Building websites efficiently is one thing—but making sure every client gets a smooth, stress-free experience is what truly matters to me very personally. As a freelance web developer, I’ve refined my processes which now help me serve up to 4 clients per week while keeping quality, clarity, and client happiness at the center of everything I do.
In this post, I’ll walk you through my step-by-step website creation process, from the first client conversation to the final launch and beyond. Whether you're a freelancer looking to streamline your workflow or just curious about what goes into building a great website, I hope this gives you some valuable insights! 🚀
Introduction
I’ve been building websites for a while now, and recently, I’ve been focusing on growing my business—helping more clients bring their visions to life in a stress-free, smooth, and enjoyable way. But beyond just delivering great websites, I’ve put a lot of thought into how I can make my clients even happier—how I can make them feel truly valued, supported, and confident throughout the process.
For me, a great process matters just as much as the final website itself. It’s not just about finishing projects—it’s about making sure every client feels taken care of, understood, and excited about their new website. A big part of how I achieve this is through my routines and checklists, which allow me to stay efficient while ensuring no detail gets overlooked.
In this post, I’ll take you behind the scenes and share my step-by-step website creation process—from the first client conversation to launch and beyond. Whether you’re a freelancer looking to streamline your workflow or just curious about what goes into creating a website with care and precision, I hope this gives you some valuable insights! 🚀
Step 1: The Check-In & Gathering Info
The first step in every project is onboarding the client smoothly and ensuring they feel confident about the process. Some clients come in with a clear vision, while others need more guidance—I adjust to their needs so they feel comfortable and excited about the journey ahead.
Adapting to Each Client’s Workflow
Every client is different, so I make sure to communicate in the way that works best for them:
✅ Some prefer structured calls where we discuss everything in detail.
✅ Others like to write everything out via email or WhatsApp.
✅ Some already have a clear plan, while others need more guidance to figure things out.
If a client has a well-thought-out idea, I let them take the lead, simply asking questions for clarification where needed. But if they’re unsure, I guide them through the process usually using my Homepage Canvas—a structured framework of key questions that helps them define what they need for their website.
Making Sure Everything is Clear
From the very beginning, I ensure that:
✔️ Pricing and payment structure are well communicated.
✔️ The website creation process is outlined so there are no surprises.
✔️ The client knows what to expect at every stage—from gathering details to the draft, revisions, and launch.
I often refer clients to my Customer Journey page for an in-depth look at the full process, but I also make sure to explain the key steps personally.
Checklist: Gathering All Required Information
To keep things structured while adapting to each client’s needs, I go through the following steps:
📌 Add new client to my CRM (for me, a detailed Google Docs works best for now, but might change that in the future) when a strong interest or a closed sale is indicated.
📌 Discuss payment structure (~50% upfront, 50% after finishing, with my 90-day satisfaction and money-back guarantee).
📌 Gather all necessary information, taking notes in a client file I create on Apple Notes.
📌 Check for missing details and request anything that’s unclear.
📌 Ensure all requirements are clearly communicated and agreed upon.
📝 Typical information I collect includes:
🔹 One-pager or multi-pager
🔹 Website structure & content
🔹 Design preferences
🔹 Texts, images & logo
🔹 Social media links
🔹 Domain details & imprint information
🔹 Any specific services or functionalities needed
Why This Step Matters
A website project should never feel stressful or confusing for the client. By setting everything up properly from the start, I make sure they feel organized, excited, and fully aware of what’s happening next—and that I have everything I need to start building with clarity and confidence. 🚀
Step 2: Creating the Website
Once I have all the details from the client, it’s time to bring their vision to life. While every website is different, I follow a structured process to ensure efficiency without sacrificing quality or attention to detail.
For most of my projects—especially my standard websites, which are simpler, cost-effective projects that are partly made via templates yet still personalized—I use Jekyll as my go-to framework. However, for more complex projects (like e-commerce stores, admin dashboards, or interactive platforms), I adapt my workflow to fit the project’s needs. While I don’t yet have a full checklist for these advanced projects, I am actively refining my process as I take on more of them.
This stage is about more than just making a site work—it’s about making sure it looks great, performs well, and is a joy to use before the client even sees it.
Why a Structured Approach Matters
I aim for both consistency and flexibility—which means balancing structured steps with the unique needs of each client. My process ensures:
✔️ A smooth and efficient website build.
✔️ A design that matches the client’s vision while maintaining best practices.
✔️ A fully responsive, fast, and user-friendly experience right from the start.
