Putting together a website from scratch can be a time-consuming process. In general, the amount of time required is determined by the type of website you want to build as well as the tools you use.
For instance, if you use a website builder, you can create a simple website with just one page in a single day. On the other hand, the coding of a complicated website with multiple pages can take several weeks to complete.
In this article, we’ll examine the standard procedure for developing websites as well as the things you can do to make each step as efficient as possible. In addition to this, we will discuss how much time is typically spent on development across a variety of website-building platforms so that you can make an informed decision about which one to use.
Website Building Timeline
To figure out how long it will take to make a new website, it is important to have a clear plan for each step of the web development process.
Keeping this in mind, let’s look at a more detailed explanation and a typical timeline for each development phase.
Making plans and doing research
The first step of finding out about and planning the project is important to get a clear picture of its size and the resources it will need.
Start by writing down your main goal and coming up with website ideas that will help you reach it. For example, a personal portfolio works well with a website that only has one page, but an online store needs a website that is bigger and more complicated.
Then, choose a niche and do research on your target audience to find out how they act and what they like. Use this information to help you decide what kind of content to put on your website and how to do it well.
Lastly, make sure your web development project has clear goals and aims. Don’t forget to make plans that are both realistic and doable to reach those goals.
How to Choose a Platform
There are a few things you need to think about before you can start building your website. These are a platform for your website, a hosting service, and a domain name.
A programme that helps you build a website is called a website platform. Website builders and content management systems are the two most common types of platforms (CMSs). You can also start from scratch and code a website.
Each platform has pros and cons that make it better or worse for different people and situations. You can make a website quickly with a website builder, but you can’t change it much.
A content management system (CMS) lets you change things more, but it’s hard to learn, which makes the building process take longer.
Lastly, coding a website from scratch gives you almost endless ways to change it, but it can take months.
Choose a platform that fits with your project plan and timeline. We will explore more details about these platforms later in this article.
Also, don’t forget to choose a domain name and a hosting service. A good web host can help your website work better and do more. Therefore, make sure to do some research before deciding on which provider to choose.
Specifying and Tailoring the Look of the Design
During the design phase, you need to think about how to develop a website that is both appealing to the eye and easy to navigate for its visitors.
A well-designed website serves as a map for visitors to follow as they engage with the site’s content. It enables you to give the page a pleasing aesthetic balance while also calling attention to particular aspects of the design. As a result, one of the most important considerations you should make while developing a website is the page layout.
Using a pre-made template or developing a design from scratch are the two most typical choices available at this stage of the process.
Using a pre-made template is not only more cost-effective, but it also enables you to complete a basic website in a single day. Nevertheless, most just provide a few possibilities for personalization, which will make your website less distinctive.
The majority of ready-made templates are packaged with different page formats, such as those for blog articles, product pages, and landing pages. Those who do not want to go through the trouble of manually customising page layouts can benefit greatly from making use of this option.
On the other hand, if you choose the route of a bespoke design, your options are virtually limitless. Nonetheless, it will call for additional resources, which will stretch out the schedule for the building of your website.
We advise taking a look at the websites of your competitors for web design inspiration and figuring out what approaches are most successful in your particular field.
Putting Together Content
The primary objective of your website is to provide material for the consumption of your audience. Make an effort to plan out the process of creating content, especially if you intend to begin with a large number of postings.
The amount of time and work necessary to create content can vary greatly based on a number of factors, including the following:
- The kind of content and the total duration
- Who is responsible for the content?
- Webpage size
- Content quality and uniqueness
- Optimization for search engines (SEO)
Taking into account each of these aspects throughout the planning stage will help you avoid rushing through the process and achieving results that are below standard. In addition, we strongly suggest making use of AI-powered content generating technologies in order to expedite the delivery of your material.
The Process of Testing and Publishing
After you have finished preparing the website’s design and the essential content, you should test and then publish the website. Testing for usability can help identify different aspects of a website, such as how quickly pages load and how well it works on mobile devices. Throughout this procedure, you could also discover pieces or links that are broken.
Spend some time checking out the many areas of the functionality and user experience. It’s possible that more complex websites, such eCommerce stores, will need additional testing stages, such as checking for bugs and security vulnerabilities.
Try employing a pre-launch checklist for your website to verify that each component is carried out correctly. When you have uploaded and published your site, your primary focus should be on promoting and maintaining the performance of your website.
How Much Time Is Needed to Create a Website?
