites you have indicated you like so that I can get a feel for what layout and style will best suit your site. Once I have an idea (which usually hits me at 2am as an “Ah ha!” moment) of how it should look I start to draw and create a full scale visual to present to you. This can take anywhere from 1-2 weeks, like I said, this is the longest part of the process.

3. I present the mockup to you! You’ll either love it or tell me you have some changes that you’d like to see made. Folks, don’t be afraid to be bluntly honest with your suggestions. The more feedback I get, the more you’ll love the finished product. At this point we’re only designing the shell (template) for your site. This is the look, the logo, the background, navigation and overall style. This is not the content of the site. So while I may put in sample text or picture boxes, we’re not going to get hung up on that because that fun will come later! Feedback given can (and should) range from anything that pops into your head. Do you like the colors? Do you like the layout? Do you hate the font? Make sure to let me know.

4. Revisions. You tell me what to change, I change it and send it back. I include 3 revision phases with my design packages. I’ve never had someone need more than that, but if I think we’ll need more I’ll let you know after the first revision to talk about how to handle that.

5. Mockup approved! Once the mockup is approved by you I get to the coding. After I have begun coding it may be hard for me to go back and change something major like the layout or a color scheme, please have these changes to me before you approve the mockup. If revisions are made after approval a revision fee will be charged.

6. Coding Stage. I am ripping the mockup apart and coding your template HTML and CSS into whatever format is needed for your cart, blog or website. At this point you will need to have your hosting login information ready for me if you haven’t given it to me already. Many clients ask if they need to purchase the cart and hosting at step #1, this is optional until we hit the coding phase. If you’d like to purchase your cart and hosting right away so you can get comfortable with the software and make sure there are no hitches with transferring your domain, go for it! If you want to save the money until its needed, purchase it once you have approved the mockup.

7. During the coding phase I’ll ask for your hosting login and will start loading the graphics and design as I finish it. I’ll be debugging the site and testing the features. This is a great time for you to play around with your cart and practice adding pages and products. Also connect any payment processing plugins or accounts required to run your site. Your host and cart company will have more information on these steps if needed.

8. Your template/design is loaded, now I can include the content that was ordered with your design. Most packages include home page content inclusion and I will ask for this information and any pictures you want loaded there. If you have this ready it makes it go a lot faster. If you also ordered services to include other pages or products I will add this as well.

9. Check out your site! Play with the features! Ask any questions you might have. I love to end all design projects knowing that my clients have a good handle on how to maintain their new site. If you have any questions on how your site works please feel free to ask! If you have hosting or email questions I will help direct you to the department at your hosting company that has the information for you. If its cart, blog or maintenance related I can probably answer your question or find the answer to get you rolling!

10. Go spread your web site link to all your friends and customers! Start working on your SEO and networking with other sites to drive people to your awesome new site.

I love what I do and its mostly because of my great clients. Thank you for all your support!

FAQs
A few Frequently Asked Questions that ping my inbox from week to week:

Q. Are you taking new design clients?
A. Yes! Sometimes there is a small wait for an open spot but always feel free to contact me to see if there is a wait list or not.

Q. How many design clients do you take on at a time?
A. Call me a glutton for punishment, I take up to 6 clients at a time. This does not mean the service you receive will be any less. My clients are always amazed when I tell them I have several other clients I’m working with simultaneously. I’ll take that as a compliment, thank-you-very-much. I pride myself on giving individual attention to all my clients.

Q. Wow, but I know you are also a full time student, mom to 3 and have a “day job”… when do you work on WSM projects?
A. Haha, sleep? Who needs sleep? Actually, while I list my working hours as the standard daytime hours, I really do most of my design work in the evenings when my kids are in bed. I like to focus on it without distraction and I am still able to answer emails during the day. This would be why I am unable to offer phone contact support, no one likes to get a call from their web designer at 10pm to discuss a design idea! After 7 years of design experience I can confidently say that my email skills are very proficient.

Q. Do you offer discounts and sales?
A. Heck yeah! I LOVE to give discounts and have sales. Follow me on Facebook to keep updated on upcoming sales.