Copyright Montana Grafix 2010. All rights reserved.
THE WEB Development Process
HOW It Works?
With the rapid growth and changing technology that the internet continues to experience, your website is no longer just another
marketing tool, but an integral part of today’s business, allowing for interactivity between you and your customer. It takes
thoughtful planning and implementation for a site to reach its full potential.
At Montana Grafix, we work with you to help you make informed decisions while developing your site. From the beginning
stages of organization through the ongoing process of maintenance and marketing, the information we provide along with our
personalized service will guide you through the development process.
As a website development company, our focus is somewhat different than that of a design company. We believe the quality of a
website is not only about “how it looks,” but more importantly about how well it delivers your message or product to its intended
audience. From the initial concept to the finished site, our development team works with you to find the right combination of
elements to fulfill your online needs.
Questions? Everyone has them! Feel free to send us an email or give us a call at (406) 357-2394. Let our friendly staff help
you find the online solution that works best for you and your business.
Initial consultations and site analyses are free!
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Website Organization
The first step in website development is planning and organizing the site. From choosing the domain name and hosting
company to arranging the topics and content, good planning is the basis of successful site development.
Domain name
The ‘www’ name of a website (also known as the URL or website address). A domain name is a site’s unique internet identity.
It should be representative of the business, service or product it represents.
Website hosting
Website hosting is a service in which a website is stored on a server - a computer running specialized software that is
specifically designed for websites. Consideration of site content and functionality should be given when choosing a hosting
company, as all companies do not offer the same levels of service. We can help you in choosing a hosting company.
Website Purpose
Why do you need a website? Defining the purpose of your website, as well as your target audience, is a good starting point for
your site’s development. Knowing in advance what your website will communicate and what information will be displayed will
help you keep the site clear, concise, and to the point.
Website Structure
Website structure is one of the most critical areas of website development. Clear, consistent navigation in combination with
creative design and the productive use of website functionality are key to the success of your website.
Complete pricing is available on our Pricing page.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Website Functionality
Website functionality refers to the way your website functions on the backend - how the site content (text, pictures, products) is
stored and managed. Determining the functionality of the site is the first step in the development of the site structure.
Following are some of the standard dynamic programs available:
Content Management System
Organizes and displays site content using a category/sub-category system.
Shopping Cart/Catalog
Organizes and displays products for sale using a category/sub-category system.
Calendar
Displays current and upcoming events in a list or table format.
Photo Gallery
Organizes and displays photos and descriptions using a category/sub-category system.
News Server
Provides the site owner with the ability to add news or other information to their site in a dated format, displaying it both on the
page.
Ad Server
Displays advertising on a website on a rotational basis. Ads are usually incorporated into the header or sidebar.
Blog
Provides a forum for site owners to post a topic to which visitors can respond.
E-mail/Newsletter Program
Collects and stores e-mail information provided by the site visitors to be used at a later date for e-mail marketing, newsletters,
notifications, etc.
Member login
Provides the ability to limit access to certain areas of a website to members only.
Guestbook
Allows site visitors to leave messages for others to view.
Discussion Forum
Provides visitors with a forum to discuss pertinent topics.
Complete pricing is available on our Pricing page.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Website Design
Website design is the creation of the ‘look and feel’ of your website - the consistent elements that remain the same throughout
the site. Many elements come into play - color schemes, fonts, graphics, photos, animations, and flash implementations, to
name a few. Simply put, it is how you would like your website to look.
Site Design
Once the organization of your site is complete and the functionality has been determined, the site design is developed. This
includes your header, navigation, and any other graphic elements that are required within the sidebars. Each client's design is
created specifically with your website needs in mind.
Our value design includes your choice of header design from our pre-built design portfolio, plus your logo, text links, and single
color background.
Our basic design includes your logo, customized header, text links, and single color background.
Our standard design includes your logo, customized header and navigation area, and/or graphic background.
Our premium design includes customized full page design, image rollovers, flyout menus, sidebar graphics or graphic
animations.
Other Design Elements
Logo design
The creation of the signature mark of your business.
Graphic Design
The creation of customized graphics to be used within your site.
Flash design
The creation of digital media - movement, animations, movies, etc - for the web. Can be used for complete site design, or for
individual headers, ads, and other site elements requiring movement or animation.
Button/Banner design
The creation of online ads to be used in your marketing campaign. The size and placement of the ad determines whether it is
a button or banner.
Flash Button/Banner design
The creation of animated online ads to be used in your marketing campaign. The size and placement of the ad determines
whether it is a button or banner.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Website Content
When your site design and functionality are complete and working, the content of the site is added. Depending on the type of
site being developed, this can be done by our team at Montana Grafix, or by you, the site owner. The use of a dynamic program
will allow you to manage your site content.
Site content is one of the main communication tools of your site. It represents you and your company. It is important to be
certain that your site's content is grammatically correct as well as correctly spelled. If this is not your area of expertise, our copy
writers are available to help you with this process.
In addition to enhancing the quality of your website's appearance, copy writers can play a critical role in increasing you search
engine rankings. The content of your site, in particularly your homepage, is used by most search engines to determine your
site's ranking. Using a copy writer that is trained to write with this in mind, can make your site much more search engine
friendly, and therefore more profitable.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Website Maintenance
Building a website is not a one-time project, but an ongoing process. Long-term management must be considered when
planning and budgeting for your site. Without this perspective your site will suffer the same fate as many - a site with static
content that becomes quickly outdated and useful to no one.
Design maintenance
Changes to the design or layout of your website, for example, changing the logo, color scheme, fonts, etc.
Dynamic maintenance
Updating of the software, programming and/or database that runs the website. From time to time these systems require
updating to keep them current with technology.
Content management
Addition, deletion or changes to the content (text, pictures, etc.) of your website.
All maintenance is made on an as needed basis - maintenance plans are available. Hourly charges are pro-rated if updates
require less than an hour - otherwise - our hourly charge is $60.
Complete pricing is available on our Pricing page.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.