How long does it take to build a website?
About two weeks for a small business site once we have your content, and closer to three for a larger one. The delay in almost every late project is the same thing: waiting on text and photographs from the client.
A realistic timeline
Days 1–2 · Brief
A half-hour call plus a short questionnaire. We agree the page list and confirm the fixed price.
Days 3–7 · Content and structure
We write the copy and lay out the pages. This is the step that slips when the client is writing it.
Days 8–11 · Build
The site gets built on a staging link you can look at whenever you like.
Days 12–13 · Your review
You go through it and send changes in one batch. We make them.
Day 14 · Launch
Domain pointed, SSL on, forms tested, Google Business Profile connected, Search Console verified.
What actually causes delays
Content, in about eight projects out of ten. A client agrees to write their own text to save money, and three weeks later has written one page. This is so predictable that we include copywriting from the Business package up — the saving was never worth the delay.
Scattered feedback. Changes arriving one at a time over ten days, each requiring a rebuild and re-check. One consolidated list takes a fraction of the time.
Domain access. Nobody can find the registrar login. Start looking for it at brief stage, not on launch day — recovery can take a week on its own.
Payment gateway approval on stores, which is out of everyone's hands and can take two weeks.
Can it be done faster?
Yes — a one-page site can go live in about a week, and if you genuinely need something urgently, say so on the enquiry and we will tell you honestly whether the date is achievable rather than agreeing and missing it.
What we will not do is skip the review step or launch without testing forms and redirects. Those are the steps that cause the problems you find out about a month later.
Two weeks, at a fixed price. See what is included in each website design package, or tell us your deadline and we will confirm whether it is realistic.
Common questions
How long does a simple website take?
About two weeks for three to seven pages, once content is ready. A one-page site can be about a week.
What do you need from me to start?
Your logo if you have one, access to your domain, a rough idea of your services, and half an hour on a call. From the Business package up we write everything else.
How long before it ranks on Google?
Different question, much longer answer. Indexing takes days to weeks; competing for meaningful local searches takes months and depends on your trade and town. Be sceptical of anyone giving you a date.
Last reviewed .