How does WebCastelo work? From first request to launch

Many companies delay a digital project because they do not know what happens after the first contact. How long does it take? What do I need to prepare? When do I know the price? This article answers those questions in plain language so you can move forward with confidence.

The principle: one place for everything

Working with WebCastelo is not an endless exchange of messages. Every client gets a private area with the request, the project questions, files, the proposal, invoices, support and website scans. Everything about your project stays in one place, available at any time on desktop or mobile.

The journey in six stages

1. Choose what you need

You can start with a specific service such as a professional website, an online store, a booking system or custom software. If you are not sure yet, that is completely normal. Most clients arrive with a business goal rather than a technical specification.

In that case the easiest starting point is the solution finder. You answer a few questions about your business and get a clear direction on the type of platform that fits, with no commitment.

2. Start the request

The project request is a short form in normal language. We ask what your company does, who your customers are, what you want to achieve and whether anything already exists online. No technical knowledge required.

3. Create or access your account

Submitting the request creates your WebCastelo account, which gives access to the client area. If you come back later with a second project, you use the same account and keep the full history.

4. Answer the project questions

Each type of project has its own set of questions. An online store needs to know how many products there are and how shipping works. A booking system needs opening hours, resources and payment rules. These questions prevent surprises later, both in scope and in budget.

You do not have to answer everything at once. Anything left open can be completed later, and we flag whatever is genuinely blocking.

5. Upload your files

Logos, photos, texts, product lists, legal documents or existing credentials can be uploaded in the client area. They stay attached to the project, so nobody has to dig through an inbox six months later.

6. Everything appears in your dashboard

From this point the dashboard becomes the centre of the relationship. It shows the status of the request, the messages, the documents, the proposals and later the project itself. Nothing depends on someone remembering to forward an email.

7. We review the request

Every request is reviewed by a person, not by an automated system. We look at the commercial goal, the real complexity and the most efficient route to get there. Quite often a simpler and cheaper solution exists than the one the client had in mind, and we say so.

8. Questions and missing information

If context is missing, we ask through the platform. The answers stay attached to the request, so decisions remain traceable for both sides.

9. You receive the proposal

The proposal states what is included, what is not, the estimated timeline and the investment. When alternatives with different scopes make sense, we present the options so the decision is informed. No vague pricing and no numbers that quietly change halfway through.

10. Review and approve in your own area

You open and approve the proposal in the client area, with no printing or scanning. If you want to discuss a point first, you do that in the same place.

11. The project moves forward

After approval we start building. Depending on the project this covers structure, content, design, development, integrations, mobile testing and technical preparation for search. You can see progress and what is expected from you at each stage.

12. Launch

Before going live we check performance, mobile behaviour, forms, measurement, security and indexing. Launching is not just publishing. It is making sure what was built works and can be found.

13. After launch

This is where many projects stop, and it is one reason so many websites never produce results. After launch you can continue with SEO and growth, conversion optimisation, advertising or technical management through WebCastelo Care.

• Updates, backups and technical monitoring.
• Fixes and small improvements without starting a new project.
• Tracking of search visibility and conversions.
• Evolving the platform as the business changes.

What to prepare before starting

You do not need everything ready to move forward. Still, the clearer the essentials are, the faster we can present a realistic quote and the fewer changes appear halfway through.

• The commercial goal in one sentence, for example receiving quote requests from companies in the Porto area.
• The real list of services or products, even in draft form.
• Logo and photography, if they exist. If not, we suggest alternatives.
• Company details for the legal pages and the footer.
• Access to the current domain and hosting, if you already have an online presence.
• Examples of sites you like and, just as useful, examples of what you want to avoid.

If something is missing, we say exactly what blocks progress and what can wait. No project sits idle over a detail that can be solved later.

Who does what during the project

A frequent question is how much work stays on the client side. In practice the effort is concentrated at the start, during decisions and content.

Typical timelines

Timelines depend mostly on two things: the real complexity of the project and how quickly content becomes available. These values are indicative and always confirmed in the quote.

Transparency on costs and ownership

The quote separates the initial investment from recurring costs such as domain, hosting and maintenance. At the end of the project the domain and the content belong to the client, with access handed over in an organised way. We do not work with artificial dependencies.