Build a website with an independent developer
A good website has one goal, such as a booking, a call or a sign up, and every page supports it. To build one, you choose how you want to edit it later, then split design, build and launch into short milestones. ErdiBuilds is an open marketplace where clients post app, SaaS, website and game projects, see which independent developers from the EU fit best based on what they have already built, and pay per milestone.
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What a website project covers
A website presents a business, a product, a person or a publication. It may have a handful of pages or hundreds, a contact form, a blog, a shop or a booking widget. Unlike an app, most visitors do not sign in.
The work usually has four parts: structure and texts, visual design, the build itself and the launch with domain, email and search basics. If visitors need to log in and work with data, you are looking at a web app instead.
Two ways to build it
A site builder or content system
Tools like Webflow, Framer and WordPress let you edit texts and images yourself after launch. This suits sites that change often and have no unusual features.
Custom code
A custom site with Next.js gives full control over speed, layout and features. It often pairs with a headless CMS so you can still edit texts. Find My Stack helps compare the paths for your case.
Whatever you choose, ask about Core Web Vitals, SEO basics and how images are sized, because they affect how the site feels and how it is found.
An example plan in milestones
A focused site often needs fewer milestones than an app. Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Milestones are from 50 to 2,000 each in your project currency.
| Topic | Example timing | What happens | Your part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Structure and design | For example, weeks 1 to 2 | Page list, wireframes, style choice, home page design | Send texts, logo and photos, give feedback |
| Phase 2: Build | For example, weeks 3 to 4 | All pages, forms, mobile layouts, content editing | Review on your phone and laptop |
| Phase 3: Launch | For example, week 5 | Domain, email forms, redirects, analytics, search basics, speed checks | Final approval and content check |
Phase 1: Structure and design
- Example timing
- For example, weeks 1 to 2
- What happens
- Page list, wireframes, style choice, home page design
- Your part
- Send texts, logo and photos, give feedback
Phase 2: Build
- Example timing
- For example, weeks 3 to 4
- What happens
- All pages, forms, mobile layouts, content editing
- Your part
- Review on your phone and laptop
Phase 3: Launch
- Example timing
- For example, week 5
- What happens
- Domain, email forms, redirects, analytics, search basics, speed checks
- Your part
- Final approval and content check
The weeks are for illustration. Developers set the length of each milestone in their proposal, and each real milestone runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Texts and photos are the usual cause of delays, so prepare them early.
What belongs in the project description
- The goal of the site and the one action visitors should take.
- Pages you expect, even as a rough list.
- Who writes the texts and who provides photos.
- Whether you want to edit content yourself, and how often.
- Examples of sites you like and the look you want.
- Languages, a blog, a shop, bookings or a newsletter.
- Your domain, hosting, and anything that must move from an old site, such as pages with good search results.
How to recognise a suitable developer
Look for live sites that load quickly on a phone, read well and have clear structure. Ask who handled the design, since some developers work with a separate designer or use your own design. See design only if you need that part first.
A match score appears on each proposal. A developer needs at least 40 to apply, and 80 or more gets a Top match badge. Developers are independent professionals, not our employees. Before you decide, run through questions to ask before hiring a developer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit the texts myself after launch?
Yes, if you say so in the brief. A site builder or a content editor on a custom site makes that possible. Ask for a short walkthrough in the last milestone.
Link to this answerWill the website be found on Google?
A fast, clear site with good titles, descriptions and a sitemap gives a solid base. Ranking also depends on your content and competition, so nobody can promise a position.
Link to this answerWho should own the domain and hosting?
You. Register the domain yourself and give the developer access. Unless both sides agree otherwise in writing on the platform, the rights to the result of a milestone pass to the client once that milestone is paid in full.
Link to this answerHow long does a website take?
A small site can take a few weeks when texts and images are ready. Larger sites, shops and several languages take longer. Milestones keep each step visible.
Link to this answerShould I build a website or an app?
If visitors mainly read or contact you, a website is enough. If they sign in and work with data, see web app projects.
Link to this answerRelated pages
- Build a web app with an independent developerHow to plan a browser-based web app: common technologies, an example milestone plan, what to write in the brief and how to judge a developer.
- Hire a Next.js developer for your projectWhat a Next.js developer does, which projects it suits, what to ask before you hire and how milestones and matching work on ErdiBuilds.
- Hire a Designer or Developer for Design OnlyGet screens and a look people love, ready for a developer to build. See what to prepare, what you receive and how milestones work.
- How to Write a Project Brief for a DeveloperA good project brief fits on one page: goal, users, must-have features, examples and limits. Here is what to include and a free tool to draft it.
- How Long Does It Take to Build an App?What decides how long an app, SaaS, website or game takes to build, with an example plan in weeks and tips for planning realistic milestones.
- Free project brief generatorAnswer a few guided questions and get a clean project description to copy or download. Runs in your browser and stores nothing.