Developing a website? Our guide has everything you need.
Developing a website is no easy task. From planning and research to design, development, and launch, there are many steps involved in creating a polished, high-performing website. Following a structured website development process ensures no critical tasks are missed, and keeps the project on track.
But developing a website in-house isn't your only option; an outside agency can guide you through the web development lifecycle. According to a recent Capterra survey, 44% of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) utilize service providers because they don’t have the bandwidth—even though they have the expertise in-house.
Outsourcing website builds alleviates stretched resources, but understanding the web development process is still important for setting clear requirements and managing projects effectively.
What is a website development process?
The website development process provides a framework for the tasks needed to take a website from initial conception to final product. A website development timeline outlines the essential phases and steps of web development required to build and launch a site.
Each website project will vary, but most follow these core stages of website development:
Information gathering
Planning
Content creation
Development
Testing
Launch
Maintenance
Understanding this website development lifecycle helps create realistic timelines, assign responsibilities, and minimize missteps. It provides a roadmap for how to successfully deliver a complete, functional website.
Website development process steps
To fully grasp the intricacies and effort involved in creating a successful website, let's dive deeper into each stage of website development.
Information gathering
Every website project starts with collecting information to define the site's goals, features, look, and feel. This requires understanding your business objectives, target audience, content requirements, and technical needs.
Key activities in this phase include:
Identifying business goals and metrics for an effective site
Conducting user research to understand the target audience
Gathering content such as text, images, and videos
Determining the site architecture and functionality
Establishing technical requirements and constraints
Solid information gathering lays the foundation for developing a website that aligns with organizational needs and user expectations.
Planning
The planning phase uses gathered information to map out the scope, timeline, budget, and resources required. This involves:
Defining the scope based on business requirements and content needs
Breaking down the project into distinct tasks and milestones
Creating a project schedule and timeline
Estimating costs and allocating budget
Assembling a team and assigning roles
Careful planning is crucial for keeping website projects on track and managing stakeholder expectations. Establishing clear goals, timelines, and responsibilities from the start helps prevent scope creep and delays down the road.
It's important to define the scope, budget, features, and key milestones upfront with input from all stakeholders to keep everyone in alignment. There are many creative aspects to building a site, as well as SEO, keyword, and data considerations. Regular communication and progress updates are also vital to maintaining transparency and trust.
As issues inevitably arise, having contingency plans and being proactive about problem-solving will keep things moving forward. With thoughtful pre-planning and active project management, website builds can stay focused and deliver on time and on budget.
Design
This phase focuses on bringing site layouts and elements to life. Designers focus on user experience and interface design to ensure the site is intuitive and appealing. Key design activities include:
Developing a sitemap laying out the site structure
Wireframing key pages to visualize layout options
Designing a visual theme, including color schemes, fonts, and graphic assets
Prototyping page designs for review and testing
Creating final mockups based on feedback
Don’t forget to ensure your website is optimized for mobile devices and accessibility. Having a responsive site is critical for reaching today’s on-the-go users. It’s also important to make content accessible through strategies like alt text, ARIA labels, and flexible font sizing. Thinking about mobile and accessibility from the start allows you to build an inclusive website experience.
Content creation
Relevant, high-quality content keeps visitors engaged and drives the right traffic to your website. While design focuses on how the site looks, content creators develop what it actually says. This may involve:
Crafting compelling text for site pages and articles
Optimizing content for target keywords to improve SEO
Selecting, creating, and editing visual assets like photos and videos
Developing infographics, guides, or other downloadable resources
Ensuring brand consistency in tone and messaging
Development
In the development phase, the site is brought to life with functional front-end and back-end coding. Developers translate the designs into actual web pages with programmed logic. This stage is the heart of the website development lifecycle, where concepts become reality.
Building the site architecture based on technology stack choices
Coding page templates and elements
Integrating databases, applications, and APIs as needed
Building out server infrastructure, security, and storage
Connecting the front-end interface to the back-end platform
The development team collaboratively codes the visual, functional, and technical aspects of the site. Thorough development results in a fully-functioning website ready for launch. Skipping important steps in the website development lifecycle could lead to a site that doesn't fully meet requirements.
Testing
Before going live, it’s imperative that the site undergoes rigorous testing to catch bugs and issues. These tests should ensure the following:
The visual design matches the mockups
Content displays appropriately on all pages
Navigation and features work as intended
Forms, integrations, and applications function properly
The site is responsive on all devices and browsers
Any errors or broken links are resolved
A/B testing is also a valuable testing method for optimizing conversion rates.. By testing different versions of pages, companies can determine which design and messaging performs better. A/B testing helps maximize website and landing page conversion rates through data-driven iteration.
Launch
Once testing is complete, it’s time for the big reveal. The launch phase includes:
Moving the site to the live production environment
Setting up domain mapping, hosting, and security
Developing a launch plan to ramp up visibility
Executing marketing strategies to announce the site
Analyzing traffic and iterating as needed
During launch, the fully tested website shifts into its live home. Technical teams seamlessly transfer the site files and back-end infrastructure to production servers and configure DNS settings, domains, security policies, and any necessary redirects from old URLs.
Marketing teams swing into action on launch plans to generate buzz and visibility for the new site. Email campaigns, social media blasts, PR outreach, and updated SEO, optimize awareness and engagement at release. Sales and customer service teams prepare for questions and traffic spikes driven by launch activities.
Post-launch, all hands are on deck to monitor performance and user behavior. Teams track traffic volumes, load times, conversion rates, issues, and feedback. This data informs ongoing iterations and enhancements to optimize the site.
Maintenance
Launching the site is not the end of the website development process. Websites require ongoing maintenance such as:
Monitoring performance and promptly addressing issues
Creating and publishing new content regularly
Updating integrations, applications, and dependencies
Optimizing speed and security as needed
Backing up data and managing technical debt
Planning future enhancements and new features
Proper maintenance keeps a site running smoothly, engaging visitors long-term. The launch is just the beginning of a site's lifecycle.
Frequently asked questions (with insights from a business owner)
Should I build my website in-house or outsource it?
Many SMB leaders think they can save money by handling web development in-house vs. outsourcing it. As Baruch Labunski, founder of Rank Secure [1], explains, "All these website companies advertise one-click websites and thousands of templates."
However, he cautions that building a website involves more than just picking a template. To get good search engine rankings, you need expertise in areas like keywords, content creation, and data analysis.
"Those SMB owners who want faster rankings and who aren’t versed in these subjects should outsource it," he says. "Otherwise, you can spend a lot of time and aggravation on a website when you could be doing something else in your wheelhouse to get your business moving."
How long does website development take?
From start to launch, expect two to three months for website development. Allow six more months after launch for search engine rankings. Timeline phases include:
Planning and setup: 2-3 weeks
Template customization: 1 week
Secondary pages: 1 month
Content creation: 2 months
Optimization and testing: 1 month
Revisions and final testing: 1 month
What should I look for in a web development company?
When asked what to look for when hiring a web development company, Labunski emphasizes first confirming they follow best practices and ethical standards. As he states, "That's important for Google searches because you don’t want to be banned or fined."
He advises checking how involved the company will allow you to be to ensure it fits your preferences. "Some SMB owners want to be highly involved, and others pass it off and just want to see the product at key stages."
Mapping your web development journey
Following the core website development phases and tasks outlined above provides a solid foundation for a successful project. However, every organization and site has unique needs. Use this guide as a baseline and adjust to meet your specific requirements and resources. With the right preparation and process, your next website can exceed business goals, attract and retain visitors, and deliver tangible results.
Narrow your search for web development companies with our list of companies in the following areas: