This year, more than 2.14 billion people expect to buy goods and services online. That statistic provides a simple takeaway: for your brand to succeed. You must have an online presence, which begins with a website.
While design and cost are frequently top priorities. There is another critical factor to consider when developing these digital content delivery frameworks: time. The longer you wait to build, test, and deploy your website, the more potential customers you lose to competitors who have already made the switch.
But what does a reasonable timeline entail? What steps are involved in the website development process, and how long does each take? What are your options for designing and deploying your website, and how do they affect the required time?
An Overview of Website Development
While it is possible to design and build a website in-house. Most businesses prefer to hire professional web development firms or freelancers to ensure the site’s dependability and usability.
Many websites appear simple from the outside: You’re done after a few menus here and there, a few buttons, some links, and images, right?
Not exactly. In reality, a lot is happening beneath the user interface that staff and customers see — everything from HTML and CSS to PHP, Java, and other programming languages required to deliver the best results.
In practice, building a website with a development firm typically consists of six steps:
- Selection and investigation
- Goal setting and initial communication
- Making a plan of action
- Mockups of designs and feedback
- Comprehensive Development
- Examine and revise
Let’s take a closer look at each of these steps and how long they typically take.
Selection and investigation (1 week – 1 month)
The first step in website development is to choose a developer. Depending on your requirements and budget, this process stage could take anywhere from a week to a month.
For example, suppose you’re a small business looking to create a simple webpage that promotes your message and brand online.
Key considerations remain the same in both cases: You want a development firm with a solid reputation for delivering on time and on budget, as well as one that matches the style and aesthetic of your brand. This second factor is far more subjective, so it’s worth comparing multiple providers to see which one best fits your brand’s vision.
Goal Setting and Initial Communication (1 – 3 weeks)
You have two options here. You can delegate all decisions to the developer based on the information you provide about your brand’s vision, mission, and desired outcome. Alternatively, come prepared with a rough idea of how you want the finished product to look.
While providing your developer with a blank slate means less work for you initially, they will have to spend more time reviewing your brand and creating several proposals. Meanwhile, if you provide a general outline, developers can get right to work and provide specific feedback on what works, what doesn’t, and what could add to improve the impact of your website.
Making a Plan of Action (1 – 2 weeks)
Developers will create several basic website plans based on your expectations, which they will share with your team. You’ll review these action plans to see if they meet your needs or fall short. If they meet your expectations, you’ll suggest specific additions or revisions, prompting another round of plans from your developer.
Expect this step to take one to two weeks as you consult your developer to determine the best course of action.
Mockups and Feedback on Design (2 – 3 weeks)
Following that are design mockups and feedback. Consider these mockups an elementary version of the final website product. These mockups, also known as wireframes, show where elements such as text, images, and buttons will appear on your website and the general scale of these elements.
You’ll need a mockup of each page if you’re hiring a developer to create your homepage, about us page, service pages, and product pages.
This is an excellent time to provide detailed feedback. Say something if you’re unsure about something or don’t like where an element or image is placed. Because no actual development has occurred, changing these is simple. Changes are still possible if you wait until the main development phase, but they will significantly delay your timeline.
Expect two to three weeks of emails and mockup versions before finalizing a design.
Extensive Development (1 – 2 months)
The most crucial stage of web development follows in-depth Development. This is the stage at which your developer converts approved mockups into a fully functional website that includes all the content you’ve approved.
This phase could take one to two months, depending on the size and complexity of your website, or even longer if setbacks occur. Please make no mistake: nothing goes exactly as planned, but good developers will invest extra time in their estimates to ensure projects stay on track.
During this stage, your developer should be in regular contact with you, providing updates on the project and snapshots of how things are going. Mention anything that isn’t going as planned or doesn’t look like the mockup to them. While this may cause minor delays, taking your entire site offline after it has gone live is preferable because the issue was not addressed earlier.
Revision and review (1 – 2 weeks)
You will evaluate the final product at this stage to ensure that it looks and performs as expected.
If the previous stages went smoothly, only minor changes would be required — minor issues like font size or color selection can be easily corrected before your site goes live. This should take one to two weeks as your team reviews the site and identifies any issues.
Is it worth noting? Designing and developing a website does not end with review and revision. You may discover features or updates to your site that you want to implement weeks or months later. As a result, looking for a developer who provides both upfront and long-term support to ensure that your website runs smoothly is a good idea.
DIY Website Creation
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Do-It-Yourself Website Development
Unsure whether to hire a professional or build your website? Here are the benefits and drawbacks of professional Development and DIY website creation.
Pros of Professional Development:
Expert developers can completely customize your website. Sites are tested and optimized before release, and your developer handles all revisions and changes.
Cons:
More expensive than do-it-yourself solutions
A timeline of five to six months from start to finish Requires ongoing communication to ensure consistency.
Pros of Do-It-Yourself website Development:
Professional Development takes one to two weeks.
Less expensive — many website development tools are free or very inexpensive.
Cons:
Customization options are limited.
Teams must prioritize site construction over other projects.
In-house maintenance and support are required.
Take Your Time to Do It Right
Whatever approach you take, ensure you have a dependable and responsive website that reflects your brand and makes it easy for potential buyers to find what they’re looking for.
Using DIY tools will make your build less expensive and time-consuming, but specific templates and frameworks will limit you.
Meanwhile, if you choose professional Development, expect a five-to-six-month timeline and a higher cost, but complete control over the creation and content of your site.
