The Innermedia Process

Once we have your project questionnaire and Google Analytics access we start the sitemap process, this is managed by Sophie. The first stage is analysing the last 12 months of analytics data for your current website so we can see how each page is currently performing.

We then spend time on the keyword research to ensure we are using the highest value and most relevant keywords for your website navigation and take a look at your competitors websites.

Using the analytics data, SEO best practices & user experience knowledge Sophie and her team will provide you with their recommended sitemap and run through this with you on a call where any questions can be answered and amends can be made.

This will be in the form of a tree diagram and will give you a breakdown of all the pages for your new site and their hierarchy.

This may result in a sitemap with more pages than included in your project so we’ll give you a quote for any additional pages or we can launch with a list of essential pages and add the remaining as a phase 2 or you can add them yourself once you’ve had your training.

You can make as many changes to the sitemap as you like and then once you’re happy with it and signed if off we move onto the design stage.

The approved sitemap will be marked up with existing pages and new pages – it’s at this stage you can start writing any new content and review the existing.

The production team will supply you with a link to a Google Drive folder structure where each folder replicates the pages on the approved sitemap. You will also receive a supporting content spreadsheet to mark off what you’ve written or add URLs to pages you want us to move across as-is.

We need you to put the content for each page in its own Word Document / Google Sheet and upload it to its corresponding folder on the Google Drive.

Alongside text content, you can add relevant PDFs and banner images to each folder too.

99.9% of all website projects slow down dramatically when it comes to the content, so our advice is to start collating it as soon as possible because we will need it all once the site is built.

The home page is designed first, the look and feel are based on the answers in your questionnaire and what we feel is right for your school after ascertaining your requirements throughout the pitch and kick-off meetings. The design will be presented to you in the form of a static link so there will be little or no interactivity.

Just like the sitemap you will be asked to provide comments and amends on the design and we will make as many changes as required to get the perfect design for you. Each progressive version of the website design will have its own link so you will have the ability to refer back to previous versions if need be.

We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the design so if you don’t like the first design we’ll be happy to start again and try a different approach.

Once the home page design is signed off we move onto the inner page design.

The inner page design is based on the signed off home page, we’ll show you an “all encompassing” design that will have all the elements that you will be able to add or remove from the site once it’s built using the content management system.

The inner page design will be presented in the same way as the home page and again you can make as many amends on the design as you like.

If, while working on the inner page, you wish to go back to the home page design then all design work will stop on the inner page until the home page is signed off again, we don’t work on the home and inner page at the same time.

You may have additional page designs including in your project like case studies, portal pages or curriculum page, once the inner page is signed off we’ll move onto these and the process is the same as the home and inner.

Now all the desktop templates are signed off we’ll show you the design for the desktop menu and how the home page will look on a mobile device.

Once all the designs are signed off they are “locked down” and we start the build at the next available slot. If we have to go back to the design or change any design features on the site once the site has been built there may be additional costs. This is the reason we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on design.

The build usually takes about 10- 12 working days from the build start date. When the site is built we will add the content and complete our internal checks to make sure all the CMS elements are working as they should.

Adding the content and the internal checks can take an additional 10-15 days depending on the amount of pages and how the content is supplied (transferring existing content can take considerably longer than adding new)

Once the staging site is ready we will send you the link and instructions on snagging.

When the site is built and all content has been added, our production team, account management and senior management teams carry out extensive checks on the site to ensure the following:

• The website matches the design
• Forms are properly built and configured
• Transitions are added where necessary
• Content is formatted properly
• All internal / external links are working
• Banner images are properly assigned and cropped

When these checks have been finished, we can share the site with you to begin collating your first snag list.

Now you have the site link we ask you to go through it page by page and fill out the supplied snag list spreadsheet, we’ll give you instructions on how to fill it in.

The list can be as long as you like but we only want you to submit one list, so we suggest that once you’ve added your comments you send it around to anyone in your team and collate their comments.

Only when we have your complete list will we book the work into the next available development slot. If, once you have collated your list, you need to speak to one of the team to go through them we’ll arrange a meeting to do so.

The length of time it takes us to complete the list depends on the length of the list and how concise your comments are.

When the first list is complete we’ll arrange your training on how to use the CMS, We’ll show everything you need to know so you can manage the content yourself, after which we’ll give you access to the site so you can go in and make any necessary changes, add pages, fix typos etc.

After using the CMS you may find there are a few tricky amends you would like us to make for you or the usability on certain pages isn’t quite as you expected and you need us to amend, or there may be a few more snags that you hadn’t noticed when preparing you first list. At this point you can submit your second list, this follows the same principle as the first list (as long as you like but only one list).

All the snags are now complete, if your news needs importing from the old site then we’ll do it at this point – we will only import the last year form your old site unless agreed otherwise. We’ll carry out our final checks and send the new DNS details to you or your IT dept so they can make the switch.

The DNS switch can take anywhere from 2-24hrs so we try not to make sites live on a Friday in case we need to be on hand if anything goes awry.

Once the site is live we’ll check it again to make sure everything is working as it should and test all the forms to make sure the entries are being received at your end.

If at any point, once the site is live, you have any questions or need more training just contact your account manager who’ll be happy to help.