"How long will it take?" is usually the second question we're asked, right after price. The honest range for a small-business website is two weeks to two months — and where you land in that range depends less on the developer than most people expect.
Typical timelines by project type
- —Simple brochure site (5 pages or so, content ready): 2–3 weeks
- —Business site with custom design and new copy: 3–5 weeks
- —E-commerce or booking functionality: 4–8 weeks
- —Full product builds (portals, SaaS platforms): 2–6 months
Where the time actually goes
A typical build splits into discovery (understanding your business, customers and goals — a few days), design (one to two weeks including your feedback rounds), development (one to three weeks depending on complexity), and content, testing and launch (the final week: loading real copy, testing on real phones, connecting your domain).
The number one cause of delay: content
Here's the industry's open secret — most late websites are waiting on the client, not the developer. Specifically: copy that hasn't been written, photos that haven't been chosen, and feedback that takes two weeks to arrive. A project that could launch in three weeks stretches to three months, one un-answered email at a time.
Two fixes. Either have your content ready before the build starts, or work with a studio that writes the copy for you as part of the project. And agree upfront who gives feedback and how quickly — one decision-maker turning feedback around in 48 hours keeps everything moving.
Can it be faster?
Yes — with a focused scope and quick decisions, a professional site really can go live in a fortnight. We've launched sites in 10 days when the client came with content ready and made decisions fast. What we'd caution against is the opposite trade: an agency promising a complex build unrealistically fast is usually planning to cut the invisible corners — SEO structure, performance, accessibility — that you won't notice until the site underperforms.
Thinking about a project with a deadline attached — a launch, an event, a season? Tell us the date and we'll tell you honestly whether it's achievable.