Web Vendor Recommendations

The following guidelines will help you ensure that the services you receive are thorough and professional, as well as meet standard expectations of the site development process.

The web development process should include a number of deliverables, which includes documentation to protect the client's interests, as well as to help guide the developing party. These deliverables should be provided at various phases of the development process (including prior to P.O. issuance). These deliverables help ensure that the interests of the client are protected.

The following is a list of standard deliverables organized by standard phases of the web development process.

Web Development Phases & Deliverables

Phase 1 - Discovery 

The developing party conducts preliminary investigative work to determine the scope of the web project based on the client's stated needs and objectives.

This should occur prior to the P.O. being issued, since it informs the scope of the project, and therefore must precede the estimate/contract.

• List of content requirements*
• List of functional requirements
• List of technical requirements
• Scope of work
• Project timeline
• Post launch plans: security/code maintenance plan (back end), content maintenance plan, hosting plan

*Requirements = What the site should "do"

Phase 2 - Analysis

• Content analysis
• Information architecture - structure of the information to be presented

Phase 3 - Design

• Visual mock-up

Phase 4 - Development

Phase 5 - Testing

• UAT (User approval testing) - The user tests the site and notes any discrepancies/bugs/errors, etc. for the developing party to fix.
• QC (quality assurance) - documentation

Phase 6 - Final Check 

Prior to signing off on site launch or to agree that testing is complete, the client should review the project's original requirements list to be sure all of the items have been met.