Website Development Process: From Concept to Launch in 60 Days

Want to build a professional website but don't know where to start? Website development follows a systematic process that turns your vision into reality. Understanding each phase helps you set realistic expectations, avoid costly mistakes, and launch successfully within 60 days.

The 60-Day Website Development Timeline

Week 1: Planning & Strategy (5 days)
Week 2: Design & Wireframes (7 days)
Week 3-4: Design Refinement (7 days)
Week 5-7: Development (21 days)
Week 8: Content & Testing (7 days)
Week 9: Final Testing & Launch Prep (7 days)
Week 10: Launch & Post-Launch (6 days)
Total: 60 days (approximately 2 months)

Note: Timeline assumes clear requirements and medium-complexity business website. Complex web applications need 3-6 months.

Phase 1: Planning & Strategy (Days 1-5)

Step 1: Define Website Goals

Clarify exactly what you want to achieve:

Key Questions:

• What's the primary purpose? (Information, leads, sales, support)
• Who is the target audience?
• What action should visitors take?
• How will success be measured?

Deliverable: Goals document with measurable objectives

Example Goals:

Primary: Generate 50 qualified leads monthly
Secondary: Establish brand authority in industry
Metric: 5,000+ monthly visitors within 6 months

Step 2: Research and Competitive Analysis

Understand your market and competitors:

Analysis Checklist:
□ Review 5-10 competitor websites
□ Identify what works well
□ Note missing opportunities
□ Define unique differentiators
□ Research user expectations

Step 3: Define Site Structure

Map out all pages and their hierarchy:

Typical Business Website:

Home
├── About
│   ├── Our Story
│   └── Team
├── Services
│   ├── Service 1
│   ├── Service 2
│   └── Service 3
├── Portfolio/Case Studies
├── Blog/Resources
└── Contact

Pro Tip: Start with 8-15 pages for MVP. Add more post-launch based on analytics.

Step 4: Content Strategy

Plan what content you'll need:

Content Inventory:

• Page copy and descriptions
• Images and graphics
• Videos (if applicable)
• Blog topics
• Testimonials
• Case studies

Who Provides:

• Client provides: Core information, images, brand assets
• Agency provides: Professional copywriting, stock photos, design

Step 5: Choose Technology Stack

Select appropriate platforms and tools:

Decision Matrix:

Simple Business Site = WordPress
E-commerce = WooCommerce, Shopify, or Custom
Web Application = Laravel, React/Node.js
Landing Page = Static site generator

Deliverables: Project scope document, sitemap, content plan, technology recommendation, timeline, budget

Phase 2: Design (Days 6-19)

Step 1: Create Wireframes (Days 6-8)

Low-fidelity layouts showing structure:

Purpose:

• Define page layouts
• Show content placement
• Plan navigation flow
• No colors or styling yet

Key Pages to Wireframe:

• Homepage
• Service/Product pages
• About page
• Contact page
• Blog/Resource pages

Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, or Balsamiq

Step 2: Develop Visual Design (Days 9-15)

Transform wireframes into beautiful designs:

Design Elements:

• Color palette (brand colors)
• Typography (fonts and hierarchy)
• Imagery style (photography, illustrations)
• Icons and graphics
• Button and form styles
• Spacing and layout

Design System Components:

Headers and navigation
Hero sections
Content blocks
Call-to-action buttons
Forms
Footer

Step 3: Create Mobile Design (Days 16-17)

Ensure responsive design for all devices:

Breakpoints:

• Desktop: 1920px, 1440px, 1200px
• Tablet: 1024px, 768px
• Mobile: 414px, 375px, 360px

Mobile-First Approach: Design for mobile first, then scale up to desktop.

Step 4: Client Review and Revisions (Days 18-19)

Present designs and gather feedback:

Review Process:
Present designs → Collect feedback → Make revisions → Final approval
Typical revisions: 2-3 rounds included

Deliverables: Complete UI designs (15-30 screens), interactive prototype, design system guide, mobile designs

Phase 3: Development (Days 20-40)

Step 1: Setup Development Environment (Days 20-21)

Establish technical foundation:

Environment Setup:

• Version control (Git/GitHub)
• Staging server
• Development workflow
• Project management tools
• Communication channels

Step 2: Frontend Development (Days 22-32)

Build the visible website:

Week 1 (Days 22-26):

• Header and navigation
• Homepage layout
• Global components (footer, buttons, forms)
• Responsive framework

Week 2 (Days 27-32):

• All page templates
• Interactive elements
• Animations and transitions
• Mobile optimization

Technologies:

<!-- Modern Frontend Stack -->
HTML5 semantic markup
CSS3 with Flexbox/Grid
JavaScript for interactivity
Framework: Bootstrap, Tailwind, or custom

Step 3: Backend Development (Days 27-36)

Parallel development of server-side functionality:

CMS Integration (WordPress):

• Custom theme development
• Plugin configuration
• Content types and taxonomies
• User roles and permissions

Custom Development (Laravel):

// Backend Components
Database schema design
API endpoints
Authentication system
Admin panel
Content management
Form handlers

Timeline: 10-15 days parallel with frontend

Step 4: Feature Implementation (Days 33-38)

Add specific functionality:

Common Features:

Contact Forms:
- Form validation
- Email notifications
- Database storage
- CAPTCHA integration

Blog/CMS:
- Post creation
- Categories and tags
- Search functionality
- Comments (optional)

Third-Party Integrations:
- Google Analytics
- Social media feeds
- Email marketing (Mailchimp)
- Live chat
- Payment gateway (if e-commerce)

