Timeline Guide
How Long Does It Take to Build a Website? Realistic Timelines by Project Type
Short answer: Most professionally built websites take 2–6 weeks: about 2 weeks for a basic 3–5 page site, 2–4 weeks for a standard business site, and 4–6 weeks for advanced builds with booking integrations or e-commerce. The single biggest delay factor isn't the code - it's how fast the content (text, photos, logins) shows up.
TL;DR - Timelines by project type
- Starter Website: ~2 weeks
- Growth Website: 2–4 weeks
- Custom Growth System (booking, CRM, automation, e-commerce): 4–6 weeks
- E-commerce store: 4–6 weeks
- Custom web applications: scoped individually, 6+ weeks
How long does a basic website take?
A Starter Website is live in about 2 weeks when the content is ready at kickoff. Week one covers design direction and the homepage; week two covers the remaining pages, mobile testing, and launch. This is the €490 option in my pricing guide.
How long does a standard business website take?
A 6–10 page site with detailed service sections, a gallery, basic SEO, and analytics setup takes 2–4 weeks. The added time goes into per-service pages - each needs its own structure and copy - and into Google Business Profile and tracking configuration done properly rather than rushed.
How long does an advanced or e-commerce build take?
Both land at 4–6 weeks, for different reasons. Custom Growth Systems spend the extra weeks on integrations - online booking, CRM, email capture, automation, e-commerce, payment flows, or custom functionality - each of which needs configuration and real testing. My enterprise support background taught me not to skip integration testing; a booking system that silently drops requests is worse than no booking system.
What actually delays website projects?
- Content, content, content. In my experience the wait is almost never the build - it's text, photos, and product data. Fix: I send a complete content checklist on day one, and we write missing copy together as part of the project.
- Access and accounts. Domain registrar logins, hosting credentials, Google accounts - collect these in week zero, not week three.
- Feedback loops. Each revision round with a committee takes a week; with one decision-maker it takes a day. Working with me is the second kind by design - you talk straight to the builder.
- Scope changes mid-build. New pages and features added mid-project restart design work. I scope in writing first, so additions become a conscious decision with a price, not a slow drift.
Can a website be done in a week?
Technically yes - a one-page site with finished content can go live in days. But for a business site, the honest answer is that the difference between 1 week and 2–3 weeks is testing, SEO structure, and conversion details, which is exactly the part that makes the site earn its cost back. I take on a limited number of projects at a time precisely so the dates I commit to are dates I hit.
How do I make my project hit the early end of the range?
- Have your logo, brand colors, and photos collected before kickoff
- Write rough bullet points for each page - I'll turn them into copy
- Nominate one decision-maker for feedback
- Batch your revision feedback instead of sending it piecemeal
Next step
See what each option includes on the pricing section, how a real project ran in the freight company case study, or what your industry's site needs: HVAC, plumbers, clinics, restaurants, contractors.
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