Probably the first decision you need to make in your Web Development Project is whether to use an 'Off the Shelf' package to build your website or to have it built to your own specification. Packages vary in capability and price and some are considerably better than others.
Website packages are easier to set up, cheaper (initially at least) and are often combined with hosting and support, if your needs are very simple and you don't have the budget for Bespoke Development, they may be right for you, but be prepared to do the Content Development and Optimisation yourself.
If your website takes off, you may find your package is not flexible enough to adapt to your growing needs, at which time you may want to convert to a more flexible and targeted solution.
If you decide an 'Off the Shelf' Package is not flexible enough for your needs, you will need to find a Website Development Company who have the capability to deliver a fully bespoke solution to meet your needs. You should also be aware that many Developers actually use 'Off the Shelf' Solutions, though this is not always immediately obvious.
To get the best out of your Development, you need to ensure there is a detailed specification in place before any development begins. A good Development Company does more than design the website and write the code, they will do a complete analysis of your business needs, your customers and your competitors. They build a prototype and conduct usability testing before and coding is done. During Development they use a detailed technical specification based on their analysis, prototyping and usability testing so the requirements are fully understood. Finally, before going live a proper code review is completed, security testing and load testing is done at this time also.
Naturally, this is how we work. (See How We Work for full details). We have developed this process following many years of refinement and we know that this is the best way to develop websites that work, and continue to work for our clients for many years.