With over 2.14 billion people worldwide shopping online, it’s evident that you need to have an online presence if you want your brand to succeed. If you don’t have a website, you may be wondering how long it would take to get a website up and running.
The design and cost of a website are typical concerns when you are building a website, but there is another that you should consider, time. The longer it takes to get your website built, tested, and deployed, the more potential clients you could be losing to competitors who are already online.
But how long does it take to build a quality website? And what factors go into that timeframe? This article will explain what is involved in the website development process and how long it takes to build a functional website from start to finish.
An Overview of Website Development
Although you can design and build a website for your company in-house, most businesses outsource this task to a web development firm or a freelancer to ensure that their website is reliable and usable.
And while looking at a website, it may seem like it would be simple to create a menu, place a button here or there, add some images, and voila! However, while it may seem simple, a lot is going on to get to that point. Web developers use HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, and other programming languages to create your ideal website.
Steps of Building a Website
First, we’re going to review the steps of building a website and give you an estimate of how long each step may take. Keep in mind that these timeframes are estimates, and it could take more time or less time, depending on circumstances.
Research & Select Your Developer
The first step is to choose your developer. You will want to work with a developer with a reputation for on-time delivery of tasks while consistently remaining on budget. It’s also essential to choose a developer who aligns with the style and aesthetic of your brand.
Depending on your needs and budget, this step could take between a week and a month.
Initial Communication & Setting Goals
After you choose a developer, you will need to meet with them to discuss your website goals. You have a couple of options here.
You can allow the developer to make the decisions for your website based on the information you provide them about your vision and mission of your brand and what outcome you are looking for. Or, you can come up with an idea of what you envision your finished website to look like.
Keep in mind that if you leave the developer to decide about the design of your website, that means they have to spend more time getting to know your brand and will create multiple proposals for you. However, if you provide even a general outline of what you want, they can give feedback on what would work, what wouldn’t, and what they believe could improve your website.
This step of the process could take anywhere from a week to three weeks.
Create an Action Plan
After learning about your vision for your website, your developer will create multiple website plans to share with you. At this time, you can select a plan and give your feedback or specific revisions or additions. Your developer will then revise the plan as necessary per your input.
This step could take a week or two as you will be communicating back and forth with your web developer.
Design Mock-Up
Your developer will then provide you with mock-ups of how your finished website would look. These will give you an idea of where things such as web copy, images, and buttons will appear on your site and the approximate scale of the items.
You should receive a mock-up of each page that will be part of your website. This is the point in time where your feedback is ideal. If there is anything about the mock-up that you don’t like, speak up. Since your website is still in the development stage, it will be easy to make changes.
Keep in mind that the more changes you make, the more it will affect your timeline. Typically it takes about two to three weeks of revisions and mock-up versions before approving a design.
In-Depth Development
At this point, your developer will take the mock-ups that you approved and turn them into your website. Your developer should be contacting you regularly to keep you updated on the progress of your project, along with a snapshot of the progression.
If you notice something that wasn’t part of the plan or that doesn’t look like an approved mock-up, be sure to mention it. It’s easier to fix something at this stage than it is once your website goes live.
Depending on the complexity and size of your website, this part of the process could take one to two months, possibly longer if you are making a substantial amount of revisions or additions.
Review Site & Make Revisions
Your developer will send it to you for review now that your site has been designed, tested, and optimized. Carefully review the website and make sure it looks and performs as expected.
If you have reviewed the mock-ups provided thus far, there should only be minor changes that need to be made, if any. Checking the site and identifying any issues will take between one and two weeks.
Get a Professional Website That Generates More Leads
For a professionally designed website, you can anticipate a timeline of about five to six months. This may seem like a long time, and understandably, you would want your website to launch as soon as possible. However, it’s essential to ensure that you provide a responsive website that potential customers can easily use to find the information they need.
At KangoMedia, we design websites and digital marketing campaigns that convert website visitors into leads and paying customers. We are focused on helping you grow your business. We’re more than a service provider. We’re your partner in growth.
Let’s talk about your business! Contact us today for a free consultation.