How Long Does It Take to Build a Website?
Of all of the questions people likely ask a website designer, this ranks toward the top of most frequently asked questions. Like most of these commonly asked questions, the answer annoys and frustrates most people. It depends on the website and business.
Complex business websites could take months, while really simple websites could be measured in days or even hours. Complex websites can include more functionality like a scheduling system, a customer interaction interface, or any of the other complicated features. These can’t always be estimated to a high degree of certainty ahead of time, but they clearly take longer than a basic webpage with some text. First, you need to ask yourself what kind of website you are expecting and what you would like it to be able to do.
If you are wanting a simple website that lists information about your business’s services or products for sale, that website could take a few days or weeks. Of course, that assumes that your business only provides a few services and that you can provide the descriptive text you want on the website to your designer. Additionally, if you can give high quality images of business related services or items, that speeds up the timeframe even more. Many business fall in this window, especially local services like contractors, because they have a list of services they provide, how they want to be contacted, when they are open, and what payments they accept.
Typically, businesses that sell products take longer to create. More products require more images and text to display those products to their customers. Additionally, ecommerce websites typically offer ways for customers to shop online, like a shopping cart. It might even require a payment method before the order is delivered. These are among the more complicated functions of a website, which entails considerably more time, possibly consuming many weeks or months.
As mentioned above, Business websites sometimes offer more unique functions like a live chat, which takes, again, more time. Scheduling and appointments are another frequent request that can take a few weeks or months to implement properly. Without trying to scare you away from building this great customized website for your clients, I tell you that great websites are built incrementally. This means that, perhaps, you release a business website that simply shows your business information and your products or services. Later, you can decide to add on and build a chat feature or scheduling system.
I still maintain that a website can be thought of like a physical business most of the time. They are custom built to meet the needs of your business. They can be renovated or added on to anytime the owner would like. Websites evolve to meet the needs of the business, which is why you should contact and hire a local website developer. Develop a working relationship with them to continue to evolve and adapt your business website to your business’s current needs.
