How long does it take to build a website?
For a typical small business website, our target is 1 to 3 weeks from the first call to the site going live. It is a target, not a promise. Where you land in that range mostly depends on how many pages you need and how fast the text, photos and decisions come in.
What happens in those weeks.
Every site we build goes through the same four steps.
- Discover. We look at your business, your customers and your current site, and agree on the pages you need.
- Design. Your colors, your type and every page, designed as one system, so the site feels like one business.
- Build. The site is built to be fast, readable on every screen and usable for everyone.
- Launch. We put it live, make sure it works, and show you how to run it.
What makes it faster.
Most of the waiting on a website is waiting for content. You can save weeks by having these ready before the first call:
- Your logo, if you have one, and any brand colors you already use.
- A list of your services and the areas you serve.
- Photos of your work, your team or your place. Real photos beat stock photos.
- Access to your domain, so the new site can go live on it on launch day.
What makes it slower.
A site takes longer when it needs more of something: more pages, more languages, or tools that connect to other systems, like online booking, a store or live listings. Slow feedback adds time too. A design that waits a week for comments adds a week.
None of this is bad. A bigger site is often the right call. It just helps to know where the time goes before you start.
Why some sites take months.
When a website drags on for months, it is rarely the building itself. Usually nobody has decided what the site is for, the text is still being written, or too many people need to approve each page. One person who can say yes keeps a project moving.
After launch.
A website is not finished the day it goes live. Once it is up, you can turn on Google Ads, set up your Google profile and keep adding pages as your business grows. Before you pay for ads, read what your website needs before you run ads.
Questions.
How long does it take to build a small business website?
Our target for a typical small business website is 1 to 3 weeks. It is a target, not a promise, and it depends on the number of pages and how fast the content comes in.
Can you build a website in a week?
Sometimes, for a small site when the text and photos are ready on day one. We tell you honestly on the first call if a week is realistic.
Does a site in more than one language take longer?
A little, because every page needs its text in each language. We build sites in any language, in as many languages as you need.
What do I need to send to get started?
What you sell, the areas you serve, and where you want inquiries to go. Photos and your logo help, but we can start without them.
Want a timeline for your site? See how we build websites, or send us a message with what you sell and where.