Step 2.1: Setting the Foundation
Before writing a single line of custom code, I make sure the project is set up properly:
📌 Set project status in CRM to “Website in Creation.”
📌 Select the right Jekyll theme (often OneFlow, which is a theme I build myself, or Minimal Mistakes, which was the base-theme I used for building OneFlow - but sometimes more custom solutions).
📌 Create a GitHub repo in my organization and clone it locally.
📌 Set up basic files – deleting placeholders, updating the ReadMe, and adjusting the configuration settings.
At this point, the site exists—but it's still a blank canvas waiting for content and personalization.
Step 2.2: Structuring & Styling the Website
Once the technical setup is done, I start making it look and feel like the client’s brand. This includes:
🎨 Color Scheme & Branding
✅ Extracting the key colors (background, text, accents).
✅ Applying them across the backgrounds, texts, navigation, buttons, links, and footer.
📂 Website Structure
✅ Setting up navigation, subpages, and sections.
✅ Ensuring a logical layout that makes information easy to find.
🖼️ Visuals & Design Elements
✅ Adding logo & favicon (generated via RealFaviconGenerator).
✅ Choosing hero images or creating a header design that matches the brand.
✅ Deciding on additional effects (e.g., parallax scrolling).
📌 If the client has specific design requests—like unique navigation styles, analytics integration, or special font selections—I add them at this stage.
Step 2.3: Adding Content & Ensuring Usability
With the foundation in place, I focus on what really makes a website work—the content and user experience.
📄 Filling in Content
✅ Adding texts, images, buttons, and galleries.
✅ Making sure everything is structured and visually appealing.
🔗 Checking Functionality
✅ Ensuring all links & buttons work correctly.
✅ Testing contact forms (if applicable).
📱 Mobile Responsiveness
✅ Using Responsinator to check how the site looks on different devices.
✅ Fixing any layout issues before the client even sees the first draft.
By the end of this step, the draft website is fully functional and polished—even before feedback and revisions.
Step 2.4: Internal Review & First Deployment
Before sending the website to the client, I do one last internal check:
📌 Run a full quality check on desktop & mobile.
📌 Fix any outstanding GitHub issues that I wrote for myself during the creation.
📌 Deploy a private draft version (usually via GitHub Pages) with a noindex meta tag (so it’s not visible to search engines).
📌 Review on real devices (mobile, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox).
Once everything looks great, I’m ready for Step 3: Client Review & Revisions! 🚀
Step 3: The Revision Phase—Client Collaboration & Feedback
Once the first draft is ready, the real collaboration begins. This phase is about more than just "fixing things"—it’s about ensuring the client feels heard, involved, and excited about their website coming to life.
Some clients have clear, structured feedback, while others feel unsure about what to change. My job is to make the revision process easy, stress-free, and effective—whether that means detailed change requests or just a quick call to discuss adjustments.
I never rush this step. The goal? A website the client truly loves.
Step 3.1: Sending the First Draft & Encouraging Thoughtful Feedback
Once the draft site is published, I:
📌 Update the CRM status to "Website in Revision."
📌 Send the client the live draft—this isn’t a half-finished site, but a fully working version (still hidden from search engines).
📌 Make giving feedback easy—I ask if they prefer:
- A detailed written review with comments.
- A quick call to talk through their thoughts.
- A mix of both—whatever works best for them.
📌 Include a small personal touch—
- I might send a behind-the-scenes photo of my workspace while working on their site.
- Or a short message about how I enjoyed building their site so far.
- The little things that make them smile and remind them their project is important to me.
Step 3.2: Making Revisions Based on Client Input
Once I gather the client’s feedback, I:
📌 Document all changes in their client note.
📌 Offer suggestions when needed—if a requested change might hurt usability or design, I explain why and suggest alternatives.
📌 Execute changes in the main repo, ensuring all updates are clean and structured.
📌 Push the revised version live on their private draft site (again, keeping it hidden from search engines).
📌 Send the update to the client
📌 Repeat as needed—I revise the site as many times as necessary until the client is 100% happy.
Step 3.3: Final Checks Before Moving to Launch
Before we move to Step 4: The Final Launch, I do one last internal check:
📌 Ensure all GitHub issues are resolved.
📌 Review the final version on desktop & mobile.
📌 Check pagespeed results to ensure all best practices and speed requirements are met.
📌 Confirm with the client that they love the result.
