Getting started - Website Development Projects

Ordering a website development project can be a complex process, but we have a system to make things run smoothly.

Things that you should have prepared to ensure a successful project

Tip: print this list out, or save it, to use as a preparation checklist.

Project requirements

You should have a clear idea of what you want your website to accomplish and what features you require. Some common website purposes include:

To inform, for sales purposes
Education
eCommerce (digital goods, services, physical goods, payment and booking gateways)
Podcast or streaming
For fun
and so on

Create a list of must-have features and nice-to-have features, and prioritize them based on importance. Some ideas for features include:

Scheduling/booking tools
Contact forms
Blog
Videos/audio
Pop-ups
Subscription enewsletter forms
Member areas
External links (BBB listings, etc.)
Social media links
Software or apps that need to be connected to your website
and more

Budget

Determine how much you are willing to spend on the project. Your budget will impact the type of developer you can hire and the level of functionality and design you can afford.

Most of Kuva Media's website development projects start at $3,650 for a basic landing page, and multi-page websites start at $5,600-$7,600+, depending on features, platform, and other factors.

Kuva Media also offers discounts to registered nonprofits.

Timeline

Determine when you need the project completed. This will help you set expectations with the developer and ensure that you have enough time to review and approve the work.

Tip: If you need a landing page for an event, it's suggested to order your custom landing page and any design and graphics, at least six months before you need to start advertising or marketing your event.

Many (but not all) in-person, large/high-ticket virtual, and hybrid events should start advertising six to nine months before the event, to ensure attendees have time to plan for travel and reserve the time and dates.

Date of event > starting advertising 6-9 months before date of event > order custom landing pages and graphics at least 4 months before advertising starts

Content

Prepare any text, images, videos, or other media that you want to include on your website. This will help the developer design and build the website with your content in mind.

Kuva Media includes copywriting and design assets in all web development projects, but the team will need to know at least general content topics, and copies of any design assets you have, to work from.

If you have an existing website, Kuva Media can reference your content in your new design, although we still create custom copy and design.

Gather the following content and assets, if available:

High-quality versions of your logo, logoseal, logomark, etc. - SVG and PNG file formats are preferred, but we can work with JPG and PDF as well
Photos - can include photos of your team, events, products, services, completed projects, portfolio peices, and more
Any exsiting sales or marketing content - Brochures, existing sales copy and print or digital marketing materials, magazine features, etc.
Any links to any online features of you and/or your brand - blog articles, news features, podcasts, and more
Videos or audio recordings
Licensing information and required disclosures - if the topic or service of your website requires display of specific license numbers, statute-mandated disclosures, language, and/or typography styles/sizes, or other regulated requirements, you must provide them

Kuva Media is not responsible for any regulatory actions, legal action, liability, or non-compliance of any website, or deliverable.
Any other visual or written assets you'd like to include

Branding and design preferences

Provide any branding guidelines or design and typography preferences that you have. This can include color schemes, font choices, and examples of other websites that you like.

If you have a brand guide, it will speed up your web design and development timeline.

If not, the Kuva Media team will select visual assets, colors, and typography to match your brand for you.

Tip: as you browse the internet or social media, screenshot or save designs and webpages you like, and save them in a Google Drive or Dropfox folder for easy sharing with the Kuva Media team

Hosting and domain

Determine where you want your website to be hosted and whether you already have a domain name. If not, you will need to purchase one.

There are hundreds of hosting and registar options available, depending on:

Your level of tech knowledge
Your preferred domain extension (.com, .io, .edu, .uk, .ca, and so on) and name
The type of website design (example: drag-and-drop design interface, vs. custom code)

With no preference, or recommendation, some of the most common registrars are:

GoDaddy
Wix
Squarespace
Hostzinger
and more

Some common website hosting solutions are:

Wix
Netifly
WordPress
Squarespace
WooCommerce
Showit
Zyro

Communication plan

Decide how you want to communicate with the developer throughout the project. This can include email, phone calls, or video chats. The default method is through your Kuva Media client portal and email. Make sure that both you and the developer are clear on the communication plan and that you are both available during agreed-upon times.

By having these things prepared before contacting a web developer to explore or order a project, you will help ensure that your website development project is successful and meets your needs!

With these tips, you'll be prepared to get started on your next website design and development project with Kuva Media!