As of October 2020, there are over 1.8 billion websites on the internet. That’s a number that is literally rising by the second, which means that if you want to make a website yourself, you need to do everything you can to stand out from the crowd.
With that in mind, if you’re new to web design and development, you may have some questions about the process. How long does it take to create a website? And do you need to invest in the help of a professional to get the best results?
The good news? We can help you answer any questions you may have about building a website!
In this article, we’ll break down the 4 main phases of the web development process. We’ll also help you determine how long each phase will take, as well as decide if you can do everything yourself or if a web designer is needed.
Phase 1: Drawing up a Blueprint
When breaking down how long designing a website takes, you first have to look at phase one of the process. The first phase of building a website, regardless of what type of website it is, is drawing up a blueprint.
Depending on how complex your website is, this could take anywhere from 1 to 5 days. You need to accommodate for the time it takes to research other websites for ideas, as well as the actual time spent planning your website’s design.
If you’re outsourcing your website’s development, your developer should be able to give you an estimate on how long it’ll take to draw up plans for your site. And if you’re making your site yourself, you want to take your time during this first phase, as it’s arguably the most important part of the entire process.
Phase 2: Bringing Your Website to Life
Once you have a solid plan in place, and you know what direction you want to take your website in, it’s time to bring your website to life.
Again, the time it takes to do this depends on a few different variables. With that in mind, it is the longest part of the process and can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on how complex your website’s design is.
If you’re using a click-and-drag theme template to build your website, and the design is simple, your website can be built in a day or two. But if your site is being customized from the ground up, and if the design is intricate, it can take 3-5 months for your site’s design to be finished.
Like the blueprint of your website, a professional web developer should be able to give you a timeframe beforehand. Investing in a web design company is more than worth it, especially if your site’s design isn’t as simple as a few posts and pages.
Phase 3: Edits and Modifications
Even the best web designer isn’t going to deliver the perfect product on their first try. That’s why the third phase, the edit and modification phase, can be one of the more frustrating parts of the process for everyone involved.
Once you get a version of your site to play around with, you’re going to find things you want to be changed and tweaked. Make detailed notes of these wants and then send them back to your developer, or do them yourself, before going live with your website.
Depending on how many changes you want to be made will determine how long this phase will last. A normal edit and modification phase can last anywhere from 2-4 weeks, with more time needed to be added if more edits are requested down the line.
If you’re handling all edits yourself, try to categorize them in a way that will help you attack this phase in an orderly fashion. That way you can perform all edits that deal with performance issues at the same time, and then move on to design and layout edits once you’ve finished.
This strategy will help keep you focused and prevent you from getting overwhelmed, which is helpful if you’re new to web development and have tons of edits to complete.
Phase 4: Launching Your Website
The final phase of bringing your website to life is often the shortest and most exciting: it’s going live with your website so the public can finally see it.
Handling all of the behind-the-scenes stuff, like setting up hosting accounts, can take some time. With that in mind, once final edits are done, it shouldn’t take more than a few days to launch your website and have it online for users to browse and experience.
Once your website is live, it’s important to note that the process is not over quite yet. Listening to user feedback and tracking analytics will help you make the necessary changes to allow your website to grow and thrive.
Also, plan to do routine maintenance on your website often, especially early on. That way you can keep things running smoothly, giving users a positive experience that they’ll want to come back and revisit again and again.
How Long Does It Take to Create a Website: A Guide
So, how long does it take to create a website? Well, as you can see, the answer to that question depends on what type of website you’re creating and the tools you’re using to bring your site to life.
That said, a professional web developer should be able to give you an accurate estimate before starting on your website.
Looking for more web design tips and tricks? Check back with our blog often, as we’re always talking about the latest ideas in web design and development.
