Web design company in Tampa

Start with who will update the site. WordPress suits a team that publishes often and wants to edit most pages itself. It offers a large choice of plugins, though someone needs to keep them updated for security. A custom-coded site in Next.js suits a business that wants fast pages and a design without template limits, and is happy to ask a developer to make structural changes.

A hosted builder such as Wix, Squarespace or Webflow suits a small site that an owner wants to run alone. You give up some control over code and speed, and moving away can mean rebuilding. A headless setup pairs a custom front end with a separate editor; it suits heavy editing needs but adds parts to host and maintain.

We recommend an option after learning how your team works. WordPress gives you extensive editing control; a custom Next.js site can also include an editor, so the choice does not have to come down to editing alone.

For a business open to the public, accessibility belongs in the brief. US guidance says the ADA covers services offered on the web and identifies WCAG as helpful guidance. We agree an accessibility target with you and use it to guide the page designs and build; WCAG has A, AA and AAA levels, and its latest version is encouraged.

If the project includes commercial email, we set up its templates with a valid physical postal address and a clear opt-out. Your process also needs to honour opt-out requests within 10 business days.

Gather what you have, and note anything that still needs creating.

• Brand filesYour vector logo, colours and fonts.
• PrioritiesThe services or products you most want to feature.
• Website examplesSites you like and dislike, with a reason for each.
• Account accessLogin details, or the contact who holds them, for your domain, hosting, email, analytics and Search Console.
• PhotosImages of your team, premises and finished work.
• Proof of workCase studies, permitted client logos, testimonials, certifications and memberships in one folder.

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  Choosing a platform too early

  Decide who will update the site and how often before settling on the technology.

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  Designing with placeholder copy

  Bring real headings and paragraphs into the layouts early, before their length disrupts a design that looked finished.

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  Copying every old page

  Keep the pages your visitors need and make service information clear, so your team has less to maintain.

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  Leaving search checks until launch

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