Designing a website is a very involved process. And while every web build process is different, there are key figures that will stay the same regardless of how or where you build your website. Being a full-service digital agency, we’ve helped many companies build stunning and imaginative websites over the years. From healthcare to pottery, we’ve had the opportunity to work on countless web build projects.
When you build a website, there will be a lot of people on your agency’s team. One person couldn’t possibly be responsible for every aspect of designing and creating a new website. At Snap, we typically configure an eight-person team, at a minimum, to assist with the web build process. While the numbers may fluctuate based on our clients’ needs, here are some of the people that we’ll have on your team when building your website.
Account Manager
Your account manager, or AM, will be one of the first people you interact with when you begin your web build journey. An AM plays a crucial role in the web build process and will be with you every step of the way. It’s the AM’s job to walk clients through each step of the web build process and accurately communicate what’s going on during each stage of development. Additionally, an AM will help to facilitate each phase of the website process from the very first conceptual meeting through post-laugh maintenance. It will be up to the AM to accurately communicate expectations on each side of the process; meaning any feedback from the client or needs from the agency’s team; ultimately ensuring that everyone has what they need to succeed. And lastly, an AM is chiefly around to ensure that deadlines and due dates are being met through constant communication.
Project Manager
While an AM may govern the relationship between the internal agency team and the client, a project manager, or PM, is responsible for overseeing all internal teams. PMs work to stay on top of our internal teams to ensure deadlines are met and that all team members are sticking to the agreed upon timeline. The PM is responsible for ensuring that a project doesn’t go over budget while also making sure that the final project contains everything agreed upon. PMs also manage schedules to make sure that other team members’ work is spread evenly throughout their schedule, preventing burnout and sleep deprivation. Lastly, since the PM was so involved in the nitty-gritty of creating the website, they will be the one to teach the client how to use their completed site.
Back-End Developer
Developers are the team members that you will most likely have the least amount of contact with, but they’re doing a lot behind the scenes. There are two kinds of developers in general terms, front-end developers and back-end developers. Let’s start with back-end developers. A back-end developer is responsible for making sure that everything works…well, on the back-end. This individual or team of individuals will be accountable for making sure that data is connected to your site correctly, facilitating behind the scenes functionality. They also work to connect third party and database integrations as well as code out the practical functionality of your site.
Front-End Developer
The second of our two developers, a front-end developer, is responsible for the functionality that’s a bit easier to see. They work to ensure that the visual style and layout of your site is in accordance with what the client, UX/UI designer, and brand manager all had in mind. By fine-tuning your site’s responsiveness, a front-end developer ensures that visitors will be able to enjoy your website regardless of the device they’re using. This is especially important for companies who are looking to create a site that integrates their custom CMS, such as manufacturers or agricultural clients who rely on live data feeds to provide their services. A front-end developer will be the one who writes the code that determines every aspect of what your site looks like, from fonts to colors, they tell your website in code what they want it to look like. In a very boiled down sort of way, you could say that front-end Developers take what others tell them and figure out how to make it work in reality. Because concepts are great, but proper execution is better.
UX/UI Designer
UX/UI designers, who are usually just referred to as designers, are responsible for the conceptual look of your website. They work to outline your user experience (UX) strategy in partnership with an SEO Strategist so that they can develop a sitemap and wireframes that account for what a typical user will wish to see and interact with on your site. This plan will also account for the SEO Strategist provided requirements to optimize your site for search engines. Such modifications usually include creating wireframes that can support long-form content and structuring your sitemap in a way that’s optimized for search.
The UI part of a UX/UI designer stand for user interface, which refers to the physical appearance of your website. It will be the designer who creates prototypes and mockups that give a visual roadmap of what your finished site will look like once the developers have completed their work. A designer will take into consideration all of your existing brand assets, such as your company logo or color scheme and use that information to grow a comprehensive visual plan for your new web property.
Create Your Next Website with Snap
At Snap, we’re proud to have been voted one of the best companies to work for in Minneapolis for more than three years. We have an incredible team that’s created some fantastic and award-winning websites. Among them a Communicator Award of Excellence and
Award of Distinction in the categories of Features Structure and Navigation, Websites – General Computer/IT, Features – User Experience, and Features – User Interface. Stay tuned for part two of our “Designing a Website: Who Should Be on Your Team” to learn more about the web design process. If you’d like to learn more about creating a website with Snap, reach out to a member of our team today.