When you want to create a website, you need to factor in the development time required from start to finish. Many of us think it’s a long process that takes ages to complete. Others are doing it professionally every day.
Some of the best developers out there will respond, “it depends,” meaning that there are many things to consider when creating a website. A website project can take months for big companies, while individuals, small businesses, and small online stores will have the final product ready in a few weeks.
But it all comes down to what the client needs, how you can help them reach their goal, and what they’re trying to achieve with their brand-new website. For personal projects, we can be flexible with our timing schedule, but for professional tasks, we must be precise and on point before committing to a tight schedule.
All these important questions need to be asked beforehand and will determine the time necessary to develop a website. If you’re not a developer, on the other hand, and want to know how much time a website needs to be developed for academic purposes, you’ve come to the right blog!
This blog will explore how long it takes to make a website, the factors that affect website development and tips to speed it up!
- What Goes Into Building a Website?
- How Long Does it Take to Build a Website?
- A Peek at How Website Development Works
- Factors That Affect the Website Development Process
- Tips for Speeding up the Website Development Process
- Alternatives to Developing a Website From Scratch
- The Benefits of a Custom Website for Your Business
What Goes Into Building a Website?
You’re sitting at your desk wondering. What do I need to create a website? How much does it cost to build one? When you’re ready to make one, there are a few things you need to take into account. The three fundamental ingredients for creating a website are:
- A web host
- A domain name
- The website code (This can be a CMS or a custom website developed from scratch)
Finding a reliable web hosting provider is effortless. You’re currently viewing one of the most reliable and trustworthy web hosts with experience since 2006! HostPapa also offers its subscribers a free domain name with every hosting plan purchase, so getting started is easy.
Besides the easy CMS solutions, developing a website from scratch takes longer to complete, and you have a lot of research to build the code behind it and tailor it to your needs.
A fully custom website needs additional APIs and frameworks and all the essential software to bind everything together in a seamless way that just works. Javascript is the holy grail of coding languages for front-end developers. AngularJS and ReactJS are two fundamental frameworks for building a website from scratch.
Once you have these essential ingredients, it’s time for content creation. This can be the design phase, adding landing pages and content to those pages.
Building a website from scratch isn’t always easy. It requires time, effort, dedication, and money to achieve the desired results. Many factors come into play when creating a website, such as the design, layout, functionality, and more. WordPress websites are still dependent on these, and it’s much easier to incorporate them into your final web design.
For your website to be successful, it’s substantial to ensure that all these elements are well-crafted and properly executed. This takes time and experience – something most developers have after years of working in the field.
If you’re not a developer and want to build a website on your own, don’t worry! Website builders (like the one provided by HostPapa) allow you to create a website with static pages in a few hours without having to learn a single line of code!
Whether you’re a developer or a beginner, you can achieve a professional result with the right tools and resources. If you want to go one extra step forward, you can opt for a WordPress setup and build a beautiful and functional website quicker than a custom one.
How Long Does it Take to Build a Website?
Developing a website from scratch can be daunting, and it can be hard to know where to start. When starting, it’s vital to factor in how much time it takes to build a website. Luckily blog posts like this one answer every question about the subject.
Once you’ve decided on the website’s domain and web host, it’ll be a matter of hours before you can start creating and customizing your first web pages. A seasoned web developer or software developer can help you get a domain and a reputable web hosting provider to build upon.
The time for the domain name to resolve and start pointing to your website’s IP address is another significant factor you should consider. This process can take a few hours, so patience is key. In the meantime, you could use a staging environment on your computer with the excellent XAMPP software stack or access your website through its plain IP address.
All in all, you can have a production-ready website in one day! Of course, advanced functionality will add time to the website development process adding two to three weeks.
A Peek at How Website Development Works
All websites are different. But the entire process remains the same almost every time.
Creating a website is a process that involves many steps. The first step is to develop an idea for a website. You can either come up with ideas yourself or find inspiration online. Once you have an idea, you should choose a web host and register a domain name.
Next is designing the website or hiring a web developer to do it for you. Once the website is designed, the next step is to code it and add content. It can be done either from scratch or using a CMS. The test phase is also something that adds time to the whole process. Testing how all the pages look on multiple devices is crucial before launching the website.
The final step is the website launch. You can do this by uploading it to your web host or using a website builder. Once the website is launched, you can promote it online through social media, SEO, and other means.
Factors That Affect the Website Development Process
Creating a great website isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Even if you want to build a small website, you need to have a plan before jumping in. The time it takes to make a website depends on various factors, such as the following.
The Complexity of the Website
Some websites are more complex and require more time to develop. A custom website built from scratch will take longer to create than a website that uses a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.
Likewise, it’ll take more time to develop if you want custom elements and content structure. Even when working on a CMS site, you might need a professional’s help if you’re an inexperienced user.
Most sites can have a simple content structure. Still, when talking about news-related or eCommerce websites with hundreds of pages and categories, footers and headers, lots of time is needed to go through and edit every single one.
