Process

HOW WE DO THINGS AROUND HERE

Building something new can be a bit of an adventure, but thanks to our experience we have a refined production process that enables us to deliver stores on time, and in budget. We also ensure that our clients are kept in the loop, every step of the way.

STRAIGHTFORWARD, SUCCESSFUL

Our process is straightforward, and more importantly, it works! We’ve successfully launched quite a number of websites to date (plus there’s plenty more in the pipeline). Please see below for a snapshot of how we work, however if you’d like further info, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

THE 10 STAGES

1. INITIAL CONSULTATION
The very first step involves you getting in touch, whether you give us a call, or request that we call you. Either way, we’ll speak with you and arrange a time to talk or even visit you to discuss in more detail about your business needs.

We’ll spend a little time getting to know you, your business, and your online retail requirements. Our free consultations don’t obligate you, and at the very least you’ll get a few ideas from us and a brew.

We’ll conduct a little research and put together a needs analysis based on what you sell, how you operate, your customer base, and where applicable, the functionality of your existing store.

  1. PROJECT PROPOSAL
    Based on your requirements, we’ll provide you with a proposal for a new online store, with a detailed outline of all suggested functionality as well as clear costing for every feature.

Once you’ve read through our proposed solution and let us know if you need more or less functionality, we’ll adjust the proposal if required and prepare an updated version for you.

Once the proposal is agreed, we’ll process the necessary project paperwork and ask you a few questions based on your design preferences so we can get cracking with your new store.

  1. PRODUCTION PLANNING
    The production management of your new store will be assigned from your Business Development Advisor to a Project Coordinator, who’ll schedule and oversee its development and will be your main point of contact here at Visualsoft until your store is launched.
  2. HOMEPAGE DESIGN
    Using the info you’ve given us, our Design team will put together a concept homepage for your new store – the way that the page looks and feels will set the tone for other pages so it’s important to get it right.
  3. REST OF SITE DESIGN
    Following the same procedure as outlined in the previous stage, we’ll design the remainder of your store’s pages – including product, department and content pages – based on the approved homepage design.
  4. BUILD & DEVELOPMENT
    Using the designs you’ve approved, our Web Development teams will begin to build your store – we call this the ‘site cut’ stage because it involves slicing up artwork and rebuilding it into a functioning store.
  5. TESTING & TRAINING
    When your store has been designed and built, our dedicated team of testers put it through its paces and check all aspects of usability, features and the full checkout process.
    Following thorough testing, and the resolve of any identified issues, we’ll invite you to take part in a session on how to use your new store’s admin system, delivered by one of our dedicated trainers.
  6. PRE-LIVE PREP
    If we haven’t already confirmed a launch date, we’ll schedule one in with you during this stage and ask you to ensure your store is populated with products and other info as required prior to going live.
  7. PROJECT/WEBSITE LAUNCH
    On the agreed launch date of your new store, we’ll begin the process of making it live which includes moving it to a live server, making payment options live, and enabling functionality that can only be setup on an active site.
  8. ONGOING SUPPORT
    Your dedicated Account Manager will be on hand to help with your queries and requests for new work, and you’ll also have access to our Online Support System and Knowledge Base so you can let us know when you need us and get lots of useful tips and guidance.