When you need a website, one of your first questions might be How long will this take? The simplest answer is Longer than you might think. In order to get your money’s worth in a quality website that suits your individual needs, patience is key.
Most high-quality WordPress developers are already booked, meaning they are unable to immediately begin on your website. Expect a delay from the time you hire them to when they actually begin work. As most web designers and developers have a process for building websites, they can give you a rough estimate as to how long yours will take once they get started.
The biggest variable in how long your website will take depends on you. Reviewing the website, requesting changes, and creating and finalizing content are all important tasks you must complete in order to have your custom website up and running. This information applies to custom WordPress websites. If you don’t need your website custom-fitted to the nature and needs of your organization, project, or business, there are several more quick and cheap options out there.
If your first inquiry includes a specific timeframe, chances are that you’ll receive fewer responses. Many highly-skilled developers are already booked for awhile in advance, and they won’t be able to take on your project if you tell them you need your website live in a couple weeks.
A better tactic would be to communicate your needs and allow them to share how they would approach the project and how long they estimate it would take. Then you can make your choice based on their recommended approach, the quality of their past work, their timeline estimation, and their cost.
It’s important to keep in mind that there is no standard amount of time that developers are booked. It depends entirely upon their current workload.
There are three general phases in a web project. First, we learn about and discuss your needs to get a clear idea of what problems we are looking to solve. This concludes with the creation of a solution that fits your unique situation. Our solution includes a sitemap detailing content structure, features, and user experience. If you have an existing website, we also include a technical audit.
Next comes the design portion of the project. We create mock-ups of how the pages of your website will look across browsers and devices. These designs are essentially images of your website-to-be.
Finally, we reach the development stage. This is where the website of your dreams is actually built, complete with your approved designs and the functionality you need. When this is finished, we send the product to you for your review and approval. Thus begins the modification period.
The three stages usually require approximately twelve weeks to be completed.
Approximate Website Development Timeline:
Discovery Phase: 3 Weeks
Design Phase: 6 Weeks
Development Phase: 3 Weeks
Modification Period: 2 Weeks
Migration and Launch: After Modification Period
The modification period is not strictly limited to a number of weeks. It will take exactly as long as you need to perfect and refine your website, including fixes for any minor bugs, flaws, or inconsistencies. Two weeks is the suggested minimum.
Preparation and cooperation on your part will aid in getting your website live as quickly as possible. Setting aside time to test and review your website when we finish is important, as is requesting revisions in a timely manner.
Having your content prepared is also critical. Writing the content while we are designing and developing allows us to complete your website as soon as possible. Delayed launches are most often caused by lack of content—-and as an unfinished website is unpublishable, and content writing is time-consuming, getting it out of the way is necessary.
So how long does a website take to be created? Provided that communication and preparation are prioritized, it should take about fourteen weeks. This is by no means a definitive answer, but it is a general minimum as well as a good goal. We will supply dates that deliverables are ready for review as well as suggested deadlines for feedback so the project stays on track.
Remember that the above timeline and estimate does not account for time spent choosing your developer or any potential delay due to their schedule. Researching and hiring your developer several months before you hope to launch is your best bet.
