Building the FTF website: process and next steps
This document explains how we work, what happens at each stage, and what we need from you along the way. There is nothing urgent here. Read it when you have a moment, and answer the questions at the end whenever you are ready.
- Project
- Community website
- Timeline
- 3 to 4 weeks
- Status
- Started
- Prepared for
- Future Technology Female
How we build it
Eight stages, in order. Each one ends with something you can look at and approve, so you always know where the project stands.
1Discovery and requirementsCurrent stage
We study your five reference sites and collect your notes on what you liked in each one. This is the stage we are in now, and your feedback on the references is what moves us to the next step.
2Homepage design
We design and build the homepage first. This is where the visual direction of the whole site gets decided: colors, typography, spacing, imagery, and tone.
3Homepage approvalKey milestone
We refine the homepage together until you are happy with it. Once you approve it, the visual direction is locked and every remaining page follows it.
4Inner pages
About, Programs, Events, News, Membership, Resources, and Contact, all built on the direction you already approved.
5Functionality
Member registration and login, the news publishing workflow, the downloadable resources library, and your admin panel for managing all of it.
6Stripe payments
We connect your Stripe account, set up the monthly and annual membership plans, build the checkout, and test the full payment flow end to end. This stage needs your Stripe account to be ready, so it is the one worth setting up early.
7Content and revisions
We populate real content and work through your revision rounds. Three rounds are included, and a round means one set of comments gathered together after you review a version.
8Testing and launch
Domain, hosting, and business email setup, then final testing across desktop and mobile before we go live. A 14 day bug fix warranty starts on launch day.
Why we start with the homepage
The homepage carries the visual identity of the entire site. Approving it first means every other page gets built once, on a direction you already like, instead of being redesigned later. It keeps the project faster and more predictable for both of us.
What we need from you
Some of this is optional, and none of it blocks us from starting. Send things over as they become available.
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Logo and brand colorsoptional
If FTF already has a logo and defined brand colors, send us the files and we will build around them. If not, that is completely fine: we will propose a visual direction based on your reference sites, and you approve it before we go further.
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Photosoptional
Team photos, event shots, or anything showing your community. If you do not have them yet, we will use high quality stock images and swap them out later.
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Written contentoptional
Your mission, program descriptions, founder story, or testimonials. If writing is not where you want to spend your time, we prepare draft text and you edit it.
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Domain
Do you already own a domain for FTF? If yes, let us know where it is registered so we can handle the connection. If not, we register one for you as part of the project.
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Stripe account
You need your own Stripe account to receive membership payments. If you do not have one, we will walk you through the setup. Verification can take a few days, so it is worth starting early rather than at the end.
Questions to confirm
Answering these lets us finalize the structure. If it is easier to talk it through, we are happy to do it on a call instead.
Pages
- Does this list look right: Home, About, Programs, Events, News, Membership, Resources, Contact?
- Anything you want to add or remove?
- Should Events be a full page or a preview section on the homepage?
News
- Who will publish the news, you or someone on your team?
- Do you need categories, for example announcements, community, industry?
- Roughly how often do you plan to post?
Membership
- What price do you want for the monthly and annual plans?
- One membership level, or several tiers?
- What do members get that visitors do not?
- Should anything be members only, such as resources, events, or news?
Free resources
- What kind of files, for example guides, templates, or reports?
- Roughly how many at launch?
- Free for everyone, or should visitors leave an email to download?
Contact and forms
- Which fields do you want on the contact form?
- Which email address should submissions go to?
- Do you want a speaking or event request form like the one on Supply Chain Gals?
A few extras
- Which social media accounts should we link to?
- Do you collect newsletter signups, and with which tool?
- Is there an advisory board or team section you want on the About page?
Next steps
- Send your notes on the five reference sites: what caught your eye in each one.
- Answer the questions above, here in the chat or on a quick call.
- We start on the homepage right away and share it for your review.