That's a complex question as not all websites are equal. Moreover, they aren't all built the same. A site built on Wix might only take 20 hours, whereas a custom programmed website with interactive and intuitive tools could take well over 300 hours.

Of course, right now you’re likely thinking that the wide range of estimates from all the people you've talked to is not making matters any easier. This is a fairly common issue as web programming is one of the most technical aspects of marketing.

Building a website is almost at par with building a house: many skill sets and a high amount of expertise is required... And just like building a house, there may be unforeseen delays, and long timelines to get perfect results. When it comes to a website, you won't need a plumber or a drywaller, but you will need the following professionals:

• Front End Web Designer
• Web Developer
• Web Programmer
• Copywriter and Editor
• Search Engine Optimization Specialist
• Marketing Strategist

But we still haven’t clarified the issue about the time estimate. Why is it futile to give an exact time estimate?

First, each website is unique. Just like a house, there are similarities — but needs vary from person to person. If you're building a custom home, you don't want it to look like a cookie cutter home. Additionally, you'll want specific features that match your lifestyle. It works exactly the same for a website. Your website has to help you attain your goals and also accommodate your specific needs. While your competitor has a very simple and static site, you may want to stand out by making your site interactive and intuitive, requiring additional programming hours.

Another time-consuming aspect of the project is the possibility that it might suffer transformations as it moves forward. What was not crucial for you at the onset of the project could suddenly become a critical component, or as your website comes to life we might conceive more enhancements.      

Unfortunately, there a vast number of self-professed web designers and developers who have a limited skill set. In this case, you will end up paying for mediocre work (at its best) that will have to be redone. We see many people fall victim to this, because they assume that building a website can be done by anyone who has some technical knowledge. As a prestigious firm who relishes their web design skills, we make it a priority to hire the very best of the best. It isn't easy, but we would not have it any other way. We've come across so many unskilled programmers and web designers that it's always a concern when a client comes to us with an existing web project that in the eyes of the client only needs to be polished.

HOW WE WORK:

The way we work when building a website is in phases, this gives a client the opportunity to make changes and additions at every step of the process. While this may take longer, it is the best way to guarantee the best results. We begin with research, planning, wireframe, prototyping, web design, front-end development, and finally back-end development and/or programming.

LANDING PAGE EXAMPLES:

• https://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

This is one of our favorite landing pages because of the 3D animation and the interactivity.

Estimated time to create: 700h (complex 3D animation)

• http://www.fitexecroi.com/prive

This landing page was explicitly designed to be displayed on an iPad to all show at once. No CMS.

Time to create: 15h

• http://grahamlegal.herokuapp.com/

This landing page was designed specifically for social media ad use.

Time to create: 25h 30h

WEBSITE EXAMPLES:

• http://netflix.com

A website containing about 50 unique pages and personal log in.

Estimated time to create: 2500h

• http://www.fitexecroi.com/

This website had some design features that were more complex, such as responsive gradients, and was built on a custom CMS.

Time to Create: 125h

• http://www.themotherofallbabyshowers.com/

This website is fully editable on a custom CMS, it also has many features that work together and is fully dynamic allowing for only one thing to be updated and controlling other pages.

Time to Create: 200h

• steinposner.com

This website uses Rets and a lot of dynamic content, and it is also built on an easy to edit CMS.

Time to Create: 400h

• http://grahamlegalpa.com/

This website is more content heavy, but is also fully editable.

Time to Create: 90h

Need a quick estimate?

If you must have an estimate, we generally find that between both design and programming, each page is likely to take 15 hours. Therefore, if your site requires eight pages, and is fairly standard, you can assume it will take a minimum of 120 hours spread over 6 to 8 weeks (pending timely approvals of course).

Want more examples or would like to schedule a meeting?

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