You need help building your website...
Do you remember what websites were like when the Web first moved from concept to reality? Most sites were small and presented static information with little or no branding. They were hand coded in HTML and required technical skills to maintain.
Times have changed. Websites have become interactive applications that can help an organization deliver information, transact business, and promote its brand. Publishing platform and content management system (CMS) solutions have evolved to provide features to simplify page creation, content maintenance, and website administration.
- Content contributors can update and add content to the website, even the menus, over the Web, without knowledge of HTML, using a Microsoft Word-like editor.
- Workflow can route content changes to editors/approvers to accept, edit, or decline. Once accepted, content changes automatically appear on the website.
- Content can be entered once and reused on multiple pages. For example, a news release can appear on the Home Page and on appropriate department/practice area and topical pages. To quote Joe Rotella, “The Web is not a tree.” Richly connected pages where content is placed in context supports multiple user scenarios helping them accomplish their desired tasks without constantly going back to a primary navigation menu.
- Content can be separated from the visual presentation so you can make changes to the look in the future, as your brand evolves, without having to re-enter your content. The same content can be used to drive multiple variants of a website – PC browser based, mobile, and kiosk.
- Versioning allows website administrators to revert to earlier versions of the website.
- Administrative reports enable you to discover broken links, identify stale content or slow loading pages, and track content contributors and approvers’ usage.
- Analytics capture how many visitors have been to the website or specific pages, where they came from, how long they stayed, where they went next, and even what geographic area they’re from!
- A flexible architecture supports interactive forms and applications to provide self-service from calendar maintenance to event registration to ecommerce transactions. Integration with back office applications lets you offer your visitors unprecedented self-service.
The Web has moved from “just a set pages” to interactive applications. And just like applications, modern websites are built following a software development process. Delphia’s best practice development methodology, The 5 Ds, supports user centered design and is proven to develop world-class sites.
The 5 Ds: Delphia’s Best Practice Methodology for Website Design and Development:
- Define – Understand the needs and goals of your users and stakeholders, where your website is today, and what’s being done by your competitors or best-in-class sites to produce documented requirements.
- Design – Create the visual design, information architecture or navigation design, and software architecture of the website. Validate the design with users through usability testing.
- Document – Educate content contributors to create effective Web content by writing for the Web; train authors, approvers and administrators to use the publishing platform or content management system (CMS); document the look and feel of the website in a style guide.
- Develop – Code the website following W3C, accessibility, and software development guidelines. Test throughout development to ensure the components, pages, and the entire website are secure, performant, and error-free.
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Deliver – Move the website from development to production. Go-live with the new website.
- Project Management – Monitor and manage the project throughout its lifecycle to ensure it’s on time and on budget. Provide regular status reports.
- Web Governance – Help establish a governance model that ensures your Web presence stays on course with the desired goals.
- Marketing – Collaborate with you to develop and implement internal and external marketing plans that include search engine optimization strategies and social media tactics to promote the new website.
No matter what publishing platform or CMS is right for you, from WordPress to Microsoft SharePoint to SR2 from Refresh Software, our development process makes your website a reality.