how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-website

How Long Does it Take to Build a Website in WordPress?

Introduction

The most important question when entering the web world is how long it takes to build a website in WordPress. 

Building a website with WordPress is a powerful and flexible way to create a professional-looking site without needing advanced coding skills. WordPress is the most popular website-building platform, powering over 40% of all websites worldwide. It offers an easy-to-use interface, a wide range of themes and plugins, and strong customization options.

Building a website with WordPress is an accessible and rewarding process. Whether you are a complete beginner or have some technical knowledge, WordPress provides the tools and flexibility needed to create any website. By following the below steps, you can launch a professional, functional website quickly and efficiently.

How Long does it Take to Build a Website in WordPress? 

Building a website in WordPress can vary widely depending on the complexity of the site, your familiarity with WordPress, and the features you want.

Here's a breakdown of the major steps involved in building a website with WordPress, along with typical time estimates for each step. These are approximate times and can vary depending on the complexity of the site, your experience, and the tools you use:

1. Domain and Hosting 

Setting up a domain and hosting while building a WordPress website can vary in time depending on your familiarity with the process and the hosting provider you're using.

  • Purchasing a domain through your hosting provider (like Bluehost) is a quick process usually only a few minutes.
  • If you buy a domain separately from a domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap), it may take 5 minutes to link it to your hosting.
  • Choosing a hosting plan and creating an account takes 5-10 minutes.
  • If your hosting provider has a one-click WordPress installation (which many do, including Bluehost), it takes 5 minutes or less to install WordPress.
  • When you set up a new domain or link a domain to a hosting provider, the DNS (Domain Name System) needs to propagate across the internet. This can take up to 48 hours, but in most cases, it's significantly faster often within an hour or two.

2. Content Writing

How long does it takes to build a website can vary significantly based on several factors, such as the complexity of the website, the amount of content needed, the type of content, and the skills of the content writer. Here's a breakdown of the typical content writing tasks and estimated timeframes:

(a) Planning and Research

  • Understanding the Target Audience: Defining who you are writing for.
  • Keyword Research: Identifying relevant keywords for SEO purposes.
  • Competitor Analysis: reviewing competitors’ content to identify gaps and opportunities.
  • Content Outline: structuring content for each page, which can involve brainstorming headings, key points, and calls to action.
  • Estimated Time: 3-10 hours, depending on the website's scope and industry complexity.

(b) Homepage Content

  • The homepage is crucial because it's the first impression of the website. Content should be clear, concise, and engaging.
  • Includes crafting a catchy headline, sub-headlines, introduction, product/service highlights, and calls to action.
  • Estimated Time: 3-8 hours for a single homepage, depending on revisions.

(c) Service or Product Pages

  • It typically requires a detailed description of services or products.
  • It includes research, benefits, features, and differentiation from competitors.
  • Focus on persuasive language and SEO optimization.
  • Estimated Time: 2-5 hours per page. Multiply by the number of services/products.

(d) About Us Page

  • Includes company history, mission, vision, team introduction, and company values.
  • It requires a storytelling approach that captures the brand's essence.
  • Estimated Time: 3-5 hours, considering drafts and feedback.

(e) Blog Posts

  • Length varies, usually 800-1500 words per blog post.
  • It requires deep research, content structuring, writing, and proofreading.
  • This may include creating graphics, internal/external linking, and SEO optimization.
  • Estimated Time: 3-8 hours per blog post, depending on complexity and length.

(f) Proofreading and Editing

  • Reviewing all written content for grammar, spelling, style, and flow.
  • Ensure the content aligns with brand guidelines and target audience expectations.
  • Estimated Time: 2-5 hours for the entire website, depending on the number of pages.

(g) Content Uploading and Formatting

  • It involves uploading the content to the website, formatting text, images, and multimedia.
  • Styling content to be visually appealing (headings, lists, images, buttons).
  • Estimated Time: 1-4 hours per page, depending on website design complexity.

3. Wireframing

How long does it takes to build a website depends on the project's complexity, the number of unique page layouts, and the level of detail needed. Wireframing is a crucial step in ensuring the website’s design aligns with user expectations and business goals, and investing time here can save development time later.

(a) Initial Research and Planning

Meetings or communication to understand the purpose, target audience, and specific website goals. Also, competitive analysis should be done while planning the website's structure. You must outline the website structure and identify the primary pages needed.

