How Long Does a Website Take? The Realistic Timeline

You want a new website — but how long does it actually take? The classic answer of "4-6 weeks" is often too optimistic. In reality, a project can take 2 weeks or 3 months — depending on how complex your requirements are and how quickly you provide feedback. In this article, I'll show you a realistic timeline without the marketing fluff and explain which factors truly influence the duration.

The Typical Timeline: 4 Phases

A website project usually follows four clear phases. Here's the realistic timeline for a business website with 5-8 pages:

Phase 1: Kickoff & Concept (Week 1)

Before a single pixel gets designed, there needs to be clarity on goals, target audience, and content.

What happens:

• Kickoff meeting: What are your goals? Who is your target audience? What should the website achieve?
• Competitor analysis: How are your competitors positioning themselves?
• Sitemap and structure: Which pages do you need? How is the navigation organized?
• Content planning: What text, images, and videos are needed?

Time required: 1 week (including your feedback)

Critical point: If you communicate unclearly here or don't have a clear vision, the entire project gets delayed. The better you articulate your requirements, the faster things move forward.

Phase 2: Design (Weeks 2-3)

Now it gets visual. The designer creates mockups — starting with the most important pages (e.g., homepage, about, services).

What happens:

• Moodboard and style exploration (colors, fonts, visual language)
• Mockups for desktop and mobile
• Feedback round 1: You provide input, we iterate
• Design finalization

Time required: 1-2 weeks (depending on complexity and feedback speed)

Critical point: Many clients need 1-2 weeks to provide feedback — that significantly extends the project. If you respond within 2-3 days, the project stays on schedule.

Phase 3: Development (Weeks 3-5)

The approved design gets turned into working code. That means: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, backend integration, forms, animations.

What happens:

• Frontend development (all pages are built)
• Backend integration (CMS, contact forms, databases)
• Performance optimization (load times, Core Web Vitals)
• SEO setup (meta tags, schema markup, internal linking)
• Responsiveness testing (does it work on all devices?)

Time required: 2-3 weeks (depending on feature scope)

Critical point: If you suddenly want new features during development ("Oh, could we also add a booking system?"), the project gets extended by weeks. Changes are expensive — both in time and money.

Phase 4: Launch (Weeks 5-6)

The website is fully developed — now it's about the final polish and going live.

What happens:

• Testing: Do all links work? All forms? All animations?
• Browser testing: Does the website look good on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge?
• Mobile testing: Does everything work on iPhone, Android, iPad?
• SEO check: Are all meta tags set? Sitemap submitted?
• Go-live: Domain migration, DNS settings, SSL certificate activation

Time required: 1 week (including buffer for last-minute adjustments)

Critical point: DNS propagation can take 24-48 hours — factor this in if you have a deadline.

This is how it works for my projects as well. A typical business website project runs over 5-6 weeks — provided feedback comes promptly and content is ready.

What Influences the Duration: 5 Factors

Why does one website take 2 weeks and another takes 3 months? These 5 factors determine the answer:

1. Project scope

A one-pager with 3 sections takes 2-3 weeks. A website with 10 pages, a blog, a shop, and a member area takes 2-3 months. Makes sense, right?

Rule of thumb: Each additional page extends the project by 1-2 days.

2. Content

If you have all text, images, and videos ready at kickoff, it saves an enormous amount of time. If you're still writing copy, getting photos taken, or producing videos during the project, everything gets delayed.

Reality: 80% of projects get delayed because content is missing. Prepare your content before the project starts.

3. Feedback speed

If you respond to drafts within 2-3 days, the project stays in flow. If you need 1-2 weeks, the project extends accordingly.

Tip: Block dedicated time in your calendar for website feedback — treat it like an appointment.

4. Technical complexity

A static portfolio takes 3-4 weeks. An e-commerce shop with a payment gateway, inventory management, and newsletter integration takes 2-3 months.

Custom features cost time: Booking systems, API integrations, member areas — every special feature extends the project by weeks.

5. Number of stakeholders

If you're the sole decision-maker, things move fast. If a 5-person team is weighing in, every decision takes weeks.

Tip: Designate one contact person who can make binding decisions. That saves an enormous amount of time.

Reality Check: Why Projects Take Longer Than Planned

Even with the perfect plan, projects often run long. The most common reasons:

Missing content: "I'll send you the copy this week" — and then 3 weeks go by.

Unclear requirements: "I don't really know what I want yet" — that leads to endless feedback loops.

Last-minute change requests: "Oh, could we put a video on the homepage instead?" — sure, but that pushes the launch back by 2 weeks.

Technical hurdles: API documentation is incomplete, third-party tools don't work as expected, browser bugs on certain devices.

Vacation and illness: Life happens. If you or the designer are on vacation for 2 weeks, the project extends accordingly.

Perfectionism: "Just 5 pixels to the left" — if you rework every detail 10 times, the project takes forever. Sometimes "good enough" is better than "perfect and 2 months late."

My experience: most projects get delayed not because of the designer, but because of missing content or slow feedback. If you take the project seriously and respond quickly, it stays on schedule.

3 Timelines for 3 Project Types

Here's a realistic overview of how long different website types take:

What do these projects cost? Find the answer here.

For my projects, I typically plan 5-6 weeks for a business website — that's realistic when you as the client are actively involved and deliver content on time.

Conclusion: How to Get Your Project Finished on Time

A website takes as long as you let it take. Sounds harsh, but it's true.

Here are the 3 most important tips to keep your project on schedule:

1. Prepare content BEFORE the project starts. Text, images, videos — the more you already have, the faster things go.

2. Give fast, clear feedback. Respond to drafts within 2-3 days. If you have change requests, explain precisely what bothers you — not just "I don't like it."

3. Trust the process. A good designer has a proven workflow. Let them work instead of constantly micromanaging.

If you follow these three points, your website project won't just stay on schedule — it'll also turn out better, because both sides can work focused and efficiently.

Want to know what your website project will cost? Read my article How Much Does a Website Cost?

Ready to start your website project? Let's talk about it with no obligation — I'll give you an honest estimate of how long your project will take.