The website design process, explained step by step

If you've never had a website built, the process can feel like a black box. Knowing the steps helps you prepare and makes the whole thing smoother. Here's how a good project typically flows.

The typical stages

• •Discover — understand your business, goals, and customers.
• •Plan — decide the pages, structure, and content needed.
• •Design — lay out the pages around how customers decide.
• •Build — turn the design into a fast, functional site.
• •Review — you check it and request changes.
• •Launch — go live, then monitor and improve.

Your part

The smoothest projects have the client's goals and content ready early. The rest is on the builder — and a good one keeps you informed without burying you in jargon.