Wireframe to web: Granite 5’s website build pathway
Building a website involves a systematic and meticulous process to ensure functionality, aesthetics, and performance.
Here’s a detailed look at how we bring your website to life.
Creating a development environment
The first step in our process is to create a dedicated development environment on our server. This environment serves as a workspace where we set up and configure the website files and database. It allows us to work on the website without affecting any live sites and provides a safe space to make changes, test features, and ensure everything works perfectly before going live.
Installing WordPress
Once the development environment is ready, we install the latest version of WordPress. WordPress is a powerful and flexible content management system (CMS) that forms the backbone of your website. It provides a robust platform for building, managing, and scaling your site.
Installing essential plugins
To enhance the functionality of your website, we install several essential plugins:
- Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
ACF is a versatile plugin that allows us to create custom fields and manage custom content types. This plugin gives you, the website admin, the ability to easily add and manage content on your site, ensuring that you can keep your site up-to-date with minimal effort. - Yoast / Rank Math
Both Yoast and Rank Math are top-tier SEO plugins that help optimise your website for search engines. These plugins provide tools to improve your site’s search engine rankings, such as keyword optimisation, readability analysis, and technical SEO features. - Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms is a powerful form builder plugin used to create various forms, from simple contact forms to complex registration forms. This plugin makes it easy to gather and manage information from your site visitors, enhancing user interaction and engagement.
Installing the base theme
At the start of each project, we install our custom base theme to the WordPress installation. Our base theme includes essential components that every site needs, such as:
- Primary menu
A navigational menu that helps users find their way around your site. - Mobile menu
A responsive menu that ensures your site is accessible and user-friendly on mobile devices. - Social network icons
Icons that link to your social media profiles, encouraging users to connect with you on various platforms. - Contact information
Easily accessible contact details to facilitate communication with your visitors.
Design and customisation
Once the design has been signed off, work begins on applying the design to the base theme.
Our designers work meticulously to ensure that the design is not only visually appealing but also functional and user-friendly. Using code, we customise the base theme to reflect your brand’s identity and meet your specific requirements, creating a unique and engaging experience for your users.igned off, work begins on applying the design to the base theme.
Content
With all the content fields in place, content can now be applied. This includes text, images, videos, and any other media that is part of your website. Ensuring that content is well-organised and properly formatted is crucial for delivering a clear and engaging message to your audience.
SEO (search engine optimisation)
Optimising your website for search engines is a critical part of our development process. Effective SEO ensures that your website ranks well in search engine results, driving organic traffic and increasing visibility. Here’s how we approach SEO:
- Keyword research
We identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords for your industry. This research helps us understand what your target audience is searching for and allows us to strategically place these keywords throughout your website content. - On-page SEO
Using Yoast or Rank Math, we optimise individual pages for specific keywords. This includes:- Title tags: Crafting compelling and keyword-rich titles.
- Meta descriptions: Writing engaging meta descriptions that include target keywords.
- Headings (H1, H2, H3): Structuring content with appropriate headings to improve readability and SEO.
- Alt text for images: Adding descriptive alt text to images to enhance SEO and accessibility.
- Internal linking: Creating a logical internal link structure to help users and search engines navigate your site.
- Technical SEO
We ensure that your website meets all technical SEO best practices, including:- Mobile optimisation: Ensuring your site is responsive and performs well on all devices.
- Site speed: Optimising site speed for better user experience and SEO rankings.
- Sitemap: Creating and submitting a sitemap to search engines for better indexing.
- Robots.txt: Configuring the robots.txt file to guide search engines on which pages to crawl and index.
Go live
After thorough testing and client approval, we prepare to launch your website. The go-live process includes:
- Final testing
We conduct a final round of testing to ensure that all features are working correctly and that there are no last-minute issues. This includes cross-browser testing, mobile responsiveness checks, and performance testing to ensure your site is ready for public access. - Backup and migration
We migrate the site from the development environment to the live server. This involves transferring all files, databases, and configurations to the live hosting environment. - DNS configuration
We update the Domain Name System (DNS) settings to point your domain name to the new server (if required). This step is crucial for making your website accessible to users worldwide. - Post-launch monitoring
After the site is live, we closely monitor its performance to ensure everything runs smoothly. We address any issues that may arise and make necessary adjustments to optimise performance and user experience.
Conclusion
Building your website is a collaborative and detailed process. From setting up a development environment to installing essential plugins and customising the design, every step is carefully executed to ensure the final product meets your expectations and serves your needs effectively. By following this structured approach, we deliver a website that is not only beautiful and functional but also optimised for performance and ready to grow with your business.
By Ricky Clarke
Senior Developer
