Web design and development for Colorado businesses

Start with who will update the site. WordPress suits a team that publishes often and wants to edit most pages itself; its plugin selection gives you options for extending the site. It also needs regular updates to stay secure. A custom Next.js site suits a distinctive design and fast pages, though you will usually need a developer for structural changes.

A hosted builder such as Wix, Squarespace or Webflow suits a small site you want to run alone. You trade some control over code and speed, and moving away later can mean rebuilding. A headless setup pairs a custom front end with a separate editor for sites that need speed and frequent editing, with more moving parts to host and maintain.

The design is a separate choice. An adapted template can fit a simple, tightly defined site when it is reworked around your actual content; a custom design fits a more specific brand or audience. We recommend an approach after learning how your team works.

For a business open to the public, US guidance says ADA Title III covers goods and services offered on the web and identifies WCAG as helpful guidance. We use that guidance when designing and building the pages, and agree accessibility requirements as part of the project scope.

State and local government websites covered by ADA Title II have a specific WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirement. For that kind of project, we set up the page designs and build against that standard, with the requirement included in the work agreed before design starts.

Bring what you have, including the gaps that still need a decision.

• Brand filesYour vector logo, colours and fonts, or a note that they need creating.
• PrioritiesYour services or products, ordered by their importance to the business.
• ExamplesSites you like and dislike, with a reason for each choice.
• AccessDomain, hosting, email, analytics and Search Console details, or the person who holds them.
• PhotosImages of your team, premises and completed work; arrange a shoot if needed.
• GoalThe action you want visitors to take and who handles each enquiry.

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  Designing around placeholder copy

  Use real headings and paragraphs early, so the approved layout fits the content you will publish.

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  Picking a platform too early

  Decide who will update the site and how often before choosing the editor.

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  Putting accounts in an agency's name

  Hold the domain and hosting accounts in your business name and grant access to the people doing the work.

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  Leaving search checks until launch

  Check page titles, the sitemap and any indexing block from development before the site goes live.