The Fourth Step – Site Production
After the web site’s structure and appearance have been defined and approved, then the full-scale production begins.
The HTML designers begin coding the pages and hardwiring the navigation links. Photographic images for the site are acquired, converted to digital format if needed, and then optimized for display speed and image quality in web pages. Text is gathered, proofread, and inserted into the site framework where appropriate. The final web site graphics, navigational elements, and design elements are created, optimized for Internet delivery, and inserted into the HTML code. Any required CGI programming, database programming, Java programming, or animation programming is also being integrated into the web site production. As the site begins to take shape, it is subjected to testing in various browsers at various resolutions to ensure maximum compatibility. This testing will continue throughout the entire development process. As the site nears completion, development slows and testing accelerates.
Changes made to previously approved web site design, structure, content, and appearance during the final production stage of a web site can be both time-consuming and expensive. Many pages may need to be changed and proofed, previously tested code may need to be re-tested or re-written, graphics may need to be re-rendered and re-optimized, and CGI routines may need to be changed and re-tested. A well-planned and fully-approved web site blueprint from the web site design process will help to avoid such problems.
After the site’s production is complete, it is uploaded to the hosting server and tested one more time to make certain everything is as it should be.