Effective web site design requires the collaboration between the client and the web design company. There are several key steps involved in building a successful web site:

1. Planning.  This phase usually requires about 2 to 3 hours of time and involves working with the client to determine such things as:

• Who is the intended audience?

• What type of site will be needed? How much and what kind of information will convince prospective clients to choose you instead of another local firm? What image do you wish to project -- that your firm is knowledgeable, experienced, compassionate, aggressive, committed?

• Which lawyer will provide the content for your website? Will you instead rely upon Hannah Web Design to provide the content?

• Where will your web site be hosted?

2. Design. The design phase involves the physical layout of your site -- typically called "the look and feel." This step usually requires 3 to 4 hours to complete and includes includes items such as:

   • Page layout

   • Logo design and placement

   • Development of a color scheme for the site

   • Deciding on a method for navigation

3. Search Engine Optimization. Hannah Web Design will research and investigate the optimal keywords for your website and will help you determine what content is required to make those keywords work effectively to produce high rankings in response to search engine requests. 

4. Development. In this phase, your site is created and published in a testing environment. Most sites involve between 10 and 15 hours to develop. Making sure all hyperlinks work is a critical part of this phase. While in the testing environment your team will be asked to review the site and suggest possible changes. 

5. Launch. During launch your site is published to the server at your chosen hosting company. The site is reviewed to ensure a complete transfer of information. During launch your site is also submitted to all of the popular search engines. Launching a site and reviewing the content normally requires 1 to 2 hours to complete.

6. Follow up. During this step we will help you to establish a maintenance schedule for your site. You may elect a monthly maintenance program for your web site. In a maintenance program, your web site will be updated on a monthly basis to maximize its credibility with search engines. You may include in your maintenance program updates -- publication of articles written by lawyers in your firm, for example, or changes in email addresses, telephone numbers, etc.