Step 5: Content Integration (Days 37-40)

Add real content to website:

Content Tasks:

• Page copy integration
• Image optimization and upload
• SEO meta tags
• Alt text for images
• Internal linking

Optimization:

Images: WebP format, compressed
Page Speed: < 3 seconds load time
Mobile: Fully responsive
SEO: Title tags, meta descriptions

Deliverables: Functional website on staging server, all features working, content integrated, responsive on all devices

Phase 4: Testing (Days 41-52)

Step 1: Functionality Testing (Days 41-44)

Test every feature thoroughly:

Test Checklist:

□ All links work correctly
□ Forms submit and send emails
□ Navigation on all pages
□ Search functionality
□ Image galleries
□ Videos play properly
□ Downloads work
□ Mobile menu functions

Step 2: Browser Testing (Days 45-46)

Ensure compatibility across browsers:

Test Browsers:

• Chrome (Desktop & Mobile)
• Firefox
• Safari (Desktop & Mobile)
• Edge
• Samsung Internet (Android)

Common Issues:

• CSS differences
• JavaScript compatibility
• Font rendering
• Layout shifts

Step 3: Device Testing (Days 47-48)

Test on actual devices:

Device Matrix:

Desktop: Windows, Mac
Tablet: iPad, Android tablets
Mobile: iPhone (13, 14, 15), Android (Samsung, Pixel)

Responsive Checks:

• Images scale properly
• Text is readable
• Buttons are tappable
• Forms are usable
• Navigation works

Step 4: Performance Optimization (Days 49-50)

Improve speed and efficiency:

Optimization Tasks:

Image Compression:
- Resize to appropriate dimensions
- Convert to WebP
- Lazy loading implementation

Code Minification:
- Minify CSS
- Minify JavaScript
- Remove unused code

Caching:
- Browser caching
- Server-side caching
- CDN setup (optional)

Target Metrics:

Load Time: < 3 seconds
Page Size: < 2MB
Requests: < 50
Lighthouse Score: > 90

Step 5: SEO and Accessibility (Days 51-52)

Ensure discoverability and usability:

SEO Checklist:

□ XML sitemap generated
□ Robots.txt configured
□ Meta titles and descriptions
□ Header tags (H1, H2, H3)
□ Alt text on images
□ Internal linking structure
□ Google Search Console setup
□ Google Analytics setup

Accessibility:

□ Keyboard navigation
□ Screen reader compatible
□ Color contrast sufficient
□ Form labels properly used
□ ARIA attributes where needed

Deliverables: Bug report and fixes, performance report, SEO audit, fully tested website

Phase 5: Launch (Days 53-60)

Step 1: Pre-Launch Checklist (Days 53-55)

Final preparations before going live:

Technical Checklist:
□ Backup staging site
□ SSL certificate installed
□ Domain configured correctly
□ Email accounts setup
□ 301 redirects (if redesign)
□ Forms tested and working
□ Analytics tracking verified
□ Favicon uploaded
□ Social media images set

Step 2: Client Training (Day 56)

Teach client how to manage website:

Training Topics:

• Login to admin panel
• Create/edit pages and posts
• Upload images
• Update content
• Basic troubleshooting
• Who to contact for help

Deliverable: Training video + documentation

Step 3: Launch (Days 57-58)

Move website to production:

Launch Process:

1. Final backup of staging
2. Deploy to production server
3. Update DNS settings
4. Test production site thoroughly
5. Submit sitemap to Google
6. Monitor for issues

Launch Checklist:

□ Site accessible at main domain
□ All pages load correctly
□ Forms working
□ Analytics tracking
□ No broken links
□ Mobile version works
□ SSL active (https://)

Step 4: Post-Launch Monitoring (Days 59-60)

Watch for issues:

Monitor First 48 Hours:

• Server errors (500, 404)
• Form submissions
• Contact inquiries
• Page load speeds
• Mobile functionality
• Analytics data

Step 5: Marketing Launch

Announce your new website:

Launch Activities:

Day 1:
- Email announcement to list
- Social media posts
- Update Google Business Profile

Week 1:
- Blog post about launch
- Press release (if applicable)
- Reach out to partners
- Paid advertising launch

Post-Launch: Ongoing Optimization

Week 1-2:

• Monitor user behavior
• Fix any reported issues
• Collect feedback

Month 2-3:

• Analyze traffic data
• Implement quick improvements
• Start content marketing

Ongoing:

• Monthly analytics review
• Regular content updates
• SEO optimization
• Security updates

CentoSquare's 60-Day Process

At CentoSquare, we follow this proven methodology:

Our Advantage:

• Fixed 60-day timeline for business sites
• Weekly progress reviews
• Direct client communication
• No surprises or delays
• Quality guaranteed

What We Deliver in 60 Days:

• Fully functional responsive website
• Content management system
• SEO optimization
• Analytics setup
• Training and documentation
• 30 days post-launch support
• Source code ownership

Typical 60-Day Website Cost: $8,000 - $25,000

Success Rate: 95%+ of projects launch on schedule

Conclusion

Building a professional website in 60 days is achievable with proper planning, clear requirements, and systematic execution. Follow this process: plan strategically (5 days), design thoughtfully (14 days), develop efficiently (21 days), test thoroughly (12 days), and launch confidently (8 days).

Key to Success: Clear communication, prompt feedback, and realistic scope.

Ready to start your 60-day website project? At CentoSquare, we've launched 200+ websites using this proven process. Let's bring your vision to life.

Start Your 60-Day Website Development →