Big Human FAQ: How Long Does It Take to Build a Digital Product?
How long does it take to build a website or mobile app?
This is one of our most frequently asked questions, but it doesn’t come with an easy answer.
From ideation to launch, creating a digital product is like constructing a building. How long it takes to build a website or mobile app depends on the materials, the number of floors, its purpose, and how much can be done concurrently. Skyscrapers, for example, are built one floor at a time, so there are always dependencies. Timelines can be extended or delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Two of the biggest factors that can affect a website or app build are unknown tech and not having the product fully built out yet.
What is the fastest you’ve ever built a website or app?
A website and a mobile app are two different digital products, but they have similar execution times. As always, timelines vary, but we once spent six weeks on design and eight to 12 weeks on development of a website — working on both at the same time.
That’s an absolute minimum, and though it’s possible to build something from scratch in four months, it isn’t always the best course of action.
What should a client know or have prepared before a digital product build?
If it’s their first product, the biggest thing clients should know when making an app or website is less is more. A natural guess but a common mistake is thinking more features equals more success. If you do too much, though, you run the risk of smothering your core features.
Instead of pushing for more features, give time for existing ones to find their product-market fit. We always start our digital product projects with a research and discovery phase to truly understand the market and find a clear product definition (a description of the product and its features).
Another word of advice: Don’t overthink small design points like the size of a button or different hues of a color. Trust the pros when it comes to the details.
Here’s a look at some of our website and app work:
Need expert knowledge on how to build an app or website? Send us a message.
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