Methodology

The Marlow Method

A virtual marketing agency with flexible freelancers for your custom web presence.

1. Client Discovery

An in-depth interview to identify your needs. Depending on the scope of your project – we may review your industry and competitors, Google Analytics, technical requirements, integration requirements with third-party tools and vendors, stakeholders involved in your project, budgeting, and more.

Larger projects with more sophisticated needs may require a more extensive, multi-day strategy & needs assessment, including a formal Site Audit.

2. Information Architecture (IA)

Content is King, as they say.

The success of any custom-branded website depends on the quality of your content and imagery. At this stage, we identify and outline your navigational sitemap and necessary content taxonomies. If needed, a copywriter may assist with content creation and/or editing; a photographer and/or videographer may be recruited for imagery.

Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.
Jeffrey Zeldman

3.Web Development

A temporary staging site – such as dev.domain.com – is configured for content population into a generic ‘black & white’ template. Content types and blocks are configured for visual design styling. For site redesigns, content is migrated from the old site into the new site. Cross-platform, mobile, and browser testing is performed throughout development.

4. Visual Design

A visual design partner, identified during Client Discovery, starts the design process. This process includes selecting colors, typography, modular site elements. Visual design review rounds will be determined based on your site investment and the complexity of your design aesthetic.

Larger projects may involve more intensive branding efforts – such as mood boards, style guides, and more.

5. Quality Assurance (QA) & Training

A before & after 200-point checklist will be performed to measure how well your site adheres to accessibility, performance, security, search engine optimization, and usability best practices. WordPress CMS and SEO training will be conducted over at least 2 sessions, depending on the complexity of your site features and information architecture.