The Experience of the Web Developer
A developer with more coding experience and website development can build a website faster than someone less experienced. This goes for all the custom design elements you may want to include on your site.
A less experienced web developer will likely ask for less money, so weigh in on how fast you want your website to be online and make your choice!
The Web Hosting Environment
Choosing a web host that provides a managed hosting environment can save you time during development. Some web hosts supply users with a staging environment to test their sites before production. HostPapa offers that even on shared hosting.
Managed web hosts typically offer pre-configured environments with all the necessary software and tools, so the website developer (or you) doesn’t have to spend time setting up the server or installing software.
Managed WordPress plans benefit people who want to have a CMS-ready platform to work on in a matter of hours, while the pre-configured software and frequent malware scanning are an added but much-needed plus.
The Website Building Software
It’s not a secret that your chosen platform will accompany your site for a long time. So picking out a robust platform to work on will save you precious time.
WordPress is a great platform to build on. This easy-to-learn CMS is popular and well-maintained by a large community of developers. Another critical reason to consider WordPress is search engine optimization – which is easy to deploy and manage with additional plugins like YoastSEO. The easier way, though, is to use a website builder.
In that case, website builders can do the trick in a much more affordable package. A website builder is more of an alternative for people focused on developing static pages relatively fast without tackling matters such as SEO or other optimizations. This limits the flexibility and expandability of your website but provides a solid starting point.
The Tools and Resources Available
The more tools and resources available to the developer, the faster they can build the website. If they have to spend time searching for specific resources, this will add time to the development process.
For instance, on a WordPress website, you might need to buy a few premium plugins for SEO, security, and many more before you start content creation.
Being in charge of your payments will give your developer access to the tools quicker to build the website. The same goes for all the other elements like logos and additional images.
Tips for Speeding Up the Website Development Process
The plan goes first and the execution later.
Come Prepared
It’s critical to come prepared in the website-building process. Coming prepared means less time for the people around you to have questions regarding the whole process.
Make sure to research your project’s scope and design elements beforehand and present something concrete for the web development team to work on.
Divide and Conquer
Break down the website project into smaller ones for better management. The whole creation process will flow more quickly, and you’ll know exactly where you’re standing time-wise.
Have a To-Do List
If you don’t split your tasks into smaller ones; you could get lost in translation. A simple but intuitive to-do list will help you keep all your pending and completed tasks in line.
Use apps like Microsoft To Do or Asana to record time and log every step in the development phase. Knowing how much time every step takes before seeing the final product is vital.
Use Social Media to Keep Inspiration Flowing
There are times when you feel less inspired. It’s completely normal, and to combat this, you can use social media like Pinterest or Instagram to fuel your imagination.
These will motivate you to keep up to date with all the latest trends in your field.
Alternatives to Developing a Website From Scratch
If you don’t want to use the standard methods of creating a website, then it’s worth noting that many alternatives exist to develop a website from scratch.
One good alternative is website builders. Some of the most popular website builders are Squarespace, Wix, or the in-house solutions from web hosts. These will save time, and you can use them all by yourself using their drag-and-drop interface.
Another great alternative is going to a web design agency. An agency might cost you way more than a website builder or doing it yourself, but the end result is guaranteed to be unique and tailored to your needs. Plus, you won’t have to spend time developing the website but provide valuable feedback for the people working on it.
The Benefits of a Custom Website for Your Business
Being unique is of utmost importance in the online world. Improved branding and a stronger SEO are also two significant factors that benefit from a custom site. So if you’re a small business owner, opting for a custom website might be the way to go.
Custom websites can help you better connect with your target customers and provide a more personalized experience, something most website builders can’t offer. Additionally, custom websites can be designed to meet your specific business needs, giving you the flexibility and control needed to succeed online.
Whether you are looking for a basic website or a more complex eCommerce website, many professional web development companies can help you achieve your business goals.
These companies offer a wide range of services, from website design and development to content management and marketing campaigns, allowing you to get the help you need to grow your business online. With white label website development, you get maximum flexibility, full control over the process, complete confidentiality, and convenient workflow. This is also a perfect solution for digital marketing and other agencies that want to expand their services.
And with the help of expert digital marketing consultants, you can better understand your customers and target them with relevant, personalized messaging that converts.
Summing Up
In this blog post, we learned that the time it takes to make a website varies. There are many things to tackle, but website building is generally a fun process for everyone. Even inexperienced users can get involved and create beautiful websites.
The time you need depends on your web developer’s skills, how well-prepared you are, and what tools and alternatives you decide to use. For most websites, a few weeks are enough time but be prepared to add an extra one or two, accounting for other factors you haven’t thought about.
For people that want results today, website builders are also considered a friendly alternative to a CMS-based or a custom website. Platforms like Shopify can help you create an online store, trimming valuable time from the design process and leading to a simple but user-friendly website. But know that these solutions lack the expandability and flexibility found on other platforms like WordPress.
There are also a few ways to speed up the website development process if you decide to go DIY. With careful planning and time management, you work more efficiently, and you’re set to reach your goal quickly. So stay inspired and keep those creative juices flowing!
