Guide · 4 min read
How long does a website take to build?
Realistic timings for small business websites and shops, what happens at each stage, and the one thing that holds most projects up.
By John Bell, freelance web and graphic designer in Birmingham ·
Typical timings
| Project | Usually takes |
|---|---|
| Small website (one page) | About 1 week |
| Medium website (5+ pages) | 2–3 weeks |
| Large website (10+ pages) | 4+ weeks |
| Small online shop | 4+ weeks |
| Logo design | 3–4 days |
You’ll get a timeline with your quote, so you know what to expect before you commit. Need it sooner? A fast turnaround can be requested: tell me your date when you get in touch and I’ll say honestly if it’s doable.
What happens, step by step
- A quick chat and a quote (a day or two). We talk through what you need, and I send a fixed price and timeline.
- Designs (a few days). You see the site on a laptop and a phone before anything is built.
- Changes (a day or two). Two rounds of amends are included.
- Build and test (a few days for a small site, longer for bigger ones). The site is built and tested on phones and computers, and set up for Google.
- Launch (a day). It goes live on your domain, and I’m on hand for anything that needs tweaking.
What slows a website down
In my experience, it’s rarely the design or the build. It’s waiting for content: the words for each page, photos, prices and the details only you know. The second most common delay is a long chain of decision-makers.
How to get your site live sooner
- Write your page text early, even rough notes. I can tidy it up.
- Gather photos of your work, your team and your premises.
- Decide who signs off the design, and keep it to one or two people.
- Have your domain login to hand (or let me register one in your name).
- Start with a smaller site and add pages after launch.