Web Design

Services

Business? Personal? We’ve got you covered. The task of launching a website can be a tough process, even for large companies and thus needs to be properly managed.

At DotNetMushroom, we have the right personnel and systems in place to handle your online venture through all the steps from concept development through to site launch and online marketing. These transitions can be summarized as an 8-step process:
 

Step 1: Analysis and Concept Development

We believe that every client has different needs and expectations as on what they want to achieve through the website. This is why we insist in a detailed analysis to be performed for each website project, prior to the commencement of any design or development.

Through our marketing team, we will help you organize your ideas in a logical manner. Based on our vast experience in the sector as well as our expertise and qualifications in the marketing field, we will make our recommendations and together we will devise the structure, functionality and logical framework of your website.
 

Step 2: Production of Mock Ups and their Conversion to HTML and CSS

Following the analysis, our design team will produce mock ups of how the website will appear. Once you approve them, then these will be converted into standards compliant HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) which enables the representation of websites in Web Browsers. All our websites are designed in such a way that they are cross browser compatible, meaning that they appear correctly in Internet Explorer (7 and 8), Firefox 3.5 (and upwards), Chrome 4 (and upwards) and Safari 5.
 

Step 3: Content Management System Integration

A Content Management System (CMS) is a computer software system that you can used to add, edit and delete the content on your website, without requiring our assistance. All our websites are powered by the DotNetNuke™ (DNN) CMS (www.dotnetnuke.com). The advantages of using the DotNetNuke Content Management System are:

• DNN is Open Source, meaning you will not be charged annual CMS fees
• It is Internet based and so this essentially means that you can update the content of your website from any computer that is connected to the internet, without the need to install any software
• It allows you to manage the content of your website yourself and so saves you time and money
• It uses Microsoft Windows Technology and it’s interface is either form based (involves you filling in a simple form to upload content) or free text based, which is similar to Microsoft Word™
• We are very much involved within the DotNetNuke community through our Silver Sponsorship of the DotNetNuke CMS (http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Community/Sponsors/tabid/782/Default.aspx) and our modules and skins which we develop and sell to the DotNetNuke community.
   

Step 4: Application Development

In web development terminology, an application is a component of a website that does some specific functionality. For instance, a contact form application is a form application that enables a website user to contact the website owner. Applications can be ones which are common to all companies such as a contact form or an e-shop, but can also be company specific such as an online quotation system that automatically provides the user with the relative costs. We have and can handle both type of application development. Thus, the functionality aspect of your website can be tailor made to your specific needs.
 

Step 5: Styling and Content Uploading

The look of your site can make or break you. You have only seconds to make that first impression, and if it's not a good one, you've lost a potential customer. The website design has to be an extension of your business and has to reflect the corporate identity conveyed by your physical business. Attention to detail and good design sense can go a long way, and contrary to what someone may have told you, you do not need lots of bells and whistles to entertain your visitors. A simple yet functional, well designed site is generally the winning combination.

After the developers have completed and tested the applications, our User Interface (UI) personnel take over to apply the HTML and CSS to create the visual aspect of the remainder of the website as well as the applications. We pay special attention that this conforms to W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standards and that it is cross browser compatible since the User Interface is what will ultimately enable your site visitors to successfully interact with your website.

Also at this stage, we enter the content (text, images, videos and documents) supplied by yourselves into the website. The interesting aspect is that during this step you are given a temporary URL (Uniform Resource Locator), that is, a temporary website address which will enable you to view your website before it is available for anyone else to see.
 

Step 6: Testing

Individual application testing is carried out throughout the development of each application. The type of testing referred to in this step is testing of the website as a whole, that is, the testing of functionality which involves the interaction between the various applications so that the user is able to achieve his/her goal. At this stage, the user interface is also tested thoroughly. Some testing is generic testing, whilst other testing is client specific.
 

Step 7: Website Launch

Following your approval of the website, we can go live. Our service however does not simply involve pointing your website address towards the new site. We take the extra step of registering your website with all major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. We also create Search Engine Friendly XML (Extensible Markup Language) Sitemaps so as to facilitate your website indexing by Search Engines. These and other tweaks all help to ultimately make your website more findable by potential customers.
 

Step 8: Support and Online Marketing

After your website goes live, it is essential to keep it alive by updating its content and perhaps adding new functionalities. We offer a range of post launch services which include:

• Content Uploading: Adding new content to your website
• Upgrades and Enhancements: Adding new functionalities or enhancing existing ones
• Search Engine Marketing: Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click Services to promote your website in Search Engines. For more information, click here