The time required to build a WordPress website depends on the type of website and the person or team undertaking the task. The duration for creating a website using WordPress can vary significantly depending on whether it is intended for business, personal use, blogging, or e-commerce purposes.
A website can be built using WordPress in as little as one day or as long as one month or even a year, depending on the complexity and scope of the project. Unlike a one-time endeavor, a website is an ongoing development that evolves over time. By planning and approaching the process strategically, you can achieve much better results faster.
To begin, you can start with a basic business website and gradually expand it by adding more pages. Incorporating a blog section and regularly publishing blog posts can enhance its appeal and functionality. Customizing menus, incorporating images, optimizing for search engines (SEO), and other enhancements contribute to making it a fully functional and successful website, which requires rigorous testing and monitoring.
The time it takes to build a WordPress website also depends on your familiarity with the platform. If you have a website template or a reference site and hire an expert WordPress freelancer, they might be able to build it for you within a day. However, if you are new to WordPress and lack knowledge about the platform, building a website could take anywhere from one to six months or possibly longer as you learn and navigate the system.
Creating a WordPress blog website generally takes less time compared to developing a Landing Page Website or a full-fledged Business Website. On the other hand, building a WordPress eCommerce website usually requires more time and effort than crafting a blog or landing page site due to its complexity and additional features.
Efficient timing also relies on effective communication and collaboration between you and your website designer or freelancer. Timely and clear responsiveness to each other’s messages, adhering to requirements, and staying aligned with the initial discussions are crucial factors that can significantly impact the timeline. Delays or miscommunications in this aspect can extend the development process for months or even years.
To gain a better understanding of the time needed for building a website, let’s examine the specific tasks involved in creating each type of website and estimate the time required to complete each step. By breaking down the process, it becomes easier to assess and manage the overall timeline effectively.
1. Website Project Planning, Strategies, Goals, and Discussion: Minimum 1 Hour and Maximum 10 Hours:
The time required for website project planning, strategizing, defining goals, and engaging in discussions can range from a minimum of 1 hour to a maximum of 10 hours. The duration largely depends on your level of clarity regarding the type of WordPress website you require, your specific goals, desired functionalities, and visual preferences. If you already have a clear vision of your website and its key elements, it can save time during this phase.
However, if you openly discuss your plans and ideas with a website developer, designer, or WordPress expert, it can prove invaluable as you tap into their experience and expertise. Transparent and honest communication fosters a better understanding of your project, leading to more informed decisions and efficient development.
Though it’s optional, initiating discussions about the project scope and plan with a freelancer or the person you’ve hired to build your website is highly beneficial. Such conversations help align expectations, establish a shared vision, and ensure that everyone is on the same page before commencing the actual development process.
Read the complete guide below posts:
2. Domain and Hosting – WordPress Website Development Environment Setup: 1 to 2 hours:
Setting up the domain and hosting for your WordPress website typically requires 1 to 2 hours, contingent upon the preparations you’ve made beforehand. If you already possess a domain name and have configured the domain and hosting by adding the necessary domain name server (DNS) settings, the setup process will be relatively quick and straightforward.
However, if you haven’t procured a domain name or SSL certificate for your website and are yet to choose a hosting provider, the setup will naturally take more time. Acquiring these elements is crucial as they form the foundation of your website’s online presence.
Domain, hosting, and SSL setup represent the primary and essential steps in commencing the WordPress website development process. You can either handle these tasks on your own, following consultation with the freelancer or seek guidance from online resources and a WordPress website consultant to ensure the setup is executed correctly and efficiently.
Read more:
3. WordPress Installation, Theme, Plugin Installations, and Configuration: 1 to 2 hours:
The installation and setup of WordPress, along with the installation and configuration of themes and plugins, typically take around 1 to 2 hours. If you have already chosen a WordPress theme for your website, it can significantly expedite the process, and the freelancer can simply proceed with the installation.
Additionally, basic plugins that are essential for your website, such as SEO, caching, a landing page builder, and slider plugins, need to be installed and configured. These plugins play a crucial role in enhancing your website’s functionality and performance.
However, sometimes, plugin configuration can consume more time, especially if conflicts arise with other plugins or if there are issues with the plugin’s service or compatibility. It’s essential to address such conflicts promptly to ensure the smooth functioning of your website and the plugins installed. Regular updates and maintenance can help prevent potential conflicts in the future.
4. Content Creation for the Landing Page/About Us/Services and Product Pages: 1 to 20 Hours:
Creating content for various sections of the website, including the Landing Page, About Us, Services, and Product pages, can take anywhere from 1 to 20 hours. This process encompasses writing compelling text for each page, designing branding elements like banners, and selecting relevant images and videos. For WordPress eCommerce or WooCommerce websites, additional time might be needed for writing product page content and retouching product images.
To ensure high-quality content that engages visitors and boosts SEO, it is advisable to hire professional copywriters. Skilled copywriters can craft content that resonates with your audience and aligns with your business goals.
