What is the Average Time It Takes to Build a Website? Check out the full process!

A good website is very crucial to represent your business online. Hence, while developing there are many factors we need to consider; one of them is time. 

Presenting the website to the right audience at the right time is of utmost importance. Therefore one should get the building, testing, and deploying done in proper time so that you don’t lose potential customers and they can get the proper gist about your business and services. 

Now, the important question that you probably are wondering about is – how long does it take to create a website?

Well, the answer to that question really depends on what kind of website you need. You cannot simply ask this question and expect an accurate time duration as an answer in which development of the website could be done. 

Below are some questions you and your software development team should know to give you an estimate of the duration. 

In this blog, we will be considering all the factors which will give you an approximate duration of the development of the website. Let’s get started! 

A Quick Look at How the Website Development Process Works:

First of all, it is crucial to understand that no website is identical. An individual cannot claim that in exactly how many hours/days/weeks/months your website will be ready. 

It takes adequate time for the company to sum up your ideas and requirements and put them into action to create a website. There are numerous variables to take into consideration, which makes it difficult for the developer to give you estimates of the development of a website.

Have a look at the website development process to have a better idea about the duration – 

1. Sharing your requirements with the person or team you are working with.
2. Putting together a plan of action followed by a backup plan.
3. Have a look at the wireframes (mockups) for your site’s design, and approve it or ask for the required changes. 
4. Having a final revision round to authenticate the website and its design before publishing it.

Many people are unaware, that process of building a website starts long before a developer starts coding. The process starts when the team starts going through your wants and needs. It is very crucial to understand the needs of the customer properly to avoid waste of resources such as time and money. 

It does not matter if the website is small or big, it is mandatory to have comprehensive awareness about it.

Let’s move toward the timeline of creating a website. 

6 Stages of creating a website and the average time duration each stage takes:

1) Discovery and planning:

The very step of website development is an analysis of requirements, research, and planning. The minimum duration for researching and planning would be around 80 hours, which means around 2 weeks. The first stage is the project’s foundation and will decide your website’s future. So, make sure you are putting your best put forward for the same.  

Here are a few things to consider – 

• Performance needs are listed.
• High-level mockups that closely resemble the final design and its flow.
• User stories are assembled into a PRL (prioritized reqs list).
• MVP scope is defined (milestones and timelines).

Usually, the team or the developer is supposed to start with research and reviews, technical specs, and designs of the project requirements. 

And clients are supposed to fill in the briefs and answer the questions related to their visions and goals, critical design elements and choices, the value proposition of the business, the structure of selling, etc. the details can be discussed via phone calls or video conferences. 

The team usually develops a site map in order to identify the overall content structure. As the client approves it, the team or the developer can the necessary tech required and make mockups. 

A quick tip: This phase is considered one of the most crucial phases in terms of communication. To clarify the details and grasp business requirements, the development company need to conduct numerous phone calls and video conferences. And active participation and responsiveness of the client are necessary so that the work can be done seamlessly.

2) Content creation

After research & planning, the next step is content creation is another critical step in the website development process which would take around 80+ hours. 

The process of acquiring the content could be really time-consuming for larger projects. Adequate content planning is mandatory to get the desired end results. 

So, here’s a quick question – What kind of content should be there on a website? Well, the answer is simple: practical, reliable & eye-catching.

Such content isn’t limited to audio, video, texts, or pre-existing content. CTAs, headings, sub-headings, and keywords should be placed appropriately to get their maximum potential. 

The teams or the developer should begin the process of writing content after planning the site and before the designing phase. 

Doing so will definitely save a lot of time and might even save the time & efforts of the whole team:

• Such as not changing the design due to content. 
• Making design compatible with the text.
• SEO-friendly text along with design to make sure a higher SERP ranking. 

Moreover, it will also improve the website’s presence and usability. Content accuracy plays quite a crucial role as every omission results in overtime and stretching of the budget. The timeline for this stage varies too much and is not dependent only on the no. of web pages. 

