How Long Does A Website Project Take?

The website design process depends on… a lot of things. 

We get asked this question a lot. And I mean a lot. This is often due to two things; that consumers wait until they absolutely cannot stand their website anymore and want it done ASAP, or want to see a return on investment as quickly as possible.

The website world is sprinkled with promises of easy websites, 24 hour turn arounds, and free templates that take seconds to start, so it makes sense why someone would ask an agency why our process may take a few months instead of a few days. That being said, when you’re working with an agency like efelle, you’re getting custom design and development built around your brand. We don’t have to go too far into it, but we’ve said it before, that going custom is worth it for your business. 

All that being said… let’s get back to the question. How long does a website take to build?

Well, I hate to break it to you but we’re going to respond to your question with more questions. The entire process length depends on a plethora of factors, ranging from complexity to client responsiveness. Here's six questions our team thinks through: 

1. How engaged is the client? Do they return phone calls and emails?

Each of our projects is assigned an Account Manager that works with a client to maintain open communication and an efficient process. That being said, business happens and sometimes our clients are busy and unable to provide feedback on designs for internal forecasting.

2. Do they have a Project lead on their end?

When there is a lead driving the project, decisions get made faster, but when it is a group of people that are all equally involved, sometimes that can slow down the decision making process. 

3. Do they have content ready or are they paying us to provide content?

Sometimes with a new website comes all new content. Obviously good content takes time to write, and we see that sometimes writing about your own business can be really difficult and take longer than anticipated. When we have copywriters involved, we can better predict the timeline, but when our clients write their own content, their leaves a wide range of possible time.

4. Is there any urgency or a launch date goal?

We will have clients come to us with a set date in mind and others that just want to get it done when they can. We work with every client to create a timeline that works with their goals as well as fits into the process of a website redesign - perfection takes time!

5. Why type of industry is the client in?

This will often play a role in how busy the client is. For some of our doctor or lawyer clients, we can meet about once a month which can obviously slow down the process. Again, that means they are already busy and we will just help grow their business even more, so we are happy to accommodate. 

6. How do they act during the sales process?

How someone acts during the sales process is oftentimes reflective of how they will be throughout the project. As a business development team, we are picking up on cues and trying to understand what type of client each prospect will be - this is helpful for us to understand timeline estimations but also what Account Manager they should be assigned to. 

Websites may look simple on the surface but most of your favorite websites are ones that took hundreds of hours to design and build and they often have a team behind them continually working. 

Ready for a website redesign?

Our digital strategists are here to help you walk through the entire process, from understanding and setting your budget, to getting your project started. Tell us a little about your business here, or call us at 206.384.4909.