One of the first questions business owners ask is:
“How long will it take to design my website?”
You’ll sometimes see promises like “website in 48 hours” — and technically, yes, a basic template can be thrown together that quickly. But a professional, results-driven website requires planning, content, design, development and testing.
Realistic timelines matter because they help you:
- plan product or service launches
- prepare your content and images
- align marketing campaigns
- manage expectations within your business
This guide explains how long it actually takes to design a website, stage by stage, and what can speed things up or slow them down.
The Short Answer
For most small businesses, typical timeframes look like this:
- Brochure website: 2–6 weeks
- Ecommerce website: 4–10 weeks
- Large or complex website: 10+ weeks
The exact timing depends on scope, content readiness and how fast feedback is provided.
Stage 1 – Discovery & Planning (3–7 Days)
Before any design work starts, a good project begins with clarity.
This stage usually includes:
- understanding your business, goals and audience
- reviewing your current website (if you have one)
- looking at competitors and inspiration
- defining the sitemap (what pages you’ll need)
- gathering branding assets (logos, colours, fonts)
Skipping planning is the quickest way to create confusion and delays later. A few days spent here can save weeks overall.
Stage 2 – Website Design (1–3 Weeks)
This is where your website starts to take visual shape.
Design involves:
- choosing layout styles and page structures
- selecting fonts, colours and imagery style
- designing the homepage and key inner pages
- ensuring the design works on both desktop and mobile
Sometimes this happens in a design tool; sometimes directly within a page builder like Elementor or Gutenberg on WordPress.
What Affects Design Time?
- Number of unique page templates (home, service pages, blog, etc.)
- How quickly feedback is given
- Number of revision rounds
- Whether brand guidelines already exist
Slow decisions or frequent big changes can stretch this stage out; clear, timely feedback helps keep things on track.
Stage 3 – Content Creation (Often the Biggest Bottleneck)
Every page needs content. This might include:
- headlines and body text
- product or service descriptions
- FAQs
- images, photography or graphics
You have two main options:
- Write the content yourself
- Ask your designer or a copywriter to help or do it for you
When clients are writing content themselves, this stage can take the longest — sometimes longer than design and development combined.
Tip: if you want your website quickly, start working on your content as soon as the project kicks off.
Stage 4 – Development / Build Phase (1–3 Weeks)
Once designs and content are agreed, the site is built.
This usually involves:
- setting up the content management system (e.g. WordPress)
- building out page layouts
- adding text, images and videos
- configuring plugins or integrations
- implementing on-page SEO basics
- ensuring responsiveness on different devices
During this stage you can normally view your website on a private staging link and see it come alive.
Stage 5 – Testing & Quality Assurance (3–10 Days)
Before launch, thorough testing is crucial.
Testing should cover:
- how the site looks and behaves on mobiles, tablets and desktops
- broken links or missing content
- contact forms and any other interactive features
- speed and performance checks
- basic accessibility considerations
- security settings
This stage helps catch any issues before your customers see them.
Stage 6 – Launch (1–2 Days)
Launch is the moment your website goes live.
This includes:
- connecting your domain name to the new site
- pointing DNS records correctly
- setting up and confirming HTTPS (the padlock)
- final live testing
- submitting the site to search engines
- setting up backups and basic monitoring
Your designer should also provide basic guidance on how to use your site and make simple updates.
How Long Does an Ecommerce Website Take?
Ecommerce sites add complexity, so timelines are usually longer.
Extra work includes:
- configuring product categories and filters
- adding products, prices, SKUs and images
- setting up payment gateways (e.g. Stripe, PayPal)
- configuring shipping rules and tax/VAT
- testing the entire checkout process
Typical timescales:
- Small ecommerce store: 4–8 weeks
- Medium store with many products: 6–12+ weeks
Again, how quickly product information and images are provided makes a big difference.
What Slows Website Projects Down?
Common causes of delays include:
- Content not being ready on time
- Slow feedback or decision-making
- Changing goals or scope mid-project
- Waiting on third-party approvals or materials
- Design by committee, where nobody wants to decide
Most projects would finish far faster if content and decisions were ready when needed.
What Speeds Them Up?
Projects go smoothly when:
- the scope and goals are clear from the start
- the sitemap is agreed early
- content is prepared in advance or written by a copywriter
- feedback is consolidated (one main decision-maker)
- there’s trust between client and designer
Clear communication is often the biggest time saver.
Timeline Summary
| Website Type | Typical Timescale |
|---|---|
| One-page site | 1–2 weeks |
| 5–10 page small business site | 2–6 weeks |
| Ecommerce website | 4–10+ weeks |
| Large or custom project | 10–16+ weeks |
Final Thoughts
Building a website isn’t just about creating pages; it’s about aligning strategy, content, design, usability and technology.
A realistic timeline leads to less stress, better communication and a website that actually works for your business.
Want to know how long your website will take?
Share a bit about your project and we can give you an honest, no-pressure estimate based on your goals and content readiness.
Contact Icerocket Design for a free web design timeline and quote.
