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Blog — Page 12

Nine weeks to a new websiteSeven phases, clear ownership — and the three points where things stallSources: DENIC, Bitkom, BFSGTypical schedule of a website projectClient input dueBuild in progressGo-liveWeek1234567891 Preparation and briefing5 days2 Structure and first draft9 days3 Copy and photos17 days4 Legal, consent, access10 days5 Test: mobile and keyboard7 days6 Domain move and go-live3 days7 Follow-up and first review10 daysGo-liveThe three classic bottlenecksPhotos are missingNo shots of the actual business,no rights to third-party images.Often costs two to three weeks.Sign-off without an ownerFour opinions, nobody deciding.Every extra round adds days.One named approver is enough.Access granted too lateAuth code valid 30 days (DENIC).DNS often sits with the old provider.Sort it out four weeks ahead.
Planning Jun 5, 2026

How Long Does a New Website Take? A Realistic Plan

How long does a new website really take? Seven phases with time frames, the three classic bottlenecks and a go-live window that avoids the Friday risk.

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A brief in one hour: twelve questions, one materials listInput decides the resultPart 1 — Twelve questions1What should happen after the visit?2Who decides and who signs off?3Which three services carry revenue?4Who is the ideal customer — and who is not?5Which service area applies?6What evidence do we have?Questions 7 to 12: difference, phone questions, limits, deadlinePart 2 — Materials listLogo as a vector filePhotos of premises and teamServices and price detailsOpening hours and emergencyRegister data (Section 5 DDG)Supervisory authority, chamberAccess to domain and DNSOld copy as raw materialFrom the brief to the first versionBrief: 12 questions + materialsAI assistant reads the inputFirst complete versionAdjust in the Flow Builder94 %of skilled trade businesses runa website of their own (Bitkom)Self-assessment: grade 3.0Part 3 — Input that carriesweakWe want a modern look.strongGoal: a call to the landline, 7 am to 4 pm.weakWe do everything around the house.strongThree services, one page each, in that order.Figures: Bitkom, study report on digitalisation in the skilled trades (n=504)
Planning Jun 4, 2026

Website Brief: Clarify Goal, Audience and Content

Twelve questions, a materials list and a short template: how a small business puts together a usable website brief in about an hour, for an agency or an AI.

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Website budget: two pots, three yearsPlan the one-off build and the yearly running costs separatelySources: KfW, Bitkom, DestatisONE-OFFpaid once, at build timeConcept and page structureCopy and photosBuilding the pagesLegal pages and consentContent migration and redirectsPER YEARback again every yearDomain, hosting, certificateMailboxes and accountsMaintenance and updatesyour own upkeep time (2 hrs/month)Analytics, ads if you run themThree-year view, not a quoteone-offongoingYear 1Year 2Year 3Over three years:running costs often reach the sameorder of magnitude as the build(project experience)The cost most people forget2 hours of upkeep per month× 45.00 euros per hour worked (Destatis)1,080 euros a year3,240 euros over three years
Costs Jun 3, 2026

Website Budget: One-Off and Ongoing Costs Explained

Plan a website budget across three years: the one-off build, the yearly running costs and your own upkeep time as a line item — with an example calculation.

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Builder, agency or AI: four routes to a websiteSeven criteria, three business profiles and four questions that decide the routeDecision gridFour routes1Self-build with a kitYou build, you maintain, you own it2Agency or freelancerCommissioned, supported, scheduled3AI-assisted builderFast draft, changes by instruction4Someone you knowCheap, without a firm commitmentSeven criteria comparedKitAgencyAI builderAcquaintanceTime to launchdays to weeksweeks to monthshours to daysopen-endedOne-off costlowhighlowvery lowOngoing costplan plus domainretainerplan plus domainhosting, domainWho changes it lateryouthe provideryou, by promptthe one personDependency on providerplatformproviderplatformone individualTechnical qualityvariesif agreedsystem-definedunverifiedMandatory topicsyour own workif commissionedframework givenoften unresolvedTrade business, 8 staff8 employees, loyal customer baseServices, enquiries, job adsNo special functions plannedRecommendation: AI builderPractice wanting appointmentsFixed hours, heavy phone loadWants online appointmentsProfessional rules, sensitive dataAI builder plus specialist linkAssociation without a budgetVolunteers, no real budgetDates, contacts, membershipChanging responsibilitiesSelf-build, clearly limited85 % of trade businesses offer at least one digital service (Bitkom) · 4 % use AI (Bitkom) · 48 % of mobile websites pass the Core Web Vitals (HTTP Archive)
Comparison Jun 2, 2026

Builder, Agency or AI: Routes to Your Own Website

Four routes to your own website compared: seven criteria, three business profiles and four questions that show which route actually fits your own business.

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New website: is the step worth it?Ten triggers, a scoring scale and the maths behind it94 percent run their own siteTen triggers in the self-test6 of 10 applyNo enquiry through the site for monthsBarely usable on a phoneContent or prices out of dateNobody in-house can change anythingLegal pages missing or outdatedPrevious provider unreachableLong load times on mobile networksNo access to domain or hostingServices have changedCompetitors visible, your firm notScoring scale6 of 10triggers apply0 to 2: keep maintaining3 to 5: revise areasfrom 6: rebuild is cheaperThe maths: what it must carryOrder valueContributionOrders/year400 euros120 euros151,200 euros360 euros54,000 euros1,200 euros2Example: 1,800 euros a year, 30 percent contribution marginThe self-test does not replace a case-by-case reviewSources: Bitkom, Destatis, Think with Google
Website basics Jun 1, 2026

New Website: When the Investment Really Pays Off

Ten triggers in a self-test, a scoring scale from maintain to rebuild, and the maths behind it: how many extra orders a new website has to carry a year.

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