How we work
Good work is not luck — it is a process you can see coming. Every Dotance project runs on the same backbone: discover, plan, design, build, test, launch. Below is exactly what happens at each stage, and how that backbone changes for the five things clients ask us to do most — design, custom development, redesigns, online stores and speed.
The approach
Whatever the brief, the work moves through the same six stages. What changes between a design job, a custom build or a speed engagement is the depth of each stage — not the order. Keeping the backbone constant is what lets us give you an honest timeline on day one and hit it.
We learn your goals, users and constraints, and audit what already exists — content, code, analytics and rankings — so decisions are based on evidence, not assumptions.
We turn findings into a written scope: what we are building, in what order, on what timeline, and how we will know it worked. No surprises later because everything is agreed up front.
Structure before decoration. We wireframe, then design against real content and every state — hover, empty, error, long-content — so what you approve is what gets built.
Clean, standards-based WordPress. Editable blocks with guardrails, a performance budget from the first commit, and code you or anyone else can maintain afterwards.
We test on real devices, real content and real load: accessibility, cross-browser, Core Web Vitals, forms, checkout and security — on a staging copy, before anyone else sees it.
A planned launch with redirects and monitoring, then a settling-in period. We watch the numbers for the first weeks and fix anything the real world surfaces.
The five sections below show how that backbone plays out for the work clients ask for most. Each one is a real, repeatable sequence — not a sales pitch.
01 · Website design
Design starts with what you publish and who publishes it — not with a colour palette. The goal is a system that still looks designed two years and a hundred edits later.
What you get: a documented design system, responsive layouts for every template, and specifications for every interaction state.
02 · Custom development
Custom development is where a design becomes something editors can actually run without breaking it. We build to WordPress standards so the site outlives any one developer.
What you get: a standards-based theme, editable blocks with guardrails, tested integrations and documentation your team can use.
03 · Redesign & migration
The biggest risk in a redesign is not design — it is losing the traffic the old site already earns. Our process protects rankings as a first-class requirement, not an afterthought.
What you get: a full redirect map, a pre-launch SEO parity report, and a monitored launch with rollback ready.
04 · WooCommerce & online stores
A store is only as good as its checkout and its integrations. We build the parts closest to revenue first, and test them under real conditions before launch.
What you get: a tested checkout, synced integrations, load and security checks, and conversion analytics from day one.
05 · Speed optimization
A green score in a lab tool is not a fast site for real users. Our process is a measurement loop that fixes causes at the source, so the gains survive the next plugin update.
What you get: a before-and-after field-data report, fixes at the source, and guardrails that keep the site fast.
Questions
If your situation isn't covered here, send us the details and we'll reply with a straight answer.
Most projects run between four and twelve weeks, depending on scope. A focused design or speed engagement is usually a few weeks; a full custom build or a WooCommerce store with integrations is longer. Because every project moves through the same six stages, we can give you a realistic, stage-by-stage timeline in the scope document before any work starts.
To begin discovery we need access to your current site and analytics, a clear picture of your goals, and one decision-maker who can give feedback and approvals. We do not need finished content or design assets on day one — the process is built to work from a realistic outline and develop the detail with you as we go.
Your heaviest involvement is at the start, during discovery and scope, and at the review points in each stage. Between those, we work independently and check in on an agreed rhythm. You will always know the current stage, the next stage and exactly what, if anything, we need from you — so the project never stalls waiting on a surprise request.
Often, yes. The discovery and audit stage tells us whether it is smarter to improve what you have or rebuild. Speed, security and maintenance work almost always builds on the existing site. A redesign may rebuild the front end while preserving your URLs, rankings and content. We recommend the option that serves the goal, not the bigger project.
We build with the native WordPress block editor and custom code, not heavy third-party page builders. That keeps the site fast, standards-based and maintainable by any WordPress developer afterwards. Editors still get flexible, editable blocks — but with locked patterns and a fixed palette, so the layout cannot be accidentally broken.
Each stage has a defined review point where you give consolidated feedback in one place, and we revise before moving on. Catching decisions at the right stage — structure during wireframes, look during design, behaviour during build — is far cheaper than changing them after launch, which is exactly why the process is ordered the way it is.
Launch is not the finish line. We monitor the site for the first weeks and fix anything the real world surfaces, then offer ongoing maintenance and support — updates, backups, monitoring and continuous optimisation — so the site stays fast, secure and current instead of slowly decaying.
