A website project runs in a fixed order, and each stage has a clear owner. This guide sets out the order, the hand-offs and the points where delays usually start.
The website development process runs through discovery, sitemap and structure, content, design, build, testing, launch and care after launch. At each stage someone has a clear job. You supply decisions, content and approvals, while the developer handles structure, design, code, testing and launch. Delays mostly come from late content or slow feedback, so agree both before work starts.
The website development process at a glance
The website development process has the same shape on most projects, from a small business site to a larger build. The stages differ in size, not in order. Order matters because later work depends on earlier work: design depends on structure, structure depends on goals, and testing depends on a finished build.
| Stage | Main output | Mostly done by |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and brief | Goals, audience, pages and features agreed in writing | You and the developer together |
| Sitemap and structure | A list of pages, how they link, and what each must do | Developer or designer, with your approval |
| Content | Text, photographs, logo, product or service details | You, or a writer you hire |
| Design | Page layouts for desktop and phone, then the visual look | Designer, with your approval |
| Build | A working site you can edit yourself | Developer |
| Testing | Fixed defects, checked forms, phones and browsers | Developer first, then you |
| Launch | The site live on your domain with tracking in place | Developer, with access from you |
| After launch | Updates, fixes, content changes and reports | Shared, as agreed in writing |
Stage by stage: what happens and what is needed from you
Discovery and brief
The developer asks what the site is for, who uses it and what a visitor should do. Your side is a clear goal, examples of sites you like and dislike, a list of anything the site must connect to and the name of one person who decides. A written brief saves rework later. The guide to writing a website brief shows what to put in it.
Sitemap and structure
Before any design, the team lists the pages and shows how they connect: what goes in the menu, what each page is for and which pages lead to an enquiry. Page names and web addresses are also chosen here, which matters later for search engines. Structure can still change after design starts, but each change ripples through every layout.
Content
Content is the stage that most often slows a project. In most cases you write it, because you know the business. A developer can place and format text, and a copywriter can write it for you. Make it explicit in the plan which one applies. Photographs of your real work, premises or team are better than stock images. Ask for a content deadline as well as a launch date.
Design
Design usually runs in two steps. Wireframes show the layout and order of content on each page without colour or images. Visual design then applies your brand: type, colours, images and spacing, for desktop and for phone. You approve each step. Approving a wireframe means agreeing to the layout, so raise concerns about structure then and not after the visual stage.
Build
Developers turn the approved designs into working pages and set up a content management system, so you can edit text and images later without them. They build the forms, connect third-party tools and put in the basics that help search engines: page titles, headings, a sitemap file and sensible speed. You will normally see the site at a private test address while this happens. Review it there, and send feedback in one batch rather than in separate messages.
Testing
The team checks pages in common browsers and on phones of different sizes, tests every form and checks load speed. You then check what only you can judge: whether the content is right, whether prices and contact details are correct, and whether a customer could finish the main task. The website launch checklist covers the final checks in detail.
Launch
Launch means pointing your domain at the new site, switching on secure HTTPS, redirecting old addresses if you already have a site, adding analytics and submitting the sitemap to Google Search Console. Have your domain registrar login ready, because the developer needs access or must tell you what to change. Keep a backup of the old site for a while.
After launch
A website needs continuing care: software updates, backups, security checks, fixes and content changes. Agree in writing who does this and how changes are requested. The guide to what website maintenance includes explains the work. Ask also for logins, files and documentation to be handed over, so you do not depend on one supplier. Preparing for a handover lists what to hold.
Who does what: a responsibility table
Use this table to settle responsibilities before the project begins. Where a row says "agree", the answer depends on the project and should be written down.
| Task | You | Developer or agency |
|---|---|---|
| Set goals and choose the audience | Leads | Advises |
| Name one decision-maker | Leads | Asks for it |
| Write page text | Usually leads | Edits and places it, or writes it if agreed |
| Supply photographs and logo | Leads | Prepares them for the web |
| Plan the sitemap | Approves | Leads |
| Design the layouts | Approves | Leads |
| Build pages and content management | Reviews | Leads |
| Set up forms and analytics | Gives account access | Leads |
| Check the facts on every page | Leads | Supports |
| Technical testing | Supports | Leads |
| Own the domain and hosting accounts | Holds them | Needs access |
| Updates, backups and security | Agree | Agree |
Design versus development
The two words name different jobs. Design is deciding what each page contains, how it is arranged and how it looks, so that visitors find things and trust the business. Development is building those decisions into a working site: the code, the content management system, the forms, the speed and the security. A designer works in layouts and images. A developer works in code and servers.
On a small project one person may do both. On a larger one they are separate people. Either way, check that someone is responsible for each side, and that the person who builds the site has seen the designs before they are final, because some layouts are simple to draw and slow to build.
How long a business website takes
No standard figure applies. Time depends on the number of pages, how custom the design is, whether there are features such as bookings or payments, how many rounds of changes you want and how quickly you supply content and answer questions. Most delays are not in the build. They come from content that arrives late, feedback from several people who disagree, and changes made after designs are approved. Ask for a schedule that shows dates for your own tasks as well as the team's.
What slows a website project down
- Content that arrives after design has begun, so layouts are built around placeholder text that then does not fit.
- Several people giving feedback separately. One person should collect comments and send a single list.
- Scope changes after sign-off. Extra pages and features are possible, but agree how they will be priced and scheduled.
- No access to the domain, hosting or third-party accounts when launch day arrives.
- Skipping testing because a launch date has already been announced.
When you compare developers, ask each to describe its process against these stages and say what it expects from you at each one. The website development page describes the service Liftup offers.
Questions and answers
What are the stages of building a website?
The stages are discovery and brief, sitemap and structure, content, design, build, testing, launch and care after launch. Each one produces something you can review, such as a page list, a layout or a test site. Later stages depend on earlier ones, so skipping the early work usually causes rework.
How long does a business website take to build?
It depends on the number of pages, how custom the design is, any features such as bookings or payments, and how fast you supply content and feedback. Most delays come from late content and slow decisions, not from the build. Ask for a schedule that includes dates for your own tasks.
What do I need to supply to the developer?
Supply your goals, the pages you expect, your logo and brand colours, photographs, text or a writer, examples of sites you like, and access to your domain and hosting. Also name one person who makes decisions and signs off designs. Having these ready before work starts saves time at every stage.
Who writes the content for the website?
Usually you do, because you know the business and its customers. A developer can place and format the text, and a copywriter can write or improve it if you hire one. Decide which applies in the plan, and set a content deadline so the design is not built around placeholder text.
What happens after the website launches?
The site needs updates, backups, security checks, fixes and content changes. Agree who does this and how requests are made before launch. You should also receive logins, files and documentation, and the domain and hosting accounts should be in your name.
What is the difference between website design and development?
Design decides what pages contain, how they are arranged and how they look. Development builds that into a working site, with code, a content management system, forms, speed and security. On small projects one person may do both, but both jobs need an owner.