Creating a professional website can feel overwhelming for many small business owners, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the process. At Visual Intent, we believe in transparency and collaboration. That’s why we’ve broken down the web design journey – from wireframe to launch – so you know exactly what to expect.
Table of Contents
Why understanding the Web Design process matters
Your website is often your first impression. A clear process ensures your goals are met, timelines are realistic and the final product supports your brand and business objectives. Whether you’re launching a brand-new site or redesigning an existing one, understanding each step puts you in control.
Discovery & Strategy
What We Do:
We begin with a deep dive into your business goals, audience, competitors and desired outcomes. This helps us tailor a digital strategy that aligns with your unique value proposition.
What You’ll Provide:
- Business goals and objectives
- Target audience insights
- Example websites you like (and why)
- Branding assets (logos, style guide, images)
SEO Tip:
At this stage, we also research relevant keywords and integrate them into your content plan to lay a strong SEO foundation.
Sitemap Planning
What We Do:
We map out your website structure – what pages are needed, how they relate to each other, and how users will navigate them. This improves usability and SEO and provides you with a clear visual representation of the pages to be included and their hierarchy.
Example pages would typically include: Home, About Us, Services, News/Blog and Contact.
SEO Tip:
A well-organised sitemap helps search engines crawl and index your site efficiently.
Wireframing
What We Do:
Wireframes are like the blueprint of your website. They’re simple, black-and-white layouts that show where content and functionality will live, without any design distractions. They are intended to show you a quick overview of where various on-page elements will be located.
Why It Matters:
- Clarifies layout before design begins
- Helps you visualise the user journey
- Saves time and revisions later
Visual Design
What We Do:
Now the fun begins. We apply your branding – colours, typography, imagery and videos – to the wireframe. The goal is a cohesive and visually engaging design that reflects your brand.
Your Role:
You’ll review and provide feedback. We make revisions until you’re thrilled with the final look.
SEO Tip:
Good design includes fast load times, mobile responsiveness and accessibility – all crucial ranking factors.
Website Development
What We Do:
Our developers bring your design to life using modern, clean code. We focus on:
- Speed optimisation
- Mobile responsiveness
- SEO best practices
- Cross-browser compatibility
We use platforms like WordPress or custom solutions based on your needs.
Content Upload & On-Page SEO
What We Do:
We populate your website with content, making sure every page is optimised:
- Meta titles & descriptions
- Header tags (H1, H2, etc.)
- Image alt tags
- Internal linking
If you don’t have content ready or would like a revision, our suggestion would be to use a copywriter or ChatGPT, as long as a human also oversees this copy. Using a copywriter can help create SEO-driven copy tailored to your business.
Testing & QA
What We Do:
Before launch, we thoroughly test every element:
- Contact forms
- Navigation
- Mobile responsiveness
- Page speed
- SEO tools and analytics setup
We make sure everything works flawlessly, so you can launch with confidence.
Launch & Beyond
What We Do:
Once approved, we move your site live, handling:
- Domain and hosting connection
- Final checks
- Google indexing submission
But we don’t stop there. We offer ongoing support, updates and SEO services to help your site grow with your business. These options generally are in the form of a fixed monthly package – which can also be flexible to your needs.
Conclusion
Ready to Build Your Dream Website? At Visual Intent, we guide small businesses through every step of the web design process – without the jargon. From wireframe to launch, we make it simple, strategic and stress-free.
Get in touch with us today to get an obligation-free quote and discovery.