The length of time it takes to construct a website on average can vary greatly based on a number of variables, including the nature of the website and the tools you employ.
Our experts have studied the subject to determine how much time is required to manually code, use a content management system, or use an online site builder to create various sorts of websites.
Although while some of the examples are better suited for experienced developers, they can nevertheless aid in your estimation of how long it will take to create a website in a specific scenario.
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Website Builders
A website builder is a programme that uses a drag-and-drop interface and requires little to no coding to enable users to create a working website. As a result, it is the greatest choice for newcomers and those who wish to quickly build a website.
What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) interfaces are used by the majority of well-liked website builders, allowing users to quickly create and modify page elements. All you have to do is select a design template, alter it to your specifications, and add content.
As most website builders include these services, users can avoid some technical steps like selecting a web hosting company or seeking for a domain name registrar.
The lack of personalization and ownership is a drawback of employing site builders. You are restricted to what the platform can provide as a user and have no access to the site’s backend or source code.
Let’s now examine how quickly you can create various types of websites utilising a website builder.
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Site with only one page
The quickest way to make portfolios, landing pages, or event-related websites that only need one page is to use a site builder.
Depending on the features you wish to include, it can take anywhere from four hours to three days to develop a single-page website with prepared content.
Creating a plan and gathering requirements (one hour – one day). To decide what features you’ll need to incorporate, gather information about your website and its requirements, such as its goal and target audience.
Layout and design (two hours – one day). Choose the finest theme for your requirements and, if necessary, adjust it. Add the content after that.
QA and bug-fixing (one-three hours). Verify that everything goes according to plan.
Deployment (one hour) (one hour). Publish the website and review it once more in live mode.
You may develop a website more quickly because the majority of online site builders offer a user-friendly interface and navigation because they were created with novices in mind.
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Tiny Online Store
The most crucial features, like integrated online payment methods and cutting-edge security, are included in many site builders’ specific plans for online retailers. Some services also offer additional functionality including inventory management, delivery options, and marketing tool integration.
Website builders are useful for folks who want to sell products online easily.
A site builder may create a modest eCommerce site in one to seven days with all the content:
- Preparation and decision-making (two hours – three days)
- Setting up (four hours – two days)
- Bug-checking (two hours – one day)
- Deployment (2–24 hours) (two hours – one day)
Website builders have limited possibilities. Users cannot add payment methods to the service. Therefore, tailor the features to your geography and target audience.
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Business Website
Business websites take longer to design due to their size and features. Most company websites offer localised, multi-country editions.
- Site builders can take five to fourteen weeks to develop a complex corporate website.
- Preparation and decision-making (one-four weeks)
- Setting up (one-four weeks)
- Bug-checking (two-four weeks)
- One-two-week deployment (one-two weeks)
As web site builders have few tools and functions, creating this type of site is difficult. Many sites don’t allow access to the backend, which might present ownership issues for enterprise websites.
- CMS Sites
WordPress powers 43% of all websites, from personal blogs to corporate sites. Our specialists researched using this CMS.
WordPress websites are more flexible than site builders since you may utilise plugins and manually edit backend files.
This CMS has a steep learning curve. Beginners may require more time to master this web building tool.
It is still the ideal option for website owners who want a nice balance of customization choices and a low cost.
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One-Page Website
In as little as two to eight days, you may develop a single-page website by installing WordPress and preparing the content.
- Needs evaluation (two hours-two days)
- Setting up (one-three days)
- Exams and catching errors (three hours-two days)
- Deployment (lasting between two hours and one day) (two hours-one day)
The procedure is slowed significantly by subscriptions and downloadable content.
When estimating the time needed to develop a website with WordPress, there are a few other aspects to consider:
Choosing a theme—WordPress offers a wide variety of themes that may be used for a variety of purposes. It could take some time to research and choose which one is best for your website. Web design can be made easier by selecting the appropriate theme to begin with.
Picking the correct plugins to use with WordPress is important because plugins can extend the platform’s capabilities. Finding the optimal solution from among several possibilities could slow down progress. We strongly encourage preliminary research.
The building of websites is made much simpler and more visually appealing with the WordPress block editor. Install Elementor or Divi for further customization options.
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E-Commerce Shop
It takes anything from five days to five weeks to construct an eCommerce website using WordPress, depending on the design. A general timetable is:
- Needs evaluation (one-three days)
- Setting up (two days-four weeks)
- Exams and catching errors (one-three days)
- One day’s worth of deployment (one day)
For the quickest possible development, it is advisable to modify a pre-made theme.
