How Long Does It Take To Build a Website?

Other than cost, timing is probably the most frequently asked question when building a website. Most people (understandably) have never been involved in building a site, and have no idea what goes into the process or how long it takes. Expectations are all over the map, but generally the consensus is "I'd like it done as soon possible."

For this particular article, let's just look at a "typical" small to medium sized website.

Small Sites, 6-10 weeks

Small sites can be defined as websites with 20 or fewer pages, typically with a home page, about us, services or capabilities, work samples, and a contact page. Maybe a small blog or photo gallery as well.

There are web designers claiming they only need 1-2 weeks to build a small site. These same web designers admit that this requires the client to have everything ready to go from the moment the project begins- content written, pages planned out, photographs chosen, etc. But even with all your ducks in a row, is this enough time to do a good job?

I would argue no. In my experience, even the small sites take more than a few weeks. There's still some planning that goes on, and time is needed for good design and development. If you are treating each client as unique (and you should), you need time to reflect on their needs, their target audience, their industry and competitors, their messaging, and so on.

I would say 6-10 weeks is a more realistic starting point. It could potentially move faster, but I prefer to exceed expectations rather than set them too high and not achieve them, or deliver an inferior product. A month and a half is a fast turnaround for a good site.

Learn if there's a reason for a specific launch date (e.g.- trade show, product launch), and try to accommodate those particular goals the best you can. But if there's not a good reason to be done ASAP, then let the design and development process unfold. Remember the old adage: quality, speed, cost - you can only choose 2.

Medium sites, 3-4 months

These typically have numerous sections in the navigation, with dozens of pages found inside categories and subcategories. At this point, it's not really the number of pages involved, but rather the amount of content and types of features offered that makes it a medium-sized site. Many ecommerce sites are medium-sized, as are corporate sites, nonprofits, and public institutions.

These sites should take, at a minimum, 3 months to complete. There's often a longer planning process, with attention paid to content planning, wireframes, competitive analysis, and information architecture, all before the design phase even begins. Multiple designs, mockups of different interior sections, and client feedback with revisions all follow, with the development and testing stages typically worked on for weeks afterwards. Custom features require additional hours. A usability process and testing across multiple browsers takes time. (Note that some or all of these tasks can also be part of small sites as well)

Again, you want to know any particular time-sensitive goals of the client, and try to accommodate these goals the best you can. But not at the sacrifice of quality.

Expectations of the Client

Clients are unique, and they all have their own set of expectations in the web design process. Some may expect fine attention to design details, some may expect fancy features, some may be focused solely on SEO, and so on. Those expectations need to be understood and time devoted to meeting them.

The type of web designer you are also affects timing.

Do you specialize in quick and dirty projects? Or are you more of a craftsman, carefully constructing each detail of a project? You should know which approach you wish to take, and schedule (and price) your services accordingly. Then communicate that clearly to potential clients.

Even if the client has low-expectations or isn't clear what they want, there's still one set of expectations to meet. Your own. I have a clear set of expectations that I'm holding myself to when I build a site. The design has to be professional, interesting, and appropriate for the target audience. The code has to be well-written, standards compliant, and semantic as possible. The features have to work or degrade gracefully across a range of popular browsers.

#1 Reason for More Time Needed

After all is said and done, what is the #1 reason a project takes time? In my experience, it's content. Someone has to write the copy, approve the design, take the photos. With small and medium-sized websites, that someone is usually the client.

But the client already has a full-time job, and not always enough time in the day for writing or approving content. So delays are often introduced, where certain features or designs can't be completed without a clear picture of the content to come.

I can estimate how long my tasks are going to take, but it's very difficult to estimate how long a client will take to do their tasks. I understand the delays, and can work around them. But it's important for the client to understand them as well, so their expectations on project turnaround will be better informed.

Problems With Going Too Fast

If sites are just being churned out by the hour, then very little time is given to get to know a client as unique. Get to know their products or service, their target audience, and their unique challenges. Have time for feedback, time for pauses between stages.

If you're rushing to completion, chances are you are going to keep using the same approach to design and coding, assembly-line style, ignoring opportunities for trying new solutions, looking a different approaches, improving what you already do and seeing how much better you can make it. The client benefits from the extra time in the form of a better website.

But so and so can do it in 2 weeks.

A thoughtful, well-planned and well-executed website takes time. If all you care about is a quick turnaround and launch, and don't care how it looks or how it's built, that's ok. There's a web designer for you. But it's not me. 

• Web Design