1. The Discovery Phase

During the first phase, we determine the goals you want for your website. For example, an informational website, one that is meant to show off your work, or perhaps an ecommerce website, etc. This helps us understand what components to recommend for your website.

We’ll discuss the look and feel you want for your website...what you want to convey to every visitor the moment they visit the home page of your website. We’ll talk through your target audience and how best to position your goals for a strong impact. And finally, we’ll agree on a ‘go live’ date as we don’t want to promise something that we can’t deliver.

There are many things to consider, so the Discovery phase is where we share thoughts and brainstorm ideas to make sure your vision is meet.

Once completed, we draw-up a bid and proceed from there.

2. The Design Phase

During this phase, ICBits takes information gleaned during the Discovery phase to ‘design’ a project plan. Components here include:

• Website Design Options – We’ll draw inspiration from our meeting to present various website designs that would work well.
• The Project Schedule – This document contains a calendar with specific tasks assigned to you and ICBits. Once this is approved, we can get going!
• The Content Checklist – This is basically a sitemap that goes through the pages of your website and what verbiage and images we need. Note, if you hire ICBits to write your content, we will work together in order to make sure we get all the pertinent information to proceed.

3. The Gathering Phase

This is perhaps the most important and typically the longest phase as this is where all content is written and images are chosen. Since websites can have many components, we'll need to go through each detail. For example:

• A rotating image section might require not only images, but also captions and possibly buttons linking to other content.
• A portfolio, gallery, or even products might mean writing up descriptions for each image.

4. The Development Phase

This is where the actual website is created. We take all of the content submitted in phase three along with the graphics and start putting the website puzzle together.

We begin by taking the original design and match it to your company’s brand. Modifying the color scheme, adding your logo and changing other components that are specific to you. Each page is built with the verbiage provided along with any images which are typically cropped or resized to fit the site best.

Once development is complete, and the first round of testing is done, the website is published to a test server where you are able to go through everything in order to submit any changes you may have.

5. The Review Phase

Once the first draft of your website has been published, ICBits sends you a link where you are able to go through everything, making notes of any changes you might have. If changes are needed, you have two options:

1. ICBits can make all changes for you.
2. ICBits can train you on the site management tool. We recommend training here if possible as it strengthens retention when you make actual changes yourself. 

Once all the have been made, a final review is needed prior to the site being launched.

6. The Testing Phase

This is a very important phase as we go through your entire website to test everything. Not only do we make sure every link works properly, all forms are completed and submit properly, and any unique functionality is tested, we also spend time making sure there are no compatibility issues with your website in different web browsers and mobile devices.

7. GO LIVE!

THE MOST EXCITING PART!!!

When all changes have been made and testing is complete, we need one final thing from you . . . you approval!

Once received, your website is launched so that it is viewable to the public.

But it's not over yet. We also schedule time for training and know this...if your site is built with ICTools, all support is included at no extra charge.