The useful answer first.
A small business website can be planned in weeks, while a site with several languages, payments, or custom workflows needs a longer schedule. The dependable estimate comes after the scope and content are checked. Agree approval dates as carefully as the launch date.
What affects the answer?
An illustrative six-week plan
| Stage | Work and approval needed |
|---|---|
| Week 1: scope and content | Agree the page list, customer actions, content owner, and missing material. |
| Week 2: structure and design | Review page layouts with realistic copy and approve the visual direction. |
| Weeks 3–4: build | Develop responsive pages, add content, and connect agreed services. |
| Week 5: review | Test forms, links, languages, accessibility, and mobile layouts; collect one feedback list. |
| Week 6: launch and handover | Complete corrections, confirm accounts and backups, publish, and check the live site. |
A launch date is already printed on the invitations
Suppose a shop opens in six weeks but photography will arrive in week five. Agree which pages can launch with existing material and reserve time for the final images. A useful initial site might contain the location, opening date, services, and contact details, with a fuller gallery added later. This sample schedule is a planning exercise, not a promised delivery time.
Content is part of the project
A page cannot be properly designed around a paragraph that does not exist yet. List the text, photos, menus, prices, policies, and translations needed for each page. Give every item a named owner and a delivery date.
Drafts are often enough to begin layout work, provided their length and meaning are close to the final version. A placeholder sentence that later becomes six paragraphs can change the design. Flag uncertain sections early so they do not quietly become launch blockers.
Make reviews small enough to finish
Choose one person to collect feedback from your team. Review the structure before visual details, then approve the main design before every page is built. A short, consolidated list is easier to act on than conflicting messages across several chats.
Put review dates in the calendar. Ask the developer to explain what happens if feedback arrives late, and distinguish a correction from a new requirement. Moving a button is different from adding a booking system after the design is approved.
Test integrations before the final week
A payment provider, booking service, or email system may need access, configuration, and account checks outside your developer’s control. Establish those dependencies at the start. Test a small end-to-end journey as soon as possible.
For an enquiry form, that means sending a test message, checking its destination, confirming the visitor sees success, and checking the failure state. For bookings, verify the selected date and service arrive correctly in the system staff actually use.
Keep time for the live-site checks
The preview is only one environment. After publishing, check the real domain, secure connection, contact forms, mobile navigation, and any links that leave the site. If an older website is being replaced, prepare a URL map before switching it off.
Handover should include account ownership, editing instructions, renewal responsibilities, and a contact for problems. Agree a period for correcting launch issues and explain how later content changes are handled. A launch date is easier to trust when these jobs are already in the schedule.
- 01Content + scope
Know what is being made
- 02Design + build
Review at agreed stages
- 03Test + launch
Check the actual journey
What should be included?
- Page list and features agreed
- One person responsible for feedback
- Content deadlines in the calendar
- Integration accounts ready
- Time reserved for corrections
- Live-site checks and handover scheduled
When a simpler option may be enough
If the deadline is fixed, reduce the first release to the pages and actions people need immediately. Keep later work in a written second phase, with its own cost and schedule.
Questions worth asking
- 01What must we supply before work begins?
- 02Which approvals could delay the next stage?
- 03What does the launch checklist include?
- 04What is the fallback if an external service is not ready?
How we approach it
We break projects into decisions the business can review. Content, dependencies, and launch checks belong in the schedule from the beginning, so the handover is part of the work.
See selected workShort answers
Can a website launch in a week?
A very small site with ready content may be possible. Confirm the actual scope and availability before relying on that deadline.
What usually creates delays?
Missing content, unresolved decisions, changing requirements, and external account access are common dependencies to plan for.
Can we add pages after launch?
Yes. Agree the initial navigation and future content needs so later additions fit the structure.
Should we wait for perfect photographs?
Only if those images are essential to explaining the offer. Otherwise use accurate existing material and schedule the replacement.