Designing a website from scratch takes more time but grants greater flexibility. A competent web developer may require three to four weeks to complete a customised design. Creating the wireframe, the mock-up, and the theme for the website.
It’s possible that uploading product information to the site will take some time.
WordPress users looking for a good eCommerce plugin have a few options, including WooCommerce and Shopify. Companies make it easier to conduct business online by providing payment gateways and inventory management.
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Company Website
WordPress is capable of building websites for businesses. The content management system was used to construct the websites of Sony Music, TechCrunch, and Time Magazine. Characteristics determine development time. WordPress enterprise development takes 13–22 weeks.
- Needs evaluation (two-four weeks)
- Configuration (four-six weeks) (four-six weeks)
- Custom development (four-six weeks)
- Exams and catching errors (two-four weeks)
- Deployment (one-two weeks) (one-two weeks)
Custom web development could be necessary for more complex website features and integrations. The website can be integrated with other systems through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs), bespoke plugins, or code.
Adding fundamental capabilities is simplified with WordPress plugins. Tidio and Pure Chat have the potential to enhance the customer service provided on the new website.
For larger companies that want customised website designs, using pre-made templates may not be an option. The UI and UX design for this website project will require significantly more time.
C) Coded Websites
Building a website from the ground up using hand-coded HTML is the best option if you want practically infinite scope for modification and complete ownership.
Customization of websites is not hindered in any way by third-party platforms. Using this strategy, you will have the ability to personalise every facet of the website. Coding a website by hand can have several drawbacks. Coding websites by hand takes up a lot of time.
Get knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Because the process of coding a website takes more time. This strategy could be more expensive for you if you have a huge website. It’s possible that you’ll need to outsource website development if you’re not already a full-stack web developer.
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One-Page Website
The creation of a website consisting of a single page can take anywhere from eight to twenty-one days:
- Needs evaluation (one-three days)
- Conception and working model (two-seven days)
- The development phase (from three to ten days) (three-10 days)
- Exams and catching errors (one-three days)
- One day’s worth of deployment (one day)
Because of the greater amount of time required to construct custom-coded websites, we strongly advise you to communicate with your client before beginning key work. It is important to collect feedback on the design mock-up before constructing the layout. By doing so, the back-and-forth that occurs between development and modifications, which can bring the quality of the result down, is avoided.
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E-commerce Shop
The coding process for smaller online companies typically takes longer because of the need to manually integrate third-party functionalities such as payment gateways. You could want additional time to familiarise yourself with the paperwork of the majority of payment alternatives.
It takes between 11 and 36 days to code a modest eCommerce website. Growth may involve the following:
- Needs evaluation (one-three days)
- Conception and working model (two-seven days).
- Growth (between five and twenty days) (five-20 days)
- Exams and catching errors (two-five days)
- One day’s worth of deployment (one day)
Because of their intricacy, coding for internet stores is time consuming. We recommend constructing the site in collaboration with other developers.
Typically, professional agencies would organise multiple smaller development teams, each of which will focus on a particular task. Because of this, each group will be able to concentrate on a component that will increase the efficiency of the project.
Because the checkout procedure is so important to an online store, we strongly advise conducting more in-depth testing of it.
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Company Website
It takes more time to construct enterprise-level websites using code since these websites have more complicated features, integrations, and security needs.
It takes anything from 15 to 40 weeks to complete this kind of website project. It’s possible that this is when your progress breaks down:
- Needs evaluation (two-four weeks)
- Conception and working model (two-eight weeks)
- Development (8-20 weeks) (8-20 weeks)
- Exams and catching errors (two-six weeks)
- Deployment (one-two weeks) (one-two weeks)
There are enterprise websites that are compatible with web apps. So, you might have to spend extra time integrating other systems, increasing security, and ensuring sure the website functions properly with its services in order to meet the requirements.
Creating a unique website from scratch for a major corporation typically demands more collaboration and input from a wider variety of stakeholders. The development project needs effective management.
Conclusion
Here is hoping that you have clearly understood how much time making a website can possibly take if you choose different routes or styles. We feel this article is good enough to give you an idea and take the steps you need to if you want to build a website for your business.
Till then, keep reading our articles and understanding what is best for your website. In case you have any feedback for this article, please share it with us in the comments section below.
