How Long Does It Take to Design & Develop a Website?
Short answer, it depends.
First things first, when talking about website design and development it is important to note that the design part is inherently different than the development. Design refers to the look and feel of the website from the front end; what your customers see and interact with. Development is specifically the behind-the-scenes coding that makes the website functional. In the end, these two aspects of website creation work together and are both necessary.
Factors Effect Time
The amount of time that it takes to design and develop a website is highly dependent on numerous of factors:
- The number of pages
- Business goals and needs
- Complexity of security needed (customer information, credit cards, etc.)
- Number of applications (eCommerce, POS, etc.)
- Features needed
- Amount of customization required
- Content creation
- SEO markup
- & More
Stages of Design & Development
Even outside of the factors listed above, you also need to take into consideration that website design and development happens in stages.
- Discovery & Planning
- Content Creation
- UI/UX Design
- Development & Coding
- Testing & Modifications
- Official Launch
How Long Does It Take to Design a Website?
Website design should take time, and a decent amount of it. Yes, you read that right. If you come across a company or platform that suggests they can have a website ready for you in a few hours, the alarm bells should be ringing.
While it is impossible to give you an accurate calculation of time, we can give you an idea of what to expect. Keep in mind that larger projects will require more time than smaller projects. So, let us breakdown the stages into the time it takes to complete them.
Discovery & Planning
This is the first and most crucial step. Discovery and planning include meeting with a client or business and discussing the needs, goals, audience, and general preferences for the website. It will include a fairly in-depth interview that will determine exactly what vibe and preferences you have in mind. This is where our team also creates a sitemap and website hierarchy.
ESTIMATED TIME: 1-2 Weeks or 40-80+ Hours
Content Creation
A successful website requires content that appeals to the target audience. This can include written content, visuals such as images and video, infographics, and more. Content creation is more of a fluid stage as we often create and procure content during the design phase as well, however, having preplanned content ensures that the site has the correct features and layouts.
ESTIMATED TIME: 1-2 Weeks or 40-80+ Hours
UI/UX Design
This stage involves creating a visually appealing and user-friendly design. This is where wireframes, mockups, and prototypes of the website begin. Homepage and other landing pages are designed, and mobile responsiveness must also be considered. Lastly, this stage hones in on design elements such as the color pallet, fonts, and generally bringing the businesses vision to life.
ESTIMATED TIME: 1-2 Weeks or 40-80+ Hours
Development & Coding
This stage is where the coding and integration of applications happens. Testing of the applications also happens throughout this phase to make sure that everything is functional. Some applications and integrations that businesses may want include eCommerce, contact forms, automated tasks, and more.
ESTIMATED TIME: 1 week or 20-40 Hours
Testing & Modifications
Before a website is ready for launch, testing must be conducted to ensure that everything on the website works as intended. Testing is necessary to make sure that the website works across different devices and screen sizes, contact forms are functional, stores and carts are usable, and more. This is also when clients go through the site and request changes to content and layout.
ESTIMATED TIME: 2 weeks or 40+ Hours (this estimate is highly dependent on number of changes requested)
Official Launch
Once the website has been QA’d and is functional, your new website is ready to launch! The launch itself may take a day or two, and then additional time may be required to tweak and make small revisions.
ESTIMATED TIME: 3 Days to 1 Week or 10-40 Hours
Total Time Estimate
As you can see, we estimate at least over 190 hours of work. Again, smaller projects may require less time than larger counterparts. Furthermore, redesigning will likely take less time than a website designed from scratch as most of the content creation may already be completed.
How Long Does It Take to Develop a Website?
Website development is highly dependent on the wants and needs of the company. Oftentimes, designers and developers opt to use a theme to drastically reduce the amount of time the development phase takes, which saves our clients money. Why? Most, if not all of the coding has been completed, application integration may already be available and evaluated, and more.
A completely custom coded website is great if a client is 100% set on it, however, themes are highly customizable, and changes can be made to create a unique experience for users. Expect custom websites to require much more time in the development phase.
ESTIMATED CUSTOM WEBSITE TIME: 1-2 Weeks or 40-80+ Hours
ESTIMATED THEME TIME: 1 Week or 10-30 Hours
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Spend Your Time Wisely. Go to the Experts.
The Cyberlicious® team lives and breathes website design and development. Most importantly, we have the time to work with you to create a deliciously sweet website. Let us create so you can focus on your business and customers.