"How long will it take?" is usually the second question a client asks, straight after price. It is also the question most likely to receive an optimistic answer, because agencies quote the build time and clients hear the delivery date.
Those are not the same number. The build is only one part of the timeline, and it is rarely the part that runs late.
Typical Timescales by Project Type
These are working ranges rather than promises. Every project varies with scope, content readiness and how quickly decisions get made.
| Project | Typical range | Main variable |
|---|---|---|
| One-page site or landing page | 1–2 weeks | Content and imagery |
| Small business brochure site, 5–8 pages | 4–6 weeks | Number of unique templates |
| Larger site with 10–20 pages and a CMS | 6–10 weeks | Content volume and approvals |
| eCommerce on an established platform | 8–12 weeks | Product data and payment setup |
| Custom eCommerce or heavy integrations | 3–6 months | Integration complexity |
| Web application with accounts and logic | 4–9 months+ | Feature scope and testing |
If the project involves user accounts, stored data or business logic, you are commissioning software rather than a website, and the timeline changes shape entirely. Our guide to websites versus web applications covers where that line sits.
What Actually Happens, Stage by Stage
Discovery and planning — roughly 10% of the timeline
Agreeing goals, audience, page structure, functionality and success measures. Short, but skipping it is the reliable way to add weeks later, because unspoken assumptions surface during design instead.
Content — the stage that decides everything
Copy, images, logos, product data, staff details, legal pages. On paper this runs alongside design. In practice it is the single most common cause of delay on small business projects, because it is the one stage the client owns and the one everyone underestimates.
Writing clear copy for eight pages is genuinely hard and takes longer than people expect. If you know you will struggle to produce it, agree upfront that the agency writes it and price that in. A project waiting on content is a project that is not moving.
Design — roughly 25%
Layouts for each unique template, usually starting with the homepage and one interior page. Note the word unique: a twelve-page site might only contain four distinct designs. Page count is a poor proxy for design effort.
Feedback speed matters more here than anywhere else. A round of consolidated comments returned in two days keeps momentum; the same comments arriving piecemeal over two weeks does not.
Development — roughly 35%
Turning approved designs into working, responsive pages, wiring up the CMS, forms and integrations. This stage is the most predictable of the lot, which is precisely why quoting only this stage produces timelines that never hold.
Testing — roughly 15%
Browsers, devices, forms, links, performance, accessibility, and every path a real visitor might take. Compressing this stage is a false economy; the bugs still exist, they just get found by your customers.
Launch and settling — roughly 5%
DNS changes, redirects, analytics, Search Console, sitemap submission, and a period of watching for anything that only appears under real traffic.
The Three Things That Cause Almost Every Delay
1. Content arriving late
By a wide margin the most common. The fix is decided at the start, not halfway through: either commit to a content deadline with the same seriousness as a payment date, or pay someone to write it.
2. Slow or fragmented approvals
When feedback needs sign-off from several people who are never in the room together, weeks disappear between rounds. Nominate one decision-maker who can approve on behalf of the business.
3. Scope growing during the build
A booking system mentioned in week five, a second language in week seven, a shop "while we are at it" in week eight. Each is reasonable in isolation and each resets part of the schedule.
New requirements are not a problem. Pretending they are free is. Handle them as a documented change with its own cost and its own effect on the date.
Can You Make It Faster?
Yes, legitimately:
- Have your content finished before design starts. This alone can remove weeks.
- Reduce the number of unique templates. Fewer distinct designs, more reuse.
- Give consolidated feedback quickly. One clear list per round.
- Launch in phases. Core pages first, secondary sections after.
- Use an established platform rather than building from scratch where it fits.
And illegitimately, by cutting testing, skipping accessibility, or reusing a template with your logo dropped in. Those save time in week six and cost considerably more in month six.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign
- Does this timeline start when I pay, or when you have all my content?
- How many unique templates are included?
- How many feedback rounds, and how long do you allow for each?
- What happens to the date if I am late with content?
- Who else is on your schedule during my build?
- What is included after launch, and for how long?
The answer to the first question tells you most of what you need to know about how the project will actually run.
Summary
A typical small business website takes four to six weeks of production work, but the elapsed time depends almost entirely on how quickly content arrives and decisions get made. Agree what "start" means, nominate one approver, and get your content ready before design begins. Those three things shorten projects more than any technical choice.
If you want a realistic date for a specific project rather than a range, tell us what you need and we will map it out properly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single biggest cause of website projects running late?
Content arriving late. Copy, images and product data are the one stage the client owns, and writing clear text for even eight pages takes longer than almost anyone expects. Decide at the start whether you or the agency writes it.
Does the timeline start when I pay?
Ask explicitly, because agencies differ. Some start on deposit, others when all content is supplied. The answer tells you most of what you need to know about how the project will actually run.
Can a website be built faster than the typical timeline?
Yes, legitimately: have content ready before design starts, reduce the number of unique templates, give consolidated feedback quickly, and launch in phases. Cutting testing or accessibility saves weeks now and costs more later.
