How long does it take to build a website and what are the factors that impact a web design timeline? Is it worth hiring a professional web developer or can you make a website on your own? Here’s everything to know about how much time and effort it takes to design a site and how to ensure the best web design and development outcome.
What Is Web Design and Web Development?
Before we can answer: How long does it take to build a website, we should first answer What is web development?
Web development is a term used to describe the process of creating, building, and maintaining a website. The main elements of web development include design, programming, hosting, publishing, and database management.
There are a few different types of web development, including:
- Front-end
- Back-end
- Full-stack
Having a design team build your website allows you to reap many different benefits. When you build your website, you can boost user experience, combine functionality with style, boost sales and revenue, and attract more customers. What’s more, a professionally designed site will help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and allow you to give users a mobile-friendly, responsive, and fast experience.
How Long Does It Take To Build a Website in 2024?
How long does it take to build a website and what does it take to design a website that will attract customers and boost revenue?
Before we can give a definitive answer, it’s important to know that there are countless factors that go into developing a website. The complexity of the site, the different design elements, the type of website being built, and much more all go into figuring out how long it takes to create a website.
Manually vs. AI
If you’re looking to create a somewhat basic website and speed is of the essence, one way to make production shorter is to use Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI website builders can help with building a site or even creating a website from scratch.
However, it’s important to note that while AI assistants can be incredibly helpful during the design and development process, it becomes incredibly difficult if you want a site that’s a bit more complex. Whether it’s an eCommerce website or a WordPress website, chances are, you will likely need help from a professional developer.
DIY vs. Website Developers
Another piece of the puzzle that answers the question: How long does it take to build a website is who’s doing it? A professional website developer will take less time to create a custom website and do a website launch than a novice would. If you don’t have the knowledge and experience, building a website can take several months.
Creating a multi-page website takes more time than building a simple one, as every page (especially if it’s custom) adds more time to your website-building process. What’s more, multilingual sites or complex pages can take months to create and can take up a lot of time and resources.
Static vs. Dynamic
Deciding whether to create a static or dynamic site is another factor that will significantly impact the time it takes to finish the project. Static websites can be relatively easy (and quick) to put together, especially if you’re using templates or pre-designed layouts.
However, having a website with dynamic content, which can include real-time updates or interactive features, typically takes more time. That’s because it often involves custom development work, where coding, integration, and database design are key tasks.
Not only that, but dynamic websites also require testing and debugging to ensure proper functionality across different devices and browsers. That said, they are more engaging and can help you keep visitors on the page for a longer time.
Website Design and Development Timelines
So how long does it take to build a website? Whether it’s a complex or simple website, the design and development process usually follows the same steps, with differing deadlines. Here’s everything to know about the timelines, projections, and the average time to build a site.
Filling out a Web Design Questionnaire
If you want to build a website with professional help, the typical first step is filling out a questionnaire. A website questionnaire consists of a list of questions that will give your design team a better understanding of your preferences, target audience, and more.
The questionnaire will also help the designers learn more about your business, what you do, your selling process, and what your customers expect from you. The entire process of receiving and filling out a design questionnaire shouldn’t take more than a few days.
Creating Wireframes
The next step to building a functional website is creating wireframes that outline the basic structure of your main pages. Essentially, these wireframes will act as blueprints for the entire site.
The colour and copy-free document will show the structure and layout of the key pages. Also, they will outline gray boxes to show where the images, text, and CTAs will be placed. The entire process of the designer creating a wireframe and you approving it shouldn’t take more than a week.
Creating a Mockup
Based on the information provided during the previous stages, the designer will start creating the initial mockup design. This phase can take typically 5–7 days, but it can last longer as the designer has to create an entire model of your website homepage.
For the mockup, they will use your brand elements, colours, and typography to create something that represents your brand. The mockup will give you a good understanding of how the website will look and function once it’s launched.
Reviewing the Design Proof and Giving Feedback
Once you receive your mockup, it’s time to review it and give feedback. It’s important to carefully examine all the design elements of the site and provide valuable feedback that the professional designer can work off of.
It’s also important to remember that the mockup is only a representation of the website, and it might not be easy to get it perfect the first time around. That’s why it’s essential that you communicate with the designer and offer any advice for improvement.
Depending on how many edits you make in each review and how long the designers take to get back to you, this process can last a few days or a few weeks. When you approve the final design of the mockup, the developers can begin building your site.
Website Building
With the final mockup now approved, the website creation process can begin. But how long does it take to build a website? Well, as you can probably tell by now, the website build can take anywhere between a few weeks to a month, depending on the complexity of the site itself.