Estimated Time: 2-5 hours, depending on the clarity of requirements.

(b) Basic Sketching and Conceptualization

  • Creating simple, rough sketches on paper or using basic tools.
  • I am outlining the general layout of the homepage, key pages, and navigation.
  • The focus is on visual hierarchy, content placement, and user journey.
  • Estimated Time: 3-6 hours for a small to medium website.

(c) Low-Fidelity Wireframes

  • Using tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, or Balsamiq to create simple wireframes without much detail.
  • The focus is on content blocks, basic layout, navigation structure, and page flow.
  • Low-fidelity wireframes avoid colors, images, and specific typography.
  • Estimated Time: Simple Website (5-10 pages): 4-8 hours Medium Website (10-20 pages): 8-12 hours Complex Website (20+ pages): 12-20+ hours.

(d) High-Fidelity Wireframes

  • Developing detailed wireframes with more accurate spacing, proportions, and placeholders for images, text, and buttons.
  • Adding specifics like navigation menus, footer sections, forms, and calls-to-action.
  • Often involves client feedback and revisions to finalize the look and functionality.
  • Estimated Time: - Simple Website: 8-12 hours - Medium Website: 12-16 hours Complex Website: 20+ hours 

4. Customizing a Theme 

The time it takes to customize a premium WordPress theme and How long does it takes to build a website depends on various factors, including the complexity of the theme, your skill level, and the desired level of customization. Here's a breakdown:

(a) Basic Customization

  • It takes up to 1-3 hours involving factors:
  • Changing the logo and site colors.
  • Update the typography.
  • Configuring menus and widgets.
  • Adding a few plugins for functionality.
  • Customizing the homepage using the theme’s built-in options.

(b) Intermediate Customization

  • This requires 4-10 hours with steps to add:
  • Modifying the layout beyond default settings.
  • Customizing page templates.
  • Adding custom CSS for styling tweaks.
  • Configuring plugins to work seamlessly with the theme.
  • Adjusting responsiveness for mobile devices.

(c) Advanced Customization

  • Advanced customization requires 10-30+ hours:
  • Editing theme files (PHP, JavaScript) for deeper customization.
  • Creating custom page layouts using a page builder (e.g., Elementor, WPBakery).
  • Integrating advanced plugins or custom scripts.
  • Optimizing for performance (e.g., speed, SEO).
  • Thorough cross-browser and device testing.

5. Building Pages

How long does it takes to build a website depends on the number of pages, the complexity of the design, and the tools being used.

(a) Simple Pages

  • These are pages like "About Us," "Contact," or "Services," using:
  • Pre-designed templates.
  • Minimal content (text, a few images).
  • Basic layouts are created with the WordPress editor or a page builder.
  • Estimated Time: 15 minutes to 1 hour per page.

(b) Medium Complex Pages

  • Custom layouts for blog posts, landing pages, or portfolio pages.
  • Incorporating interactive elements (sliders, accordions, etc.).
  • Adding custom styling or scripts.
  • Optimizing for mobile and tablet responsiveness.
  • Estimated Time: 1-3 hours per page.

(c) Complex Pages

  • Highly detailed custom designs.
  • Advanced functionality like forms, e-commerce product listings, or custom animations.
  • Integration of plugins or external APIs.
  • Thorough testing for responsiveness and cross-browser compatibility.
  • Estimated Time: 4-8+ hours per page.

(d) Additional Considerations

  • Content Preparation: If content (text, images, videos) isn’t ready, building pages can take longer.
  • Using page builders: Tools like Elementor or WPBakery can speed up the process with drag-and-drop features.
  • Custom Development: Coding pages from scratch can significantly increase the time required.

6. Additional Components

How long does it takes to build a website and add components depends on the complexity of the components and the level of integration required.

(a) Simple Components

  • Contact forms (e.g., using WPForms or Contact Form 7).
  • Social media icons or feeds.
  • Basic image galleries or sliders.
  • Embedding videos or maps.
  • Overall, it takes 15 minutes to 1 hour to set all the above components for website design.

(b) Medium Complexity Components

  • Newsletter subscription forms integrated with email marketing tools (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact).
  • Advanced image or video galleries with custom styling.
  • Interactive elements like tabs, accordions, or testimonials.
  • SEO plugins or basic analytics setup (e.g., Yoast SEO, Google Analytics).
  • To set medium-complexity components, it takes 1-3 hours.

