How Long Does it Take to Build a Website?
If you’re creating a website, you’re probably eager to get it up and running as quickly as possible. However, if you are developing a website for the first time, it can be hard to estimate how long it will take.
One of the primary questions that arise in your mind is, “how long does it take to build a website?”
There is no fixed answer to this question. In general, your website development timeline is heavily based on the development platform you choose and from whom you develop your website.
Anyone having proper knowledge of website development can define the estimated timeline. Being a website development company, we are familiar with the ins and outs of website development. Hence, we will provide you with a website development timeline.
In general, the website development timeline involves some primary phases. The time required in these phases depends on the project objectives and complexity.
In this blog, we will provide the estimated time taken by each phase for website development.
But, before we look at these phases, we will provide you with the estimated time to build a website using different methods.
So, let us start.
The Average Time to Build a Website
The estimated time to build a website using any CMS like WordPress is about 2-3 weeks. However, the estimated time to build a website using a builder is about 1-2 days.
Lastly, the estimated time for creating a custom website with a reliable budget is about 4 to 6 months.
After knowing the estimated website development timeline, let us look at the time required in each phase of website development.
How Long Does it Take to Build a Website (In 6 Phases)
Phase 1. Research & Selection (1 Week to 1 Month)
The first & foremost step is choosing a suitable developer or company for your website. Depending on the project requirements & budgets, you can research and go with a reliable developer.
If you are running a small company and want to create a small website to represent your business online, you should go with a smaller developer company. You can quickly compare some of the well-known firms in the industry and choose a suitable one. This process will take 1 week.
If you are running a huge company and want to create a website, then more people will get involved in choosing a development company. Hence, it would take a maximum of 1 month.
In both cases, your end goal is to choose a professional website development company that delivers your project on time within your budget.
Here, the most suitable strategy is to look out for companies on B2B platforms and make a list. Then compare the companies based on their reputation & portfolio. Lastly, choose a development company that best suits your brand.
Phase 2. Initial Communication & Define Goals (1 to 3 Weeks)
After choosing a suitable developer or company, the next most important thing is to approach them and define some of the primary goals.
Here you have got two options. First, you can share primary details about your project and give complete freedom to them to decide all things and execute in their way.
Second, you have an extensive idea about the website and what your final outcome should be.
When you only share basic details, they have to do the hard work of researching your brand and sending proposals.
On the contrary, the best strategy is to have a structure of what your website looks like and what essential elements it should have. The experienced developer or company would provide you feedback on which features would work and which don’t.
The entire process would consume your 1 to 3 weeks. You will communicate with the developer or company you hire via different mediums like Skype, email, etc.
Ensure that the developer or company asks various questions about the project before signing the contract & initiating the project. If they start the project without asking questions, then something is fishy. You should think twice before allocating work to them.
Phase 3. Create an Action Plan (1 to 2 Weeks)
Based on your project requirements and goals, the developer or company will create an action plan and share it with you.
It’s your turn to review the action plan thoroughly and know whether it suits well with your expectations. If you are satisfied with their plan, you can provide a green signal to them to initiate the project.
If you want some changes, you can provide suggestions to them. They will carry out necessary modifications and create an action plan again.
This stage will consume a minimum of one to two weeks as you would constantly communicate with the developer or company.
Phase 4. Website Design (1 to 3 Weeks)
After creating an action plan, the next thing is to move forward with the website design. Whether you have hired a developer or the company, they should provide you with mockups of all the website pages. These pages could be the homepage, about us, service pages, product pages, etc.
For those who don’t know, mockups are sketches that provide an idea of what the final website would appear like. It is the best time to offer feedback about your project to the developer or company.
You should check the mockup and provide feedback or ask any questions to the developer or company. They will update the mockup because they haven’t yet started the development.
After the development phase starts, it is really challenging to change the design. Moreover, these changes affect the website development timeline.
The entire stage would take around 1 to 3 weeks. Make sure to remain involved with the process by asking questions & offering suggestions until the final design is approved.
Phase 5. Website Development (1 to 2 Months)
Website development is the most crucial phase in the entire process. After approving your design, it’s time to convert it into a fully-functional website.
Based on the complexity and your project requirement, the website development phase would take about one or two months. It would consume more time as you might face several setbacks. Besides this, there is a possibility of any unplanned emergencies.
While working on this phase, you should constantly remain connected with the developer or company. Experienced developers would constantly share project details with the help of screenshots and how things are actually going. If they don’t, you should proactively get involved with them.
If you think the website doesn’t look like the mockup, then you should inform the team immediately. Even though the process would make the timeline bigger, it is worth it. Instead of taking one or two months in development, it would take three to four months. However, it is worth it.
Phase 6. Website Review & Modification (1 to 2 Weeks)
After your website gets designed & developed, it is time to go through the revision of the website. You should go through the entire website and check how it works and looks. Ensure your website functions as planned before initiating the website development process.
There is a high possibility of some modifications even after the development. These changes are normal & expected.
In general, you would fix complex issues during the initial phases of the website development. Chances are there would be some minor errors that can be fixed within a few days. If you think there are still major issues, resolve them before launching your site. The entire phase would take one or two weeks.
Conclusion
We hope you have got an answer to the question, how long does it take to develop a website.
If you have decided to build a website, you have three options. If you want to build & launch a website quickly, you can go with a builder or a CMS. If you have enough budget & time, you can go with custom website development. The time required to create a professional website is 4-6 months.
If you still have doubts related to the website development timeline, you can reach out to us.
WebyKing is a professional website development company. We have created some of the best websites for clients using CMS & custom. Hence, we can understand your requirements well and provide a solution within your budget.