Regardless of which online store you have chosen for yourself, keep in mind that this is a complex process and requires investment of time, effort and money.
The list of the main stages of website development gives a general idea of the volume of work performed on the project:
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1. Setting the goals and objectives of the site.
You should start by defining your target audience and analyzing your competitors. You should know who the site will be aimed at, who your potential client is, what will be useful to him and what his needs are.
Study your competitors what solutions they are using. Identify the advantages and disadvantages, then use it for your own purposes. Highlight the feature that will set you apart from the competition.
Only after that, determine the purpose of your site: to sell, present a product or service, tell about the company, attract customers / partners, etc. One site can be suitable for several purposes, so at the initial stage it is very important to determine what result you want, and only then proceed to the next stage.
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2. Terms of reference.
At this stage, the main requirements of the project are prescribed, each aspect of the work.
It includes detailed characteristics of the resource:
- design (color scheme, corporate identity);
- site structure, number of pages, blocks, categories, etc .;
- site functionality
- technical requirements for the resource.
The participation of the customer in the preparation of the technical task is necessary. It is negotiated and edited until the client agrees and signs the document.
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3. Prototyping.
In order to better understand how the site will look like, a prototype is created with detailed layout of elements and navigation. Everything should be located in such a way that the user can easily find the information he needs.
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4. Creation of a site design layout.
Site design is what the visitor sees first, evaluates it and decides to stay here or close the browser. The designer is based on the terms of reference, selects the color, font, draws buttons, banners, animation and other graphic elements. Uses the corporate identity of the company or, if necessary, develops it additionally. The design is being finalized until it is approved.
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5. Layout.
After the customer approves the layout, the designer sends it to the responsive layout. The layout designer uses HTML to translate the design into a working layout, i.e. adapts all images, buttons to any browser and device (tablet, smartphone, PC) - the resource becomes dynamic. Then everything is connected to the control system. With its help, categories, project subcategories are created, menu tabs, hyperlinks, content that will be placed on the page are determined.
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6. Programming.
The programmer joins the work if a large and complex project is being developed. His task is the development of complex functions such as a calculator, a payment system using bank cards, a currency converter, protection of customer data, and more.
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7. Filling the site.
The filling stage involves the translation of graphic and informational content into the required format. The pages contain videos, photos, texts and other information for the site visitor, which must be constantly updated in order to interest customers.
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8. Testing and debugging the site.
Final testing is essential. The work is done by a tester, who identifies errors according to a number of criteria. As a rule, the site is placed on a special site for testing. After all errors are eliminated, the project is transferred to its permanent place on the Internet - hosting. After that, it is tested again.
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9. Technical support.
Upon completion of the work, the finished project is transferred to the customer along with logins and passwords to the control system, and the specialist also teaches how to work with the administration panel and statistics collection services. After that, the owner can independently post new products, publish content, create pages and collect metrics data. If you have any questions, the site developer is always ready to help you figure it out. Also, the client can order the service of promotion and support of the project, paying additional cost.
Conclusion.
SEO can be added to the main stages at the development stage, which will help the site get to the top faster and keep its position steadily.
As you can see, website creation is a rather complex volumetric work that requires a lot of effort and time. The quality of the entire resource, the ratio of the desired to the real, depends on each stage, which determines the client's impression not only of the company that owns the site, but also of the web studio that created the entire project.