Website Design and Development

by Elevated

What if your website wasn’t just pleasant to look at and easy to navigate, but also converted traffic into revenue? That’s what we do at Elevated! We build beautiful, streamlined functional websites that have a strong foundation for marketing. Be the company with the website your competitors wish they had!

Let’s Strategize

By completing this form, you acknowledge and agree that Elevated may contact you at the information above.

Let’s Strategize

By completing this form, you acknowledge and agree that Elevated may contact you at the information above.

WHAT WE DO

Number 1

Discovery Workshop

In this workshop we collaborate on the needs and goals for your new/updated website. We help build a consensus within both teams on design direction, technology stack & site-architecture ideas. Understanding the pain points, priorities, and needs is the first step towards success.

Number 2

Information Architecture

We create a sitemap based on what we learn from the discovery workshop, and from there we start to outline and document the architecture wireframes. We define user journeys in order to gain a top-level understanding of the content, elements & functionality needed.

Number 3

Visual Direction & Mood Boarding

Brainstorming includes competitive, industry, and out-of-industry research in the way of looking at mood, tone, dynamic layout, movement and animation, photography, illustration, typography style and treatment, color usage, etc. Altogether, we create a visual direction presentation that guides the actual interface designs.

Number 4

Interface Designs

Our design team designs custom templates, drawing from the previous steps, in full brand look and color to establish the final user interface direction of the site. Designs are not only desktop but also mobile web designs. We may also create custom graphics and other assets called for in the scope of work.

Number 5

Full Specifications Development Hand Off

A full specifications document alongside a detailed and well organized package of approved design files and assets as compiled and handed off to the development team. This package is also shared with the client as it contains all assets from the design project and becomes an important resource later on.

Number 6

Front-end / Back-end Development

Initial development of all templates and modules created during the design phase begins with this step. This will ensure that all the screens are working as intended before transitioning into the selected platform, be it an information site, a lead gen site, or an ecommerce site.

Number 7

User-Testing / Quality Assurance

User testing is an important step in every project, and we do our best to allocate enough time for it. During this process the client gets to review the website in a secure staging environment, and together we identify any bugs and last minute edits needed to be made prior to the website going live.

Number 8

Website Launch & Marketing Strategy

We launch the website and monitor it closely for a specified period of time as determined by the scope of work. Our team also works on a digital marketing plan that we share for ongoing digital marketing support. Most of our clients remain engaged with us for ongoing ad hoc design and development work post site launch.

INDUSTRIES WE BUILD WEBSITES FOR

Heath & Science Industry Websites
FinTech & Financial Industry Websites
Defense Industry Websites
B2B Websites
eCommerce Websites
Heath & Science Industry Websites
FinTech & Financial Industry Websites
Defense Industry Websites
B2B Websites
eCommerce Websites

&More! Ask Us

LET’S GET REAL

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and we will tell you if we think we can help or not. Click the button, fill out the form, and we’ll email you to coordinate a time to chat.

A Website Design and Development

Process That Works

Imagine a world where all web projects go according to plan, and every single deadline is met on time if not early! Those unicorns exist, but the reality is that every project is froth with unknowns and potential curve balls. At the end of the day, we’re a bunch of people working together, and sometimes things happen that can create delays, or change the order of priorities previously setm, and people have been known to change their minds from time to time.

This is where having a solid process and a great project manager can make a huge difference. Our process is tough. We require our clients to commit time and resources to achieve the desired goal. Having said that, we also understand that at times, we need to roll with the punches and embrace – or even expect – that things will change from day 1.

We use a system of open communication and organization that allows all parties involved to make rational decisions, and own the direction the project goes.

Website Design and Development Process
New Website Design and Development Company

Website Project Communication

The Right Way

Project communication is often misunderstood. How many times have you heard “it’s better to over-communicate”? In the right context that may be the case, but there is a clear line dividing effective communication that leads to productive collaboration, and unproductive communication wrapped up in micromanaging, that just generates more work and frustration – and keeps folks away from working on the project.

We approach communication from an objective perspective. Our goal is to set clear expectations, and we do so through the use of timeline and precise words and definitions.

We also do our best to show the options and the potential outcomes. A client may request a certain customization to be done on their website project, but if they were properly informed that such a customization would render their content management platform useless, they may opt for another direction. Our team is always thinking two to three steps ahead, and doing the best we can to keep everyone on the same page.

Content Creation and

Strategy Support

If you’ve worked through a website design or website development project (or both!) you probably know that content collection can be – well, a pain in the neck! Content collection is often the biggest bottleneck in the website design and development process.

This step is often underestimated by clients, and a lot of folks struggle with coming up with content for a new website they haven’t seen yet. It’s a chicken and the egg type of challenge. Here at Elevated, we have updated our process to make content collection as straightforward and streamlined as possible, but that doesn’t mean that it is not challenging.

For that reason, our team has come up with multiple strategies, including the actual content writing as an added service, to transform this bottleneck into an advantage.

