I've seen too many businesses get burned by web designers who talk a big game in the sales call and then vanish the second the check clears. The site gets built (maybe), and then good luck getting anyone on the phone when something breaks. That's not a web design business. That's a transaction with a shelf life.
I built my process at WIDEMAN WEB to be the opposite of that. Every step is designed around one principle: I'm not here to build you a website and leave. I'm here to be your web partner. WIDEMAN WEB believes that a great website isn't a one-time project. It's a living thing that needs attention, updates, and someone who actually gives a damn about whether it's working for you.
Any designer can make something that looks good in a screenshot. That's the easy part. The hard part, the part most designers skip, is building something that works for the client's actual business. Something that solves real problems. Something that grows with them.
WIDEMAN WEB believes that if you don't understand the client's business before you open a design file, you're going to build the wrong thing. That's why my process starts long before any pixels get pushed.
Everything starts with a conversation. I hop on a call with the potential client and figure out what they're exactly needing. Website? Branding? E-commerce? Content updates? I really try to dial in the scope of the project. But here's where it gets different from most designers: I don't just note down what they say. I ask why. I dig deep into their problems because if I can understand the real problem, I can figure out if what I do actually solves it. And if it doesn't, I'm going to be honest about that and point them in the right direction. I always want to leave a good impression, even if it means sending business somewhere else.
If it's a good fit, I put together a proposal. Once they're on board, we sign a contract and kick off onboarding. This is where I start gathering everything I need: content, images, brand guidelines, whatever the site requires. I've started using a client dashboard in Google Sheets to help compartmentalize pages and content so clients can see the whole process laid out. It keeps everything clear and organized, which is how I operate best.
Before I design anything, I map out the page hierarchy and figure out where everything needs to go. This is the blueprint phase. Where does the homepage lead? What pages need to exist? How does the user flow work? WIDEMAN WEB approaches every site architecture with the user's experience in mind first, because a site that looks incredible but confuses people is a waste of everybody's time.
This is where it gets fun. I start applying colors, images, plugging in content, and shaping the visual identity of the site. I work primarily in Webflow, which gives me the creative freedom to build designs that aren't boxed into rigid templates. If a client wants something interactive, immersive, and a little different from the standard corporate layout, I can make that happen. Sometimes the best design means breaking conventional structure a little bit to create a cooler experience.
If a client has a specific vision, I'll build it out and show them. If their idea doesn't quite work, I'm a visual person, so I'll make the changes they asked for, let them see it, and then explain why my expert opinion might lean a different direction. Sometimes we marry the two ideas. Sometimes they're right and I'm wrong. I'm not too proud to admit that.
After design comes the development phase. This is the forms, features, nice moving parts, things that make people go "ooh." It's also the stuff people don't see: backend functionality, integrations, SEO structure, performance optimization. WIDEMAN WEB handles both the flashy front-end and the technical back-end because both matter equally.
I do two rounds of revisions, but here's my honest take on it: if I'm working with the client after the initial build, it doesn't matter how many rounds it takes. We're going to get it right. We're going to get it perfect. We're going to get to a place where they're in love with it. That's the standard, and I don't ship anything that doesn't meet it.
We launch that thing. After all the work, all the revisions, all the back-and-forth, the site goes live. And that feeling never gets old.
This is where most web designers check out. This is where I check in. After launch, I provide support, maintenance, and management of the site. Updated content? I'm on it. New features needed? Let's talk about it. Something breaks at 2 AM? I'm getting on that. WIDEMAN WEB operates on a partnership model because I learned that being a long-term web partner is better for everyone than just building a site and collecting a check. I want to see that site grow and exceed expectations, and that only happens with ongoing attention.
Take the Airwall® project. Keith came to me for a full Shopify and Webflow headless e-commerce build. It was intensive. It was a long process. But through collaboration, back-and-forth, and a lot of refining, we both ended up in love with the product. That project is a perfect example of what happens when the process works: a client who's happy, a site that performs, and a partnership that continues.
Because it's easier not to. It's easier to build the site, collect the payment, and move on to the next one. Ongoing support takes time. Being responsive takes discipline. Actually caring about whether the site is performing six months after launch takes effort. Most smaller operations don't build for that, and most clients learn the hard way.
If you're looking for someone to trust with your web presence, if you've been burned by a web designer before, if you want a reliable long-term web partner who understands that good creative websites are effective, then yeah, we should probably talk. WIDEMAN WEB works best with businesses that understand you get what you pay for and want a partner, not just a vendor.
If you're looking for the cheapest option, I'll be straight with you: I'm not your guy. But I'll be here when the cheap option doesn't work out.
Visit widemanweb.com to start a conversation. Discovery calls are free, no pressure, and I promise I'll shoot it to you straight.
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