My Process for Freelance WordPress Projects, Start to Finish

1. Discovery Call

Every project starts with a conversation, not a quote. Before any number gets put on paper, I need to understand what you’re actually trying to achieve — more leads, a faster site, a rebuild of something that’s fallen behind, or a brand new business getting online for the first time.

This is also where I flag anything that might affect scope early, rather than it becoming a surprise halfway through the build.

2. Proposal & Scope

Once I understand the project, I put together a clear proposal: what’s included, what it costs, and a realistic timeline. No vague “let’s see how it goes” — you know exactly what you’re getting before you commit.

If the scope is more involved (say, a WooCommerce store with custom integrations), I’ll break it into phases so you’re not stuck approving one giant number upfront.

3. Planning & Structure

Before any code gets written, I map out the site structure — pages, user flow, and how the content should be organised. Getting this right early avoids expensive restructuring later, and it’s a step a lot of cheaper, rushed builds skip entirely.

For redesigns, this is also where I audit the existing site: what’s working, what’s actively hurting performance or conversions, and what can be carried over versus rebuilt.

4. Design

Depending on the project, this is either me working from your existing brand guidelines or collaborating with a designer to get the visual direction right before development starts. Either way, you’ll see and approve the design before a single page gets built.

5. Development

This is where the site actually gets built. Clean, custom code rather than bloated page-builder output wherever possible. I build in stages and share progress along the way, rather than disappearing for weeks and reappearing with a finished product.

Depending on the project, this covers things like custom theme development, WooCommerce setup, plugin configuration, and any integrations the site needs (CRMs, booking systems, payment gateways, and so on).

6. Testing

Before anything goes live, it gets properly tested across browsers, devices, and screen sizes. I also check load speed, broken links, form functionality, and basic security hardening. This is the step that separates a site that looks fine on launch day from one that actually holds up.

7. Launch

Once everything’s checked and approved, the site goes live. I handle the technical side of the migration. Everything from DNS and hosting setup to page redirects, so nothing gets lost or broken in the process, and your existing SEO rankings are protected wherever possible.

8. Support & Handover

Launch isn’t the end of the relationship. I provide a proper handover — how to manage your own content if that’s something you want to do, plus documentation for anything custom-built. For clients who want ongoing support, ongoing maintenance and updates are also available, so the site doesn’t just get built and abandoned.

Why This Matters

A lot of the horror stories I hear from clients who’ve been burned before come down to the same thing: no real process. A freelancer who quotes a number, disappears, and reappears with something that doesn’t match what was discussed.

Having a structured process isn’t just good practice — it’s what makes a project predictable.

If you’re planning a WordPress project and want to know what working together would look like, get in touch and I’ll walk you through it.