How long does it take to design and build a website?

One of the most common questions we get from potential clients is – how long will my project take? What they usually hear from us is – well, it depends. Most of the time we’ll require more details about the project or a specific brief in order to estimate the time required.

There are a few things to keep in mind though when you’re planning your project. So, from the initial stages of discovery and planning to a complete website ready to go live – how long does it actually take?

Web design projects lengths vary. Here at Sabato Design we know that no two projects are the same, this is why we treat each and every one of them with a bespoke approach and a detailed plan crafted to its specifications.

We can say though, that an average web design and development project, following our process and timely feedback from the client will last from a minimum of 12 weeks to 14-16 weeks, depending on the requirements.

There are a few factors that will determine how long your website project will take. Fewer pages and minimal functionality will always take us less time to develop than a larger site map with a heavier animation or complex integrations. Or perhaps you’d like us to work on refreshing your brand first and carry on extensive SEO research?

Most of the points that will have an impact on the length of the project are:

• Site map/number of pages – how big does your website need to be and how many bespoke pages we need to design?
• The complexity of features and integrations – are there any specific technical requirements (i.e. does your website need to be multilingual, do you have a dedicated CRM platform to be integrated etc.)?
• Design requirements – do you already have a developed brand and clear brand guidelines in place or is this something you’d like us to work on as well?
• Content – you’ll likely need some time to determine your content strategy and the exact messaging you want to feature on your website. While we can support you with information architecture and top-line messages or calls-to-action, you know your business and your customers best and we’ll rely on you to provide the final content.

At this point, you might be wondering why 12 weeks and what exactly happens during this time.

This is when we get to know you, your business, and the project we’ll be working on. We get everything organized and set up correctly so that we have a solid basis and a common understanding of the goals for the next 3 months.

After we gather all the important information, it’s time for us to work on the skeleton of your future website. This is when we focus on the users and their experience, how we want their journeys to look like and what are the goals we want them to achieve.

User Interface design is when the visual part of your website comes to life. This is where we apply your brand guidelines and our design expertise to the project. At the end of this phase, we provide you with an interactive design prototype that includes all previously agreed templates and take your feedback.

This is also one part of the project that can vary between clients as we need to take into account their specific requirements and the time they need to provide feedback.

Once the design is signed off, we’re ready to get coding! We build your new website exactly how it’s been signed off in the design stage and provide you with a ready beta link once everything is ready.

Now that the beta link is with you, it’s time for the final testing and polishing of your new website before we go live. Here we allow one consolidated round of feedback and give you time to finalize the content.

Here we are! Let’s pop the bubbly and celebrate. And if you’re worried about what comes next, don’t. Most of our clients turn into long-term partnerships and we’re more than happy to add you to the list.

In our experience, we have found that 12-14 weeks is usually the minimum time you need to prepare for the new launch and just the amount of time we need to get you the website of your dreams.

In a rush? Don’t worry, there are ways we can tackle that too. Ain’t no mountain high enough!