Your website is your most important digital asset.
No matter how sophisticated the rest of your marketing is, most campaigns will revolve around your website. Your brand’s website may not be the first place where a prospect, lead, or customer learns about you, but it’s where they make their commitment – either by setting an appointment or making a purchase.
When it’s time to bring their marketing to the next level, many businesses ask this question:
“How long does it take to build a website?”
If your first website came to you more by chance than by design – through a freelancer, an employee’s teenage “website design expert” or an online website builder – it might not be obvious exactly how long it should take to receive a new website from a marketing agency.
Likewise, if you’ve used a website-only marketing agency in the past, you might get an inaccurate impression. Website-only agencies do exist, and they’re usually among the fastest getting a website up and running. Why? It’s simply because they don’t have to construct a whole strategy around them.
Every agency is different, so there’s no definitive answer to how long a website design takes. But it’s critical to avoid working with a team that sees your website as nothing more than a digital brochure. Without a clear connection to the rest of your strategy, your website probably won’t motivate action among your visitors.
What’s the alternative to a website that just sits there?
A modern, marketing-enabled website is an active part of your marketing campaign.
No matter what your goals are – raising brand recognition, qualifying leads, or bringing customers to your door, among others – your website is an integral part of that rather than being “one more thing.” It’s the center of an ecosystem including social media, email marketing, video marketing, and the rest.
An active, dynamic website design built by a marketing agency isn’t just nice to look at. It’s a data-driven part of your marketing strategy that can pivot to help you reach goals as they evolve. It provides a deeper level of insight into your audience while giving you more ways to strengthen your relationships.
Once the groundwork is laid, your website can be updated and adjusted very quickly.
But it needs to be built from the ground up to deliver the goods.
That takes time.
Not only does your marketing agency need to develop your business website, but it also needs to painstakingly craft an overall marketing strategy the website can serve as the heart of. That goes beyond coding and visuals to a detailed understanding of your goals, your audience, and what will work best for you.
Complicated as it might sound, you’re in good hands.
At New York Ave, we’ve worked with thousands of clients in service-based and specialty industries. Experience taught us that how long it takes to create a website depends on your objectives. The easiest way to put it is this:
No Goals? Just a Website?
It’s rare, but it happens. Your marketing mix is different, and you don’t need an all-new approach. You just need a website, and you feel confident it can snap easily into what you’re already doing. Fair enough. You can expect your website design to be completed and live in about 2-3 months.
Naturally, specialized functionality can add to the time your website design process will need no matter if other marketing elements are included or not. However, it’s crucial to take a close look at all those bells and whistles and be really sure they’re offering you value (and not distracting visitors from what’s important.)
Need a Website with Marketing?
In the world of website design, a website with marketing is the whole enchilada. Your marketing agency does a deep dive to understand where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there. Your website becomes a completely customized extension of your brand and marketing strategy. That takes about 4-6 months.
A highly customized website in tune with your company’s long-term goals is worth the wait. You won’t have to worry about tearing your website down and starting over in the future because it will be designed to grow and change with the times. And you’ll be able to see its contribution to your marketing metrics every quarter.
If you’re used to a website design that comes from anything other than a full-service marketing agency, now’s the time to see the difference. Contact us today to find out more or get started with your new business website.
