Do you want to know how long it takes to build a website? It depends on how complex your site is, but in general, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 months. Many factors affect the time needed for building a website, including design aesthetics and functionality, programming languages used, server configuration, number of pages, and more. Here’s what you need to know about how long it takes to build a website.
What are the Benefits of Creating a Website for Your Business?
Whether you’re raising brand awareness, selling merchandise, or making money through affiliate relationships, there are many benefits to having a website for your business. It’s the quickest and least expensive way to reach a global audience.
The benefits of having a website include, but are not limited to:
- Cost-Effective Marketing
- Easily Accessible
- Convenience of 24/7 Marketing
- Increases Productivity
What are Your Website Goals?
Before you start building your website, consider what the main goals of your website are likely to be. If you’re trying to generate leads, for example, then you’ll need a different type of site from an eCommerce company trying to increase sales.
Your website goals might include:
- Raising brand awareness
- Gaining search engine authority
- Getting more traffic
- Capturing leads
- Closing more sales
Along with your website goals, you should have key performance indicators, or KPIs, which you’ll measure, in part, by installing tracking tools like Google Analytics or Clicky.com. If you’re not sure how to install tracking tools, you may need a professional to develop your website versus building it yourself.
What is the Difference Between Static and Dynamic Websites?
The amount of time it takes to set up your website will depend, in part, on if your website is static or dynamic.
A static website is traditional HTML with images and text. It does not require as much coding or database integration as a dynamic website, which is what you need if your site requires the ability to accept forms and content changes over time.
A static website may take less than an hour to set up, while a dynamic one can take significantly longer.
Do You Need a Professional Web Designer to Build a Website?
Some DIY websites can be set up in a matter of minutes using templates and plug-and-play pages like an About Us or Contact Us page. But those are basic websites with minimal features and functionality.
Some companies offer semi-custom websites using tailored templates and advanced features like search engine optimization, and other websites are completely custom and take much longer.
It doesn’t make sense for everyone to hire a professional web developer. In some instances, doing the work yourself can actually save you money over hiring someone else. If you have some technical skills, then building your own site is not only more cost-effective but also provides you complete control over features and functionality that would otherwise have been preset by a web designer had they built the site for you.
Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional web developer depends on your website goals. If you’re just trying to quickly create a digital business card, you can opt to do it yourself. But if you need a more complex website designed to rank on search engines and perform well with the public or with an eCommerce set up, you’ll likely need to hire a pro.
What are the Disadvantages of Building Your Own Website?
It is possible for you to set up your own website, but if you’re not technologically inclined, it may not be as successful as you’d hoped.
Building your own website means more than learning the ins and outs of HTML, CSS, and other coding languages. It also means understanding how search engines work so you can code for both up-and-coming features like voice search, as well as traditional SEO elements like designing meta descriptions that include your keywords.
As Google continues to increase its efforts to crack down on black hat SEO practices, there’s even more reason for businesses to hire a professional web developer who knows which type of websites they should be building to rank over their competition – especially since Google punishes webmasters by lowering rankings if they’re caught using spammy techniques.
What are the Different Types of Websites?
There are several different types of websites, each one having its own timeframe for setup. The types of websites include, but are not limited to:
- Personal website
- Portfolio website
- Business website
- Blogging website
- Ecommerce website
- News/Magazine website
- Community website
- Classifieds website
What Makes a Good Website?
Great websites are aesthetically appealing, but they also need features and functionality that keep users coming back again and again. While your website needs to look good, it should be optimized so it can be found on search engines like Google or Bing, where users will actually discover you.
There are specific elements that are necessary to create a good website, including:
- Website security
- Website structure
- Mobile responsive
- Fast load times
- Easy to use
- Clean design
- Strong content
- Social media sharing
- Lead magnets and email lists
What are the Steps to Building a Website?
The first things you’ll need in building your website are a domain name and web hosting. A domain name is the web address, like www.website.com, where users can find your website online. Web hosting is a service that stores all of your site files and content online in a server so visitors can access it from their computers or mobile devices through a browser.