Once everything is approved and ready, we move on to launching the website! 🚀
Step 4: The Launch & Making Clients Smile
The final launch is about making sure everything runs smoothly, clients feel supported, and the experience ends on a high note.
For many clients, launching a website is a big deal—so I always try to make it as exciting, stress-free, and memorable as possible.
Step 4.1: Helping with the Domain Setup
For some clients, domain & hosting setup can feel overwhelming, so I make this as easy as possible:
📌 If they already own a domain, I:
- Offer to handle the launch myself if they send over login details.
- Or guide them step-by-step if they prefer to do it themselves.
📌 If they don’t have a domain yet, I:
- Help them choose a good one (short, clear, and easy to remember).
- If they booked the package with domain setup, I reserve & configure it for them.
I never just send a generic tutorial—I personally walk them through the process, so they feel confident and supported.
Step 4.2: The Launch & Making It Special
Once everything is ready, it’s time to go live! 🚀
🎉 Send a celebration message—"Your website is LIVE!"
📸 Share a fun GIF or site preview—to make the moment feel special.
💌 Include a personal touch—a quick note about how I enjoyed working on their project.
Even though the project is "finished," I always remind them:
💡 I’m still here for any questions and happy to support them moving forward.
Step 4.3: Wrapping Up & Staying Connected
After the site is live, I:
📌 Send the final invoice (always at least one day after launch—no rush!).
📌 Write & send a thank-you card 💌—because a little personal touch goes a long way.
📌 Ask if I can add their site to my references and share it on Instagram.
📌 If they agree, add it to references and create + schedule the post celebrating their new website! 🚀
Just because the project is done doesn’t mean the relationship is over—I make sure every client knows that I’m still there if they ever need help.
The goal?
A smooth, stress-free launch—and a client who’s happy not just with their website, but with the whole experience.
Step 5: After Launch – Ongoing Support & 3-Month Check-Ins
Just because a website is launched doesn’t mean my job is over. I want my clients to feel supported long after their site goes live—so I always follow up to check in, offer help, and ensure everything is still working smoothly.
Step 5.1: The 3-Month Check-In
Every project gets a 3-month follow-up in my calendar. This is my way of staying connected and making sure clients still feel confident with their website.
📅 What I do at the 3-month mark:
✔️ Review our last conversations to see if anything was left open.
✔️ Check my client notes for anything specific they might need.
✔️ Reach out personally to ask if everything is running smoothly or if they have any questions.
If updates, fixes, or improvements come up, I act on them right away and set a new check-in date for the future.
💡 Bonus: If the timing feels right, I might also ask if they know anyone who could benefit from my services—referrals are a great way to keep growing my business while keeping it personal.
Step 5.2: Website Updates & Future Improvements
Websites aren’t static—businesses grow, needs evolve, and things change. That’s why I make updates & improvements as easy as possible.
When a client needs changes, I:
📌 Gather feedback—via call, WhatsApp, email, or whatever works best for them.
📌 Document changes—so nothing gets lost or forgotten.
📌 Update the website—either directly or, for bigger updates, in a draft version first.
📌 Test everything thoroughly before deploying.
Once the client is 100% happy, I:
✔️ Deploy the update 🚀
✔️ Send an update invoice (if applicable)
✔️ Set a new check-in date if it makes sense
No matter if it’s a small tweak or a big redesign, I always want my clients to know: I’m here to support them whenever they need.
Final Thoughts: My Goal is Happy Clients, Not Just Finished Projects
At the end of the day, a great website is about more than just clean code and a good design—it’s about giving clients a smooth, stress-free experience where they feel supported, valued, and excited about their new online presence.
✅ That’s why I take time to listen, adapt, and personalize my process for every client.
✅ That’s why I focus on clear communication—so there’s no confusion or stress.
✅ And that’s why I don’t disappear after the launch—because ongoing support matters.
If you’re a freelancer or web designer, I hope this post gives you some insights into how a structured process can help you work efficiently while still making every client feel special. And if you’re a business owner looking for a website, I hope this gives you a peek behind the scenes of how I work.
At the end of the day, it’s about building relationships and making sure every client walks away feeling happy and taken care of, not just about finishing projects. 🚀💙
Top comments (4)
Thank you very helpful article
Glad to hear you liked it, thanks for reading and for the great feedback!
Great article! Thank you for sharing your process for communicating with clients. I like the emphasis on happy clients more than finished projects (although of course the latter is part of what makes them happy too)
I'm looking to be a freelancer eventually so I've a few questions after reading this article.
insightful article!