Process / 6 steps
How a website project runs, from first message to launch
My website development process has six steps, from your first message, which gets a same day reply, to launch and handover. A presentation site is ready in 3 to 7 days, larger projects in 7 to 20 days. For each step below you will see how long it takes, what I do, what I need from you and what you have at the end of it. Everything happens remotely unless you prefer to meet.
Six steps at a glance
- 01
Brief and estimate
same day, for messages sent before 5 pm CET on weekdays
- 02
Specification and quote
1 to 2 days, together with the sketch
- 03
Design and sketch
within the same 1 to 2 days, plus as many revisions as needed
- 04
Build
3 to 7 days for a presentation site, 7 to 20 for larger ones
- 05
Testing on phones
throughout the build, after every change
- 06
Launch and handover
within the same timeline
Step by step
01
Brief and estimate
- Duration
- same day, for messages sent before 5 pm CET on weekdays
- What I do
- I read your brief and reply with a rough price, a timeline and the questions that reveal the real scope.
- What I need from you
- A few sentences: what your company does, what needs building and by when. A link to a site you like helps.
- What you get
- A rough price and timeline, with no commitment.
02
Specification and quote
- Duration
- 1 to 2 days, together with the sketch
- What I do
- I list the pages or screens, the data and who may see what. For applications and integrations this is a detailed specification.
- What I need from you
- Confirmation that the list is right, and an up front payment for the domain and hosting only.
- What you get
- An exact price, a timeline and a list of what the job includes.
03
Design and sketch
- Duration
- within the same 1 to 2 days, plus as many revisions as needed
- What I do
- I draw a sketch from your idea, or propose my own if you do not have one. If you have no logo, I design it.
- What I need from you
- Feedback on the sketch until it matches what you had in mind.
- What you get
- An approved look for the site before the build starts.
04
Build
- Duration
- 3 to 7 days for a presentation site, 7 to 20 for larger ones
- What I do
- I build for the phone first, write the copy around what your customers search for, and take photos on site if you have none.
- What I need from you
- Whatever material you have (photos, data, prices) and answers to my questions. The sooner they arrive, the sooner it is done.
- What you get
- A working version you can check on your own phone every day.
05
Testing on phones
- Duration
- throughout the build, after every change
- What I do
- I test the site on several phones and browsers, Android and iOS, and measure speed on each.
- What I need from you
- A look on your own phone, and feedback if something is off.
- What you get
- A site checked on several devices before customers see it.
06
Launch and handover
- Duration
- within the same timeline
- What I do
- I put the site on the hosting and your domain and check that everything works at the real address.
- What I need from you
- The rest of the price, after launch, as agreed and in installments if you like.
- What you get
- The site at your address, access on request and the first year of maintenance free.
Website development process for sites, apps and integrations
The steps are the same, but how long the specification takes and what gets tested differ. How this played out on real jobs is on the projects page.
| Website | Online store | Application | SEF or e-delivery notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before the build | a sketch | a sketch and a category list | a detailed spec of screens and roles | a spec of the messages between your software and the government |
| Timeline | 3 to 7 days | around 20 days | 7 to 20 days | 20 days or more |
| Tested specifically | the look on phones | card payments and orders | every role and report | the full flow on the Ministry of Finance demo environment |
An application is built step by step, and after each step you check that it works the way you had in mind. With an integration, the timeline depends mostly on how quickly documentation about your software arrives.
Who owns what
The site and the domain are yours. I provide the hosting, around 30 EUR a year at most, and the domain is paid at the registrar's price.
| What | Whose it is | How you get access |
|---|---|---|
| Site and content | yours | always, the site runs at your address |
| Domain | yours | on request, or when you take over maintenance |
| Hosting | provided by me, paid by you | on request |
| Source code | yours | on request, as a separate archive |
| Search Console and analytics | yours | on request, and always if you stop maintenance |
If access does not matter to you, everything stays with me and I maintain the site. If you stop maintenance, you take over the hosting, domain, Search Console and analytics, and everything is in your hands.
What if the scope changes
Sometimes, halfway through a build, you think of something that was not in the agreement: a new page, another language, a form for a special kind of enquiry. I look at each request first and tell you what it means for the job.
If the change fits what we agreed, I do it at no extra cost. If it is completely outside the agreement, there may be a small surcharge, and then it gets done. The deadline usually stays the same; it only moves with larger changes, and I tell you before I start.
How we agree on things
Mostly by email and messages. With clients outside southwest Serbia I work remotely, and Serbia is on Central European Time, the same clock as Berlin and Vienna. Companies that want a contract get one. Messages sent before 5 pm CET on weekdays get a same day reply; I do not work weekends, so a same day reply then is not guaranteed.
What happens after launch
The first year of maintenance is free: text, price and image changes, updates, backups and uptime monitoring. Every month I check Search Console, and if I see a search the site could rank better for, I suggest a new page and wait for your approval. I remind you 45 days before the domain and hosting expire. After the first year, maintenance is 10 EUR a month, or you take everything over yourself.
Process questions
How long does a website take?
A presentation site takes 3 to 7 days, a larger site or application 7 to 20 days, and very complex systems longer. That includes the specification, sketch, testing and launch.
Do I need finished copy?
No. If you have none, I write it around what your customers search for on Google. Anything you have helps, but it is not a condition for starting.
What if the material arrives late?
The timeline also depends on how quickly material arrives. The sooner photos and data come in, the sooner the site is done; whatever is missing I can create myself.
What if I do not like the sketch?
We change it until it matches what you had in mind. That is why the sketch comes before the build: changing a sketch is quick, changing a finished site is slow.
Do we sign a contract?
Usually we agree by email and messages, and we sign a contract when your company asks for one.
What does it cost, and when do I pay?
All prices are on the pricing page: a presentation site from 100 EUR, a store 350 to 400 EUR, an application from 300 EUR. You pay in two parts: domain and hosting up front, the rest after launch, in installments if you like.
Send your first message
Tell me what your company does, what you need and by when. Messages sent before 5 pm CET on weekdays get a same day reply with a rough price, timeline and questions.