Once you have a domain name and web hosting plan, whether you build the website yourself or hire someone else to do it for you, there are certain steps involved when building a website, including:
- Choosing a website platform
- Website branding
- Site design
- Content creation
- Marketing & promotion
- SEO (search engine optimization)
- Analytics & reporting
Each step takes time. The more skill you have, the quicker the process will go. But even the pros take time in establishing a well-performing website.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
Whether your website is DIY or professionally done, it has to be search engine optimized. SEO, which is also known as Search engine optimization, refers to how web pages and websites rank in search engines like Google because of keywords and other factors.
The goal of optimizing your website for search engines is to increase the number of visitors you get each month from natural (non-paid) search results. Depending on the type of website you have and who your target audience is, that could be anywhere from a few hundred visitors up to tens or even hundreds of thousands per month.
Your website should be optimized so it can perform well with both traditional SEO elements such as meta tags, page titles, and descriptions, as well as newer SEO elements such as voice search optimization and schema markup.
A professional web developer will help ensure your site is optimized so it can rank higher on search engines while also providing you with analytics and reporting on your site’s performance.
While there are some factors that Google won’t tell you about their algorithms, such as how long it takes to build a website or whether SEO techniques such as using keywords in your domain name will positively impact its rankings, we do know that creating valuable, relevant content is important.
There’s No End to Content Creation
Regardless of how long the initial setup of your website takes, you’ll continuously be adding new content. In this regard, your website is never really finished. Most websites need a variety of content to be effective. This can include:
- Blog posts
- Articles
- Case studies
- Ebooks/white papers
- Infographics
- Photos and videos
- Lists (e.g., top 10)
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?
It depends. Websites are available at a range of prices depending on what you want to do with them. For example, if you just want to create your own business card website that tells people who you are and how they can contact you, then it may cost less than $100. On the other hand, if you have something more complex in mind, like search engine optimization or video hosting capabilities, then expect to pay significantly more for a quality site.
If building your own website sounds daunting, don’t be afraid to hire someone else to do it for you! There are several web design services available both locally and online that can set up your site quickly at affordable rates. It’s not only convenient but also saves time when having someone experienced build your website for you.
How Long Does it Take to Build a Website?
This question depends on the type of website you want to create. A simple business card site can take just a few hours. A complex eCommerce site with multiple features may take several weeks or months to complete depending on skill level and deadlines.
Regardless, it’s important to keep in mind that your website should be well-built and perform well for you. While the time to build a website varies based on site type and complexity, all websites should take some time to create, even if someone else builds it for you. Remember this when setting up your own site or hiring someone else to do it. You want your site done right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What are the best website builders?
Answer: There are several website builders, including Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress, WordPress being the most popular and user-friendly.
Question: What is web hosting?
Answer: Web hosting provides storage space for your website to live on the internet. It’s like leasing office space for your business, just online or through a different medium.
Question: When should I hire a professional web developer rather than building my own site?
Answer: If you’re not technologically savvy or don’t have the time and patience to do it, then hire a web developer!
Question: How do I find a reputable web designer?
Answer: Ask for recommendations, check ratings and reviews online, and visit web design company websites to compare what they offer, their prices, and how they stack up against one another.
Question: What is SEO?
Answer: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps you rank higher in search engine results so more users will visit your site.
Question: Where do I host my website?
Answer: Hosting options include using free hosting sites like Blogger or WordPress.org, signing up with an established web host, or choosing a dedicated server for more advanced functions.
Question: What is SSL?
Answer: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protects data as it travels from users’ browsers to the servers that access the website. Data sent or received is scrambled in an encrypted form, which makes user information more secure from hackers and other potential threats.
Conclusion
The time it takes to build a website varies depending on what you need. Typically, for simple sites (e.g., business card websites), it will take only a few hours, while more complex eCommerce and other types of sites may take weeks or even months to complete. It’s important to recognize that your site requires some time in the building process, even if you hire someone else to do the work.
If you’re building your own website, the type of site, your experience level, and other factors determine how long it will take. If you hire a professional web developer, expect to pay more for a quality website that is completed on time. When determining how long it takes to build a website, hiring someone else to do the work will save you time in the long run!
