You might be wondering what it’s like to work with us on your next CMS project. In this article, learn about our CMS process and how we’ll work together.
Over the years, we’ve finely tuned our CMS service to ensure a smooth run and the best websites for our clients.
At the same time, HubSpot CMS has come a long way since its first release. It has so much potential, which we routinely help our clients unlock over the course of their project with us.
Today, our CMS process is made up of four phases. Along the way, you’ll work with experts from across our team. Read on to find out more about who those experts are, what each step involves, and how we’ll transform your website into one that works for your business.
Preparing for a new website? Take our CMS requirements quiz to find out what you need from your next CMS platform.
Our 4-step CMS process
Key page flow
The first stage of our CMS process is called ‘key page flow’.
This stage is all about figuring out your new sitemap. Think of it as a blueprint. You wouldn’t build a house without first knowing how it was all set out and where everything is going.
We apply the same principle when building your new website.
To define the best sitemap for your website, we need to first understand what you need from it. We’ll run a discovery workshop together to work this out, so everyone’s on the same page.
During this workshop, we’ll:
- document your goals for the new website — what do you need it to achieve?
- review your brand guidelines — are up to date and relevant or do they need revising?
- review your website data — which pages are working well and what’s important?
- review your site content — what is fit for purpose and what needs to be updated/written?
- review your competitors’ websites — how are they performing and what design cues have they taken? Why?
This information will help us to propose a new, more effective sitemap for your new website. It will also tell us which of your webpages are the most important. Drawing from best practice, we’ll wireframe and update/create new copy for those three pages, giving us an idea of what modules are needed and what information needs to be communicated.
Most importantly, we’ll agree on a go-live date for when your new website will launch.
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Design discovery
The second stage of our CMS process is called ‘design discovery’.
The aim of this stage is to dig into your brand. To do this, we’ll run a creative workshop. Over the course of the session, we’ll explore how you want your website to look and feel.
Afterwards, we’ll take what we’ve learned and put it into practice designing the modules for your key pages. (Headers, banners, footers, CTAs etc.) We’ll present the mockups, which will give you an idea of how the design ideas we’ve discussed translate into page elements.
When you’ve reviewed and fed back on the mockups, we’ll then roll out the designs across the rest of your modules.
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First design look
The third stage of our CMS process is called ‘first design look’.
Taking the modules you’ve approved, we’ll mockup your key pages in full. This includes adding the copy that the copywriter has been working on, behind the scenes.
We’ll present these key pages to you so you can see how everything looks and fits together. We’ll work through any feedback and revisions you’d like to see until we have your approval.
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CMS implementation
The fourth stage of our CMS process is called ‘CMS implementation’.
At this stage, all the designs, module mockups, and pages go to our developers to be built. They’ll create the theme, a style guide, and all your modules (up to a limit) in HubSpot.
If you’d like, we can also put all the website copy into the pages as they’re built, although some clients prefer to take on this role themselves.
Finally, we complete CMS training with your team. This includes showing them how to create new pages, how to add content, how to upload assets like images, and more. Once the project is finished, your team should feel confident managing the website going forward.
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Aftercare and maintaining your website
Your new website is live and ready to start working hard for your business. As you can see below, we receive consistently high praise for the quality of all the websites we build and our work with HubSpot CMS Hub. We’re sure you’ll love your new site, too.
“BabelQuest helped us design a new website and migrate from Squarespace to HubSpot CMS in just over four months, and the results are amazing. We provided BabelQuest and their sister agency our new brand guidelines, which they transformed into a beautiful, converting and technically sound site. I found BabelQuest really easy to work with, they're proactive, open to feedback and challenge the status quo. The project management of the whole project was impeccable and we even had fun along the way!” James Lock, Digital Marketing Manager, eduMe
If, like James, you really enjoy your experience working with us, it doesn’t have to end with your project. Some clients choose to engage us for ongoing website support.
We offer two options for this — a growth-driven design (GDD) retainer or a maintenance retainer. If you’d like to chat about either of these, just book some time with me.
Preparing for a new website? Take our CMS requirements quiz and find out what you need from your next CMS platform.