Content Creation and Strategy Support

Website Design

Best Practices

With the variety of tools and knowledge readily available, it is possible for all sorts of different businesses and organizations to create a website with ease, regardless of their size or resources. Launching a website as soon as possible is critical to ensuring your success, as it provides you with a place to direct potential customers to help grow your business. However, while that initial launch is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of, it is by no means the final step. Once you’ve taken care of creating your site, you can begin the work of optimizing.

Website optimization allows you to maximize the benefits of your website while cutting back on any negative impacts or hindrances. It ensures that you are receiving the highest return on your investment, and if done correctly, will lead to exponential success. That being said, it can be challenging to identify which areas of your website could benefit from optimization and improvements. To that end, we’ve compiled a list of best practices to keep in mind when assessing your website.

  • Prioritize your landing page. Of course, every aspect of your website plays a part in driving conversions and communicating who you are and what you do to potential clients. However, the landing page is the very first thing new viewers will see, and often those first impressions are formed within milliseconds. Focusing your efforts on your landing page will go a long way towards improving the performance of your website.
  • Reduce loading speeds. One of the main reasons why people choose to exit out of a site is because it took too long to load. If your landing page loads at a slow pace, you will end up with a higher bounce rate.
  • Reduce the amount of visual clutter. When people visit your site, you don’t want them to feel overwhelmed by what’s happening on your landing page. A big aspect of this is the amount of text on the page. Massive blocks of text are intimidating, and a sure-fire way to lose people’s interest. Keep the text on your landing page short, and when possible, group it into smaller chunks for readability. Bullet points are an excellent tool for such situations.
  • Use graphics to your advantage. Including pictures or videos on your website is not only an extremely effective way to grab people’s attention; it can also communicate more complex ideas in a quick manner. Visual aids are helpful when attempting to reduce the amount of text on your site.
  • Keep your style and imagery consistent. When choosing images to incorporate into your site, it is critical to ensure that they fit with your style of branding and present a consistent appearance. The same applies to any color schemes, font choices, and other aspects of your website’s style. The repetition helps to strengthen people’s perception of your brand.

We use a system of open communication and organization that allows all parties involved to make rational decisions, and own the direction the project goes.

LET’S GET REAL

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and we will tell you if we think we can help or not. Click the button, fill out the form, and we’ll email you to coordinate a time to chat.

Website Project Communication

The Right Way

With the variety of tools and knowledge readily available, it is possible for all sorts of different businesses and organizations to create a website with ease, regardless of their size or resources. Launching a website as soon as possible is critical to ensuring your success, as it provides you with a place to direct potential customers to help grow your business. However, while that initial launch is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of, it is by no means the final step. Once you’ve taken care of creating your site, you can begin the work of optimizing.

Website optimization allows you to maximize the benefits of your website while cutting back on any negative impacts or hindrances. It ensures that you are receiving the highest return on your investment, and if done correctly, will lead to exponential success. That being said, it can be challenging to identify which areas of your website could benefit from optimization and improvements. To that end, we’ve compiled a list of best practices to keep in mind when assessing your website.

We use a system of open communication and organization that allows all parties involved to make rational decisions, and own the direction the project goes.

LET’S GET REAL

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and we will tell you if we think we can help or not. Click the button, fill out the form, and we’ll email you to coordinate a time to chat.

Content Creation and

Strategy Support

If you’ve worked through a website design or website development project (or both!) you probably know that content collection can be – well, a pain in the neck! Content collection is often the biggest bottleneck in the website design and development process.

This step is often underestimated by clients, and a lot of folks struggle with coming up with content for a new website they haven’t seen yet. It’s a chicken and the egg type of challenge. Here at Elevated, we have updated our process to make content collection as straightforward and streamlined as possible, but that doesn’t mean that it is not challenging.

For that reason, our team has come up with multiple strategies, including the actual content writing as an added service, to transform this bottleneck into an advantage.

LET’S GET REAL

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and we will tell you if we think we can help or not. Click the button, fill out the form, and we’ll email you to coordinate a time to chat.

eCommerce Website Design

trends for 2021

Keeping an eye on present trends is invaluable to web design. It gives you a better idea of what kind of content users are anticipating, and how to best respond to those expectations in a way that acknowledges them, while remaining true to your brand. Each new year brings advances to technology and societal shifts in perspective and priorities, and failing to incorporate this information into your design puts you at risk of appearing outdated and disconnected from the modern customer. In 2021, we are seeing significant changes in user preferences in regard to everything from layouts, color palettes, and out-of-the-box navigation. Here’s what we’ve discovered in regard to e-commerce web design trends this year.

A psychedelic aesthetic. Over the years we have witnessed a wide array of aesthetics and styles, including Cyberpunk, Grunge, Retro-futurism, and more. The current visual aesthetic of choice is known as Vaporwave and is characterized by a unique blend of elements from a variety of decades spanning from the 60s to the 90s. Specific elements of this aesthetic include bright neon pastels, gradients, psychedelic font choices, and wavy abstract shapes. Japanese lettering, retro computer graphics, and Greco-Roman statues can be seen as parts of Vaporwave as well. Even incorporating a few minimal elements of Vaporwave into your website layout can help make your content seem more relatable and attractive to consumers seeking out the nostalgia and relaxed moods commonly associated with the aesthetic.

