Strategy reduces rework
Before layout, the audience, offer, primary action and measures of success need to be clear. This stage may feel less tangible than design, but it prevents a project from being executed correctly in the wrong direction.
Content is part of the product
Headlines, service structure, case studies, images and answers determine page architecture. When they arrive late, the design is built on assumptions and must be revised. A mature proposal states who writes, who approves and how content is delivered.
Design and development are not the same work
Design defines hierarchy, flows, components, states and responsive behaviour. Development turns those rules into a working system. Cost rises when every page is an exception, reusable components are missing or functionality was not discussed before implementation.
- Information architecture and important journeys.
- Design for desktop, tablet and phone.
- Components, error states and interactions.
- CMS or content administration.
- Forms, emails and external integrations.
- Accessibility, performance and technical SEO.
- Testing, domain configuration and launch.
Cost continues after launch
Hosting, the domain and external services are the obvious part. The more important cost is how easily you can change content, add a page, replace a supplier or fix a problem. A cheaper initial project can become expensive if every update needs reconstruction.
You are not buying only a set of pages. You are buying a communication system the business needs to use and change.
Questions before approving a proposal
- What problem and outcome are included?
- Who prepares and enters the content?
- What happens on tablet, phone and in error states?
- What can you change yourself after launch?
- Who owns the code, design, domain and accounts?
- How is the result verified and what support is included?
- Which services will have recurring costs?