A multi-page site with interactive features and custom options will take longer than a simple, one-page website. One of the best ways to ensure your vision is being brought to life just how you wanted it to is to ask for progress updates on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. These check-ins and updates can help you stay in the loop regarding any potential problems.
By having these updates, you will also be able to ensure the content you sent over or requested doesn’t have any errors.
Testing
Before your site can go live, it needs to go through rigorous testing to ensure everything is working as it’s supposed to. The larger the site, the longer the testing will take, and it can last between 2–10 days. If the development team finds any errors during the testing stage, they’ll need to correct them before they can launch the site.
Reviewing and Approving
Once the team is finished testing your site, you will get a preview link. At this stage, you need to closely analyze your site, paying close attention to the navigation, content, theme, responsiveness, and elements.
If there are any changes you want to make at this stage, let your development team know. Unless you want to make some really big and drastic changes, this step shouldn’t take more than a few days. When the designer or developer makes the changes, make sure you review the website one last time.
Launching
Once you give your development team the green light, your site will be ready to go live. Now, it’s time to enjoy your perfectly designed site and start getting it out in the world so others can find you.
So all in all, from concept to launch, the entire web development process can take from a couple of weeks to a few months.
The Common Delays During the Website Development Process
Now that we’ve answered: How long does it take to build a website, we also have to answer What can cause delays to the project? The truth is, countless factors can slow down the process and both business owners and web developers have a hand in them.
No Access to CMS or Domain Host
If your developers don’t have access to your website’s content management system (CMS) or domain host, they can start any proper work. Without it, developers can’t write access to your site, which means they can’t complete a custom design project.
Heavy Custom Coding
Heavy custom coding takes quite a lot of time. Typically, theme-based builds take less time than custom because they don’t require as many man-hours.
Excessive Revisions
While it’s, of course, important that you’re completely satisfied with your site, know that too many revisions will inevitably slow down your project. Even though each revision cycle takes a few days, the development team has to wait for your feedback until they can implement changes.
A few ways to ensure your revisions don’t cause too many delays is to be as comprehensive as you can when doing your reviews. Include all of your comments and send them over as a whole rather than sending a new comment or idea every few days.
Lack of Direction
Not being certain what you want from the start is not unusual, but it isn’t the best way to approach your website. For someone to design and build your website from scratch, they need a clear direction. Otherwise, the team could create something that doesn’t align with your vision without meaning to.
If you don’t know exactly what you want, try to look at what your competitors are doing and draw some inspiration there. You can send your designers a few websites and explain what you like and how you’d like your site to look.
Benefits of Professional Website Design and Website Development Services
Investing in professional website design and development services can offer numerous benefits to businesses and individuals. Here’s how a professional team of designers from Guru SEO can help you with professional web design and development services.
Enhanced User Experience
A professionally designed website ensures an exceptional user experience with intuitive navigation, responsive design, and fast loading times. This keeps visitors engaged and reduces bounce rates.
Improved SEO
Expert web development boosts your search engine rankings with clean code, optimized content, and SEO best practices. This enhances your visibility and attracts more organic traffic.
Strong Branding
A custom design aligned with your brand identity makes your site stand out and builds credibility. High-quality graphics and consistent branding create a memorable impression.
Increased Security
Professionals implement robust security measures, use secure hosting, and regularly update their sites to protect against threats and ensure data protection. This safeguards your site and user information.
Scalability and Flexibility
Professional websites are scalable and flexible, allowing for easy addition of new features and functionalities as your business grows. This future-proofs your site.
Cost and Time Efficiency
Though the initial investment may be higher, professional design reduces long-term costs by minimizing the need for frequent fixes and updates. It also saves you time, letting you focus on your core business activities.
Higher Conversion Rates
Expertly designed websites are optimized for conversions, with clear calls to action and user journeys that lead to higher sales, sign-ups, or other goals.
Ongoing Support
Professional services offer ongoing technical support and regular maintenance, ensuring your website remains functional, up-to-date, and free of issues.
Competitive Edge
A professionally designed website sets you apart from competitors with basic or outdated designs, enhancing your credibility and professional image.
Better Analytics
Professionals set up comprehensive analytics tools, allowing you to track user behaviour and gather valuable insights to make informed decisions and optimize your strategies.
Final Thoughts on How Long Does It Take to Build a Website
We hope to have answered your question: How long does it take to build a website and what the whole process entails?
If you want your website to be fast, responsive, and beautiful, contact Guru SEO Services today. Our team of experienced designers and developers can help bring your vision to life and ensure your website represents you and your brand.