Specific visual elements that stand out include neutral tones, pastel palettes, and a modern take on classic circle shapes. While an overall Vaporwave aesthetic is certainly a big 2021 trend, there are specific visual elements that have become quite popular as well. One of those is choosing neutral colors for the:

Background of your layout. Keeping the backgrounds a little more muted allows other aspects of the page to really pop. This complements well with the tendency to use brighter pastels in other elements of design. Finally, classic circle shapes have long been a staple of graphic design. Newer trends have seen a modern take on the old classic by adopting ovals instead. These can be incorporated in any part of your design but are best used in focal areas of the site that are likely to draw the viewer’s attention.

Incorporating visual aspects that best represent your brand. When it comes to branding, recognition is a significant factor. The more recognizable your brand, the more likely consumers are to trust you and drive up your conversions. One way to capitalize on this is to take visual aspects of your best-selling products and incorporate them into your design. By associating the rest of your site with the most recognizable part, you present a more unified and enticing appearance towards users.

Creative transitions. Transitions are an easy way of adding creative flair to your website without making significant changes, and creative transitions are a big 2021 trend. Using unique animations is a way to make your page stand out, but some businesses are trying out adding more practical applications to the transitions as well. The right transition can further help you communicate information in a visual manner.

Nontraditional navigation and filters. This trend takes that out-of-the-box thinking one step further. Instead of relying on straightforward layouts with blocky menus and static text, more and more businesses are experimenting with transforming the user experience and providing them with a more organic form of navigation. This could involve transforming the menu itself into the main focus of the page or breaking free from strictly gridded layouts in exchange for a multidirectional approach.

When examining new trends, it is important to take a measured approach to incorporating them into your design. A website that relies solely on trying to cram as many trends as possible into one layout is likely to become disjointed and overly chaotic and end up alienating viewers. However, disregarding them entirely won’t do anything to help you grow your business. Instead, take the time to assess which elements best fit your brand and show your customers that you value their perspective.

LET’S GET REAL

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and we will tell you if we think we can help or not. Click the button, fill out the form, and we’ll email you to coordinate a time to chat.

Are Custom Website Design Services Right

For Your Business?

Creating a website for your business is essential in an era where the majority of transactions occur online. As such, it makes sense that you would want to ensure your website is an adequate representation of your services and your brand, while being optimized to increase your conversion rate and incorporate SEO best practices. One way of doing this is to work with a trusted purveyor of customer website design services. However, businesses also operate within strict budgets. Given the sheer amount of tools and platforms available for web design these days, you might wonder whether or not paying for custom web design services is worth the price. Here are some things to consider on the subject.

What Are Your Business Needs?

Existing templates for websites generally are made as generic as possible to fit a wide array of businesses. This inevitably means that they aren’t optimized for any one particular business, and in the process of attempting to mold the existing framework to your needs, you might discover that the template doesn’t actually offer the features you’re looking for. Custom websites are designed around your needs, preferences, and branding, so that your online presence is presented as a cohesive, user-friendly experience to new viewers and loyal clients.

What Does the Competition Look Like?

Depending on your particular sector of the industry, you might be a fairly niche business with little competition. However, most often, businesses have to find ways to stand out from amongst their various competitors. If most of your competitors are using similar templates, it will be difficult for prospective clients to see you as a unique choice. Having a custom web site helps to highlight your individuality.

What Is Your SEO Strategy?

A well-crafted SEO strategy generally takes into account a wide array of factors, from specific keywords utilized in your content to internal links and accessibility on mobile devices. The biggest downside of using templates is the lack of flexibility and options, and this is certainly the case when it comes to SEO optimization. Many templates won’t offer you the ability to fine tune these aspects of your website, making it difficult to grow your business.

How Critical Is Site Performance and Load Time?

One aspect of SEO that is worth mentioning further is how well your website runs. Sites that experience performance issues and slow loading times provide a negative user experience, which in turn affects your SEO. Unfortunately, templates often incorporate a lot of unnecessary code to accommodate for the various ways in which they might be used. All of that excess content directly affects the speed at which your website loads and makes it more likely that certain aspects might encounter errors.

What Level of Security Will You Require?

Security is important to all online users. The type of business you run, the information you plan to exchange, and the transactions you wish to conduct on your site will all affect your security needs. If you are collecting payment from people, you will need to invest in a high level of security to ensure your customers’ information is protected. However, even if you are only collecting people’s names, email addresses, and phone numbers, you will still need to apply some amount of security to your site. Because they introduce third party widgets and plugins to be more functional, templates can be particularly vulnerable to hackers, so tread with care.

LET’S GET REAL

Give us 15 minutes of your time, and we will tell you if we think we can help or not. Click the button, fill out the form, and we’ll email you to coordinate a time to chat.

HOW CAN WE HELP

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