Likewise, enlisting the services of a professional graphic designer or logo designer is crucial for creating captivating branding material, graphics, banners, and social media content.
In some cases, you might find WordPress experts who are also skilled web designers, SEO specialists, and content writers, which can be advantageous for streamlining the process. However, the downside is that this all-in-one approach might prolong the website creation process and potentially exceed the estimated 20-hour timeframe.
An alternative option is to hire separate expert freelancers for each aspect of website development. This way, each professional can focus on their specific area of expertise, fostering creativity and enthusiasm in their respective tasks. Working with a dedicated team of specialists, whether in-house or freelancers, can result in a more unique and personalized website compared to using template-based solutions from digital marketing agencies.
5. Customization/Speed/Contact Forms/SEO and Responsive Test: 1 to 2 Hours:
This final round involves essential testing and verification of each aspect of the website. It is crucial to thoroughly check and test the landing pages, website pages, and contact forms to ensure they are functioning correctly.
Next, it is imperative to assess the responsiveness and mobile-friendliness of each page. Verifying that the website looks and functions optimally on various mobile devices is essential for a seamless user experience.
Conducting an SEO check is equally vital. Ensure that the frequency of keywords and content structure aligns with your SEO strategy. Each page’s content should be valuable, engaging, and optimized with your main website keywords to resonate with visitors.
Website speed is another critical factor. Perform tests to gauge how fast the website loads on different platforms, such as mobile, desktop, and tablet. If any speed issues are detected, consider addressing plugin conflicts and configuring cache plugins, lazy loaders, and Custom CSS, and JavaScript codes to optimize performance.
Improving website speed might require additional time, especially for live websites with high traffic volume. It’s a meticulous process that demands attention to detail.
Unfortunately, some website owners make the mistake of skipping comprehensive testing before launching their website and submitting it for indexing. This oversight can lead to costly issues and delays later on.
Though many WordPress experts might address speed optimization along the way, it’s important to understand that building a professional WordPress website is not a quick task. It is a step-by-step process that requires careful planning, testing, and attention to detail to ensure a successful and functional end result.
Explore: A Comprehensive Guide to Fix Top 11 Common SEO Mistakes
6. Submission of Website and Sitemap to Search Engines for Indexing: 30 Minutes to 1 Hour:
To submit your website for indexing by search engines, the process typically takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Here are the steps involved:
- Sitemap Generation and Configuration:
- Before generating the sitemap through the Yoast SEO plugin, adjust the search engine indexing or sitemap settings in the plugin. Customize which pages, categories, and types of content you want to include in the sitemap.
- Robots.txt File Review:
- Check your robots.txt file to ensure it does not block any content that should be indexed or crawled by search engines. Use the robots.txt file or the Yoast SEO plugin to prevent displaying content in search results that you don’t want to be indexed.
- Generate Sitemap.xml:
- After ensuring everything is set up correctly and tested, generate the sitemap.xml file. This file includes all the important links on your website and serves as a traffic pipeline from search engines to your site.
- Submission to Google and Bing Search Consoles:
- Submit the sitemap.xml link to both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This step enables search engines to discover and index your website more efficiently.
- Use a Maintenance Plugin During Changes:
- When making changes to your website, activate a maintenance plugin to prevent dummy content from being indexed. This ensures that the demo content won’t impact your website’s SEO during the development process.
By following these steps, your website will be ready for search engines and potential visitors. Keep in mind that Google crawlers may start indexing even your demo content on the first day, so it’s essential to manage the indexing process carefully to maintain the best possible SEO outcomes.
7. Website/Landing Page Traffic Monitoring and Analytics Plugin or Code Setup: Minimum 20 minutes to 1 hour:
The final step involves setting up website traffic monitoring and analytics tools, which typically takes a minimum of 30 minutes. Google Analytics (GA 4 latest version) is a commonly used tool for this purpose. Additionally, you can integrate or link Google Search Console with Google Analytics to track events, form submissions, page views, engagement, outbound clicks, keywords, search queries, impressions, and click-through rates (CTR).
Read More: Website data analytics tools to maximize conversion rate
Things to Remember:
When building a WordPress website for business, it is essential to approach the process with a focus on effectiveness and professionalism. Creating a website for business requires adequate time and attention to detail. While some tasks can be completed within a day, it is crucial to allocate at least a minimum of 1 week for a professional WordPress expert freelancer to ensure a well-executed project.
The timeframe might vary depending on various factors, including the readiness of content, domain, hosting, SSL, and the complexity of the website. With all the necessary elements prepared in advance, a skilled freelancer may complete the project in 10 to 12 hours.
Using WordPress page builders can streamline the process and save time, as they offer centralized management and user-friendly interfaces.
Remember that a website is not a one-time project; it requires ongoing maintenance and improvement. As your knowledge, business, and traffic grow, the website can evolve and become more tailored to your audience’s needs. Invest time effectively in building the website, whether by your own effort or enlisting the expertise of expert freelancers or WordPress agencies. A well-built website can yield significant returns over time, making the initial time investment worthwhile.