WordPress Web Design Workflow and Schedule

This article shares how I created a time schedule for building a WordPress e-commerce website, breaking down tasks and details for each stage, including requirement confirmation, website content planning, web visual design, WordPress theme selection, and WordPress plugin setup. (Updated: 2021-05-15)

“Practical experience sharing, not just online information compilation.” – Irving

WordPress Corporate Website Design Process

Over the past few years, we have built dozens of WordPress websites and collaborated with clients from various industries. Through mutual adaptation and learning from our mistakes, we have developed a streamlined workflow for website project execution. We continuously optimize and update this process to ensure that even individuals new to the field of web design, whether they are designers, developers, or clients, can have a basic understanding of each executable step. This helps reduce communication costs and improve work efficiency.

Summary of Each Stage’s Tasks

1. Requirement Exploration: Confirm requirements (a crucial stage to understand needs and goals, helping clients clarify and organize their thoughts).
2. Conceptualization: Internal brainstorming within the team (can involve exploring and discussing with clients, conducting workshops if necessary).
3. Content Planning: Establish the website’s sitemap, plan page content outlines based on the project requirements. Wireframes at this stage are used for discussing requirements.
4. Image Assets: Typically include photography, illustrations, product images, or contextual images. If necessary, propose a photography plan and outsource the photography work to a studio.
5. Copy Content: Provide webpage copy, content recommendations such as optimal word count for titles and body text based on design layout.
6. Website Prototyping: Final version of page wireframes, incorporating actual text.
7. Visual Design: The sequence involves presenting the main visual design proposal, confirming it, then creating the homepage design, and finally designing other pages of the website.
8. WordPress Development: Main stages include layout design (using page builder plugins and customizing CSS), configuring website functionality plugins, content upload, responsive web design (mobile web), and basic SEO settings.
9. Website Testing: At least involve internal team and client in testing the website on real devices, providing feedback for adjustments. For example, testing form submissions and newsletter subscriptions.
10. Website Analytics: Necessary setup of tracking codes such as Search Console, Google Analytics, and optionally Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixels, depending on requirements.
11. Website Launch: Ideally scheduled on a Tuesday or Wednesday, meaning that the day after the launch is not a holiday. This ensures that there are people available to address any issues that may arise.
12. Continuous Optimization: UI/UX, copy, SEO, website speed.