Anyone planning a new website usually wants to know first: when will it be ready? The answer depends less on technology than on the scope and on how quickly content and feedback arrive. Here I explain what timeframes you can expect and what it comes down to in practice.
Guide values from my projects
- One-page website: usually two to three weeks.
- Larger website with several sub-pages: usually four to eight weeks.
- Online shop: usually four to six weeks, depending on the number of products.
- Logo and brand identity: usually around three weeks.
- Website copy: usually one to two weeks.
- Online booking: usually two to four weeks.
These are guide values, not promises. We agree the timeline for your project together at the start, and you receive it with the quote.
What the timeline depends on
- Scope: every additional page, language or feature needs time for design, build and testing.
- Material: are copy, images and logo ready, or do they still need to be created?
- Feedback: how quickly do comments on the previews arrive, and how many people are involved in decisions?
- Coordination with third parties: for example an agency for the logo, the host of the old site or a photographer.
- Special features: interfaces to other systems, a shop or a booking system need setup and testing.
The phases of a project
My projects run in stages: after the intro call and the quote come the questionnaire and material, then the structure, the home page, the other pages and finally the finished website. You see each stage as a preview in the client portal and give your feedback in one go. This approach helps the timeline: fundamental questions are settled early, before much has been built. Late changes of direction are the most common reason projects take longer than planned.
What projects most often wait for
Rarely the technology. Usually material is missing: the copy hasn't been written, the photos haven't been taken, the logo only exists as a small image. The second common reason is scattered feedback, when comments arrive one by one over days or weeks or several people have different wishes. Both can be planned for well if you know about them in advance.
How to speed things up
- Gather material early: logo in good quality, photos, existing copy, logins for the old website and domain.
- Name one person who decides and bundles feedback.
- Give feedback together and promptly, ideally on fixed days.
- Start with the essentials: more pages and features can be added after launch.
- Hand over the copy if writing keeps slipping. With me, it comes from a conversation about your business.
When it has to be quick
Sometimes there is a fixed date: an opening, a trade fair, the launch of a new offer. Then it pays to match the scope to it. A well-made first version with the most important pages is ready on time, and more content follows afterwards. That is usually better than wanting everything at once and missing the date. Mention a fixed date in the intro call so the timeline is planned around it from the start.
After launch
Once launched, the website is online, but not necessarily visible everywhere straight away. Google needs a while to index new pages, and it often takes weeks to months before a new website is found for important search terms. How to use this time is covered in the website launch checklist.
How long does a relaunch take?
Roughly as long as a new website of similar size, plus time to audit the old site and set up redirects so existing visibility on Google is kept. More in the post Website relaunch.
Is a website builder faster?
The first page in a builder is often up quickly. But the work on copy, images and structure stays the same, only you do it yourself. Whether that pays off is covered in the post Website builder or web designer?.
What affects the price?
Time and price are related, but not one to one: a project waiting for material doesn't become more expensive, it just finishes later. What drives the price is explained in the post What does a website cost?.
The timeframes above refer to my projects and are guide values. You will receive a realistic timeline for your project with the quote after the free intro call.
