Every time a client consults us, they ask many questions: "How much does it cost to build a website?" and "How long does it take to develop a website?"

In reality, how long does website construction actually take? This depends on factors such as the type of website project, language version, terminal version, website functions, website design requirements, the capabilities of the website development company, the complexity of the website creation, project operation processes, and modification feedback time, among other things.

First, let's talk about the types of website building projects.

• Typically, building a corporate website with a single language version and a single user terminal takes about 1-2 months, an e-commerce system takes about 1-3 months, and a portal website usually takes about 2-5 months (depending on the situation). Other custom websites...

Language version

• Many clients require not only Simplified Chinese versions, but also English, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and other languages. As you can imagine, creating multiple versions takes significantly more time than creating a single version, and this timeframe typically increases. The time required for a single version increases by approximately 20%.

User terminal version

• User terminals are categorized into computer PCs, mobile phones, responsive websites, and tablet websites. Creating a PC-based mobile website requires redesigning the mobile platform, front-end development, and program integration, increasing the time by approximately 50% compared to the basic design. Therefore, if a responsive website development approach is used, the time required is roughly the same as that for a PC website.

Website section functions

• Typically, a company website includes sections such as Homepage, Company Introduction, Product Showcase, News Center, and Contact Us. However, adding features like Download Center, Project Cases, Member Center, Solutions, Recruitment, Employee Community, and Product Purchase will definitely increase the workload. Generally, more sections require more time.

Website design requirements

• Website design requirements vary depending on the industry and the client. Some have more demanding design requirements. Designers will spend more time drafting the first draft, and revisions will take longer. Since there are no standard website design guidelines, some website design projects can be finalized with 1-2 drafts, while others require 3-5 drafts before finalization, and the time required will certainly differ.

Website development company's capabilities

• Some companies have higher levels of design and technical expertise, as well as greater proficiency. Naturally, they can do it much faster. Other companies hire recent graduates, so it's bound to be slower for them.

The complexity of website construction

• A website involves many details, each of which is completed in-place. Based on my ten years of website development experience, the workload can double. For example, considering maintenance factors, adding ALT text to each image and then adding a title; defining text overflow protection, browser compatibility, machine message protection, page load speed, etc.

Project Operation Process

• This is actually related to the operating model of website development companies. Some companies provide confirmation to clients in stages. For example, the homepage is designed for client confirmation, while inner pages are designed for client confirmation. Some companies release a first draft at once. If there are few changes, the latter is faster, but if there are many changes, it may need to be redone. In addition, some companies connect customer service or business with clients instead of designers and technicians directly, which leads to errors in the middle and slow information transmission, resulting in a longer website development cycle.

Modify feedback time

• Sometimes, even though the website development company passes its internal review, the final reviewer is still the client. Each client has different preferences and aesthetic standards. There will be more or fewer revisions. If the revision feedback time is too long, it will affect the project timeline.