Our process

Five phases. No mystery.

We don't do mystery-meat project management. Every engagement runs through the same five phases, with the same deliverables, the same client touchpoints, and the same honest timelines. You'll always know what phase we're in, what we owe you, and what we need from you to keep things moving.

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Typical project: 8–12 weeks from kickoff to launch.

How we work

Same five phases. Every project.

A typical project runs 8 to 12 weeks from kickoff to launch. Smaller marketing sites land closer to 8. Larger builds with custom functionality, integrations, or heavy content migration push toward 12 or beyond. We'll tell you which one you are before you sign anything.

  • 5Phases, each with a sign-off
  • 8–12wksTypical kickoff to launch

Phase by phase

What happens, and when.

You’ll always know what phase we’re in, what we owe you, and what we need from you to keep things moving.

  1. Phase 1: Discovery

    1 week

    We start with a working kickoff call, not a sales deck. The goal is to understand the business behind the website: what you sell, who you sell to, who you're up against, and what "success" actually looks like six months after launch.

    What we do

    • Kickoff call with your decision-makers
    • Goals and KPIs — what the site needs to do for the business
    • Target user profile and buyer journey
    • Competitive review of 3-5 comparable sites
    • Technical constraints — existing CRM, marketing tools, hosting, integrations, compliance

    What you deliver

    • Availability for a 60-90 minute kickoff
    • Access to analytics on the current site (if one exists)
    • Any brand guidelines, existing copy, and stakeholder input we should factor in

    Output: a short Discovery brief that summarizes what we heard and what we're building toward. You sign off before we move on.

  2. Phase 2: Strategy

    1 week

    Now we turn the brief into a plan. This is where scope gets locked in — pages, features, tech stack, and the shape of the site.

    What we do

    • Site architecture and page inventory
    • Content outline for each page (what needs to be said, in what order)
    • Tech stack decisions — CMS, hosting, third-party services
    • Confirmed timeline and milestone dates

    What you deliver

    • Feedback on the sitemap within 3 business days
    • Confirmation of any integrations (CRM, email platform, booking, payments)
    • A single point of contact for approvals

    Output: an approved sitemap and content plan. This becomes the blueprint the rest of the project is measured against.

  3. Phase 3: Design

    2–3 weeks

    Design happens in Figma so you can click through and comment in place. We start with wireframes to get structure right before anyone argues about button color, then move to high-fidelity mockups.

    What we do

    • Wireframes for key page templates
    • High-fidelity mockups in Figma (desktop and mobile)
    • 2-3 rounds of revisions built into the timeline
    • Design system components so future pages stay consistent

    What you deliver

    • Consolidated feedback within 3-5 business days per round (one voice, not five conflicting ones)
    • Final logos, brand assets, and any hero photography
    • Sign-off on mockups before we start building

    Output: approved designs for every page template.

  4. Phase 4: Build

    3–6 weeks

    Development happens in a staging environment you can visit anytime. We check in weekly with a working link and a short update — what shipped, what's next, what we need from you.

    What we do

    • Front-end and back-end development
    • CMS setup and template building
    • Third-party integrations
    • Content loading (yours or ours, depending on scope)
    • Weekly check-in call plus written status update

    What you deliver

    • Final copy and images by the agreed-upon date (see FAQ)
    • Prompt answers to questions raised in weekly check-ins
    • Access credentials for any third-party tools we're integrating with

    Output: a fully functional site on staging, content-complete, ready for QA.

  5. Phase 5: Launch and Care

    1 week

    Before anything goes live, we run the whole thing through QA and a performance audit. Then we cut over.

    What we do

    • Cross-browser and device QA
    • Accessibility check (WCAG 2.1 AA baseline)
    • Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse performance audit
    • SEO checks — redirects, metadata, sitemap, robots
    • Analytics and tracking setup
    • Go-live cutover with DNS coordination
    • 14-day post-launch bug-fix window included

    What you deliver

    • Final sign-off on staging
    • DNS access (or your registrar contact)
    • A decision on the optional Care Plan (see below)

    Output: a live website. Optionally, an ongoing Care Plan covering hosting, security updates, backups, monitoring, and a monthly pool of design and development hours.

What clients say

Don't just take our word for it.

  • Door Guard engaged Media Lion to bring our website into the 21st Century, and Jeff Seals did not disappoint. After landing a large contract with a Fortune 500 company, we needed an easy-to-use, interactive site that let their sales force create their own quotes and place their own orders — a huge productivity improvement for Door Guard.
    Briane Hartley President · Door Guard
    Case study
  • We needed a full online shop and Media Lion didn't disappoint. Our eshop is remarkably beautiful and fitting, and our online orders have skyrocketed so much that we can't keep up with inventory.
    The Brick Store eCommerce · North Haverhill, NH
    Case study
  • We gave Media Lion a very tight deadline and it was delivered ahead of it. Our National Signing Day was a huge success — the showcase site made all the difference in highlighting our rising stars.
    IMG Academy National Signing Day
    Case study

Ready to start?Let’s map out your project.

If your timeline lines up with ours and you want a partner who'll tell you the truth about scope, book a discovery call. We'll know within 30 minutes whether we're a fit.

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