The Exotic Development Process

Developing a website can sometimes be a complex undertaking, involving a great deal of communication between the client and web developer. In order to assist our customers in gaining a complete overview of Exotic’s website development process, we have broken it down into four distinct phases.

Phase I - Developing the Site Plan

The first step is to define and clarify the scope, goals and priorities of your project. During our initial consultation, we will work with you to answer fundamental questions which will help us to develop a blueprint for your website, such as:

• What kind of site do you need?
• How many pages will your site have?
• Do you have a domain name?
• Do you have a web host?
• Do you have a particular budget in mind?
• Do you have a deadline to meet?
• How will you provide the images and text for your site?
• Who is your target audience?
• What results do you expect from your site?

Once we have answered these questions and received your initial deposit, we will set out to develop your site plan. The site plan will include a basic site map (where and how the information on your site will be organized), specifications for the site’s functionality and preliminary visual studies and design concepts. We will submit the site plan for your review and feedback. When we have finalized the site plan and details of the project, we will then prepare a contract for the development of your site. The contract will specify the scope, cost and time frame of the project.

Phase II - Site Production and Development

Upon receipt of the signed contract and deposit, we will begin the production and implementation of your project. Based on the site plan and specifications developed during Phase I, we will develop the specific design elements and content for the site, write the HTML code, and develop the site’s “back-end” (including server-side programming, database development, etc.). At certain points during the development process, we will upload the site to our development server for your review and feedback.

Please Note: Certain phases of the production and development of your site will depend upon your providing the content specified in Phase I (usually text and images) by certain agreed-upon dates. Failure to meet these dates can result in delaying the finish date of the project.

Phase III - Site Implementation

Upon completion of the development process and receipt of your final payment, we will upload the site to your server and assist in arranging the domain transfer (activating your domain name). At this point, your site will be live.

Phase IV - Site Promotion and Maintenance

Once your site is live, we will finalize strategies for your site’s promotion and maintenance. Exotic provides a number of different plans for promoting your site (including search engine registration and online marketing, web traffic analysis and external link verification). In addition, we can also help develop a customized maintenance plan for your site, to insure that your site’s content remains up to date. Maintenance plans are available on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, and can be tailored to meet the particular needs of your site.