Let’s get started.

Creating your website will be a joint effort between you and me. The more information you provide at the outset, the more smoothly the whole process will go.

Here’s how it works, in 10 easy steps:

1. Prep work. I’ll ask questions, give you a few things to think about, and send you off with a little homework.

2. Estimate. After discussing your homework, I’ll outline the scope of the project and create a cost estimate and timeline. A deposit of 50% gets the ball rolling.

3. Get an address. If you don’t already have one, we’ll register your website’s name (or URL) and set up it up on your hosting service. We also have hosting services to recommend.

4. Pack up your belongings. You gather all the content, including text, photographs, logos, illustrations, etc. Or, we’ll contract with freelancers to create that for you.

5. Review the blueprint. I’ll draw a wireframe of your site, which will show you what elements go where. It’ll also diagram the flow of pages. This is the stage to make sure everything is present and accounted for.

6. Design. Time to pick out paint chips and wallpaper. I’ll create up to three prototype looks for your site, and then further refine the one you choose. If your project requires more than three rounds of design work, that’ll be billed hourly.

7. Construction. I’ll build the site using WordPress and its big toolbox of plugins. (Learn more under Bells & Whistles and Why WordPress?)

8. Inspection. Open and close all the doors. Flip the switches. Everything working as planned?

9. Move in. Make the site live for everyone to see.

10. Put out the welcome mat. Notify Google, Yahoo, and all your search engine friends. Send invitations to everyone in your address book. And don’t forget to announce it on Facebook and Twitter.