3) UI/UX design

Moving further, after content creation – the next step we have is UI/UX design which requires between 4 to 50 hours. This step is crucial when a user visits your site, and you have to make their visit worthwhile with your user-friendly and appealing design. 

The developer should consider user-friendliness, business requirements, info available, mockups, and content from the following stage to make the pixel-perfect presentation of the website.

The colors, font, design, and everything around should be SEO friendly and relates to the company’s brand image to make it look related to your business requirements. 

Before the final design, the development company should develop wireframes which usually consist of the homepage/landing page design, mobile views, internal views, etc., to match the company’s requirements. 

The mockups are then presented to the company, followed by the feedback given, and then the final approval comes. It will save you enough amount of time, effort, and resources as well. 

4) Web development / coding

Then comes the web development stage, which would take around 15 to 20 hours. As soon as the content and design are ready, the developers can start with the front-end development. 

Whereas the backend development will require a significant amount of time if the website wants complex queries, integration with third-party services, etc. Considering other factors such as tech used, the requirement of changes, no. of people working on a particular project, etc., will also affect the duration of website development. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure quality outcomes – 

• Testing should be done throughout the phase to ensure the product’s quality. 
• The problem in coding would cost you your entire project, so make sure you do follow through with the process and best-in-class coding standards. 
• Also, make sure to get access to top-notch resources and expert developers for quality results in the end. 

Client feedback plays a pivotal role in the whole process, including this stage. So, make sure to keep them in the loop through the class and the best project management tools to ensure everything is going according to their plan. 

Ask for proper feedback and ask/ suggest changes wherever they feel like it. 

5) Beta testing & modification: 

This stage usually requires less time as compared to other stages. Beta testing and modifications need a time duration of 8 or more hours. Before launch, a last test of the final and fully functional product should be conducted to ensure your users can experience a hassle-free experience. 

The developers and testers must run the final product through tests and review the code to ensure that the final product matches the specs and approved design. 

Here are a few problems that you are more likely to face and can eliminate with this stage – 

• Errors such as slow-loading pages, non-loading pages, typos, webpage glitches, etc., are easy to find as compared to other errors. 
• The team needs to check the appropriate functioning of the product throughout different kinds of web browsers, devices, search engines, etc.
• Feedback regarding design, functionality, errors, or content that users and investors give should also be considered.

One final formal approval is required before making the website available and accessible to the users. 

Many users don’t even consider this stage throughout their website development process. But, this is the most crucial process you should consider! 

You are now wondering why? 

This is because many times during this formality errors are found, which are fixed before the final launch of the website. 

Does it affect the launch time of the website? Yes, due to these errors, such as incomplete content, the publishing of a website is delayed.

6) Official launch:  

The last & final step in the website development process is the official launch of the website. This stage also requires a duration of 8 or more hours. As soon as all the parameters of beta testing are fulfilled, all formalities are done, and the final approval from the owner is obtained – the website is all set for launch. 

It’s time to make the website public so that users can use it. After the launch, the site would require some feedback and revisions until it looks and works properly. 

After the launch, you should also take feedback from users and visitors to make suggestions. The developer or the team should try to interact with the users and ask them questions regarding the proper functioning of the website and their personal opinion. 

Below are some of the questions you should keep in mind to ensure your website is user-friendly and compatible with market trends. 

• Did you face any kind of issue while you were using this website?
• What kind of issues did you face?
• How often do you face this issue?

Conclusion: 

Considering the above mention stages of Planning and discovery (80+ hours), Content creation (80+ hours), UX/UI design (48+ hours), Web development (16+ hours), Beta testing and modification (8+ hours), Official launch (8+ hours). 

It will take around a total of 240 hours which means around 1-month toc complete the entire website development process. 

Moreover, the time duration required to develop a website varies considerably based on features, type of website, type of framework, industry and other related factors, no. of people working for the project, the expertise of the team or the developer, pages of the website, type of design and interface requested by the owner, availability of devices and technology, and so on affect the time duration required to develop a site. 

So, if you are looking for a cost estimate for your website development project, then you can contact us now.