(c) Complex Components

  • E-commerce functionality (e.g., WooCommerce setup).
  • Membership or subscription features.
  • Integration with third-party services (e.g., payment gateways, CRMs, or APIs).
  • Custom-coded widgets or advanced plugin configurations.
  • Estimated time: 4-8+ hours to set complex components on board.

7. Analytics

Setting up analytics on a WordPress website typically takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the depth of integration and your familiarity with the process.

(a) Basic Setup

  • Creating a Google Analytics account (if not already done).
  • Generating the tracking ID.
  • Adding the tracking ID to the website (using a plugin like Site Kit by Google or manually inserting it into the header.php file).
  • Verification: Ensuring the tracking code is working and data is appearing in Google Analytics.
  • Approximately, it takes 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete the basic analytics setup.

(b) Advanced Setup

  • Setting up Google Tag Manager for managing multiple analytics tags.
  • Enabling advanced features like event tracking (e.g., button clicks, form submissions).
  • Configuring goals and conversions for specific user actions.
  • Integrating analytics with additional tools like Google Search Console.
  • Adding cookie consent for compliance with privacy laws like GDPR.
  • To set up advanced analytics, it can take up to 1-2 hours.

8. On-Page SEO

Setting up on-page SEO for a How long does it takes to build a website typically takes 2–10 hours, depending on the number of pages and the level of optimization required.

(a) Basic Setup

  • Installing and configuring an SEO plugin (e.g., Yoast SEO, Rank Math).
  • Setting up basic metadata:
  • Titles and meta descriptions for individual pages/posts.
  • Configuring Open Graph and Twitter card metadata for social sharing.
  • Submitting the XML sitemap to search engines using Google Search Console.
  • Ensuring cleanpermalink structures.
  • Overall, it takes 1-3 hours to set up a basic SEO strategy for your website.

(b) Page-Level Optimization

  • Researching and integrating target keywords.
  • Optimizing headers (H1, H2, etc.) and subheadings with keywords.
  • Adding alt text and descriptive filenames to images.
  • Improving content readability and formatting (bullet points, short paragraphs, etc.).
  • Creating internal links to relevant pages.
  • To set up page-level optimization, it may take up to 1-2 hours.

(c) Advanced Setup

  • Implementing schema markup for rich snippets (e.g., FAQ, reviews, events).
  • Optimizing for page speed (e.g., image compression, caching plugins).
  • Adding breadcrumb navigation for better site structure.
  • Addressing technical SEO aspects (e.g., resolving broken links, fixing crawl errors).
  • For advanced SEO optimization, it can take up to 5-10+ hours. 

9. Final Tweaks

Final tweaks are the step where you can ensure that your website is completely polished and ready to ship on board for the live audience. Before this, there are certain key tasks to perform:

  • Verifying that all links, buttons, and forms work correctly.
  • Testing navigation menus and internal and external links.
  • Checking the functionality of interactive elements.
  • Testing the website on multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
  • Testing responsiveness on various devices.
  • Measuring page load speeds using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
  • Identifying and fixing bottlenecks.
  • Scanning for vulnerabilities using plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri.
  • Ensuring HTTPS is active and SSL is working.
  • Checking permissions for users and files.
  • Ensuring all pages have titles, meta descriptions, and alt text for images.
  • Checking for duplicate content or missing tags.
  • Verifying sitemap submission and indexing on Google Search Console.
  • Simulating a user journey (e.g., purchasing a product, filling out a form).
  • Gathering feedback from actual users, if possible.
  • Testing a WordPress website typically takes 3-10+ hours, depending on the size and complexity of the site.

Conclusion

Building a WordPress website is a multi-step process, and the time required depends on factors like the complexity of the website, the builder's expertise, and the tools used.

Getting to know How long does it takes to build a website can be a bit complex. But not with this guide, as we have made a complete guide for you. A WordPress website's timeline varies widely based on your goals. For a small, straightforward website, you can expect to complete it within 1-2 weeks part-time. For larger, feature-rich, or custom-coded sites, plan for several weeks or even months. Proper planning, clear objectives, and the use of efficient tools are key to staying on schedule. Let me know if you'd like help planning your project!

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