/Why most websites feel rushed
Most business websites are built like brochures: a template gets picked, some copy gets pasted, a logo gets swapped, and it ships. A real website is built like a system, engineered in a sequence that respects strategy, design, engineering and growth. Here's what that sequence looks like.
/Phase 1: Discovery
Two to three sessions with the founder and key team members. We map the audience, the sales cycle, the objections, the top-of-funnel and the moments where deals actually get won. This is the input that decides everything downstream.
/Phase 2: Strategy
We define positioning, the primary CTA, the site architecture, the keyword map, the AEO patterns and the KPIs. Nothing goes into design until strategy is locked. Skipping this is the most common reason projects go sideways at week six.
/Phase 3: Content and copy
Structured copy comes before visual design, not after. Headlines, subheads, sections, CTAs, FAQs, product descriptions. Design decisions are much easier when the words are real.
/Phase 4: Design
Wireframes first (structure only), then a design system (typography, colour, components), then key page templates. We ship high-fidelity Figma files for every important page, iterated over two to four review rounds.
/Phase 5: Development
Front-end and CMS built in parallel. Weekly staging updates so the client can review real pages on real devices. Core Web Vitals, schema, accessibility and SEO tuned in-flight, not bolted on at the end.
/Phase 6: Content load and QA
Copy goes into the CMS, images optimised, forms tested, links checked, redirects mapped, tracking wired. We run a full QA pass across desktop and mobile, plus the top three browsers, before anyone gets asked to sign off.
/Phase 7: Launch
DNS, SSL, sitemap, robots.txt, Google Search Console verification, Google Business Profile alignment, analytics goals. Launch day is boring by design, all the surprises have been solved in the weeks before.
/Phase 8: 90-day optimisation
Real user data flows in, real search terms show up, real forms get submitted. We run heatmaps, review Search Console, adjust CTAs, tighten copy and ship refinements. The 90-day window is where big gains hide.
/Phase 9: Growth
SEO, content, paid, CRO, either monthly retainer or quarterly campaigns. This is where the website compounds from a launch event into a real business asset. Most NZ businesses skip this phase and wonder why their site plateaus.
/How long the whole thing takes
A focused marketing site runs 4 to 6 weeks end-to-end. Shopify and larger custom builds run 6 to 12 weeks. Anyone quoting two weeks is skipping strategy, and it'll cost you in month three.
/What the client actually does
Show up for discovery, provide brand assets, review milestones inside a shared review cycle, and make the calls that only a founder can make. The rest, copy, photography direction, SEO, integrations, launch, we run.
