Most small business websites take somewhere between two and eight weeks from the first conversation to going live. Online shops and sites with booking systems usually take longer.
The biggest factor is rarely the build itself. It is how quickly the content, photos and decisions come together. Here is what to expect, and how to keep your project moving.
Typical Timescales
| Type of website | Typical timescale |
|---|---|
| Simple 5 to 8 page site | 2 to 4 weeks |
| 10 to 15 pages with a blog | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Online shop or booking system | 6 to 12 weeks or more |
| Redesign of an existing site | Similar to a new build, plus time to protect your rankings |
These are typical ranges across the industry, not promises. A clear brief and ready content can bring a project in well under them.
What Happens at Each Stage
1. Discovery
A first call to understand your business, your customers and what the website needs to do. This is where you agree the pages, the features and the price.
2. Content and planning
Gathering the words, photos, logos and details for each page, and planning the structure so every service has its own page. This is the stage that most often runs over.
3. Design
The look and feel: layout, colours, fonts and how each page works on a phone. You see the design and ask for changes before anything is built.
4. Build
The site is built, forms are connected, and the SEO basics are set up: page titles, descriptions, headings, a sitemap and fast load times.
5. Review
You click through everything, on your phone and your computer, and list any changes. A round or two of tweaks is normal.
6. Launch
The site goes live on your domain, analytics are connected and Google is told about the new pages. If you are replacing an old site, redirects go live at the same time so you keep your rankings.
What Slows Projects Down
- Content that isn’t ready. By far the most common cause of delays. A designer can’t finish a page without its words and photos.
- Too many people signing off. Every extra decision-maker adds a round of changes.
- Changing the plan midway. New pages or features after the build has started push everything back.
- Missing logins. Waiting for access to your domain, old hosting or email can hold up launch day.
- Third-party systems. Booking software, payment providers and CRMs each need setting up and testing.
How to Get Your Website Live Sooner
- Write your content early, even roughly. A rough draft is easier to polish than a blank page.
- Gather your photos of your work, your team and your premises before you start.
- Decide who signs off, and keep it to one or two people.
- Find your domain login and tell your web designer where your domain and email are hosted.
- List the must-haves separately from the nice-to-haves, and launch with the must-haves first.
How We Work
Once you order and send us your onboarding answers, we usually start within 2 to 3 working days. We agree a launch date with you before we begin, and our fixed prices mean the timeline never changes the cost.
If you would like a realistic timescale for your own website, book a free 15-minute call. Bring a rough idea of the pages you need and we will tell you how long it will take.