· 3 min read
How long does it take to build a website?
Short answer: a landing page can be live in one to three weeks, a small business site of five to ten pages usually takes four to eight weeks, and an online shop six to sixteen weeks. Most of the difference between a quick project and a slow one has nothing to do with design: it’s how fast text, photos and decisions arrive.
Typical timelines by type of site
| Type of site | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Landing page (one page) | 1–3 weeks |
| Brochure site, about 5 pages | 4–6 weeks |
| Business site with forms and integrations, about 10 pages | 6–8 weeks |
| Business site with an editor (CMS) | 6–10 weeks |
| Brand and website together | 8–12 weeks |
| Online shop | 6–16 weeks |
| Custom web application | 3–6 months |
These are typical UK ranges from several 2026 guides. A freelancer working on one project at a time can often move faster than an agency, as long as content is ready.
Week by week: a five-page site
Here’s how a typical small business site comes together. The order is the same for most projects; only the length of each step changes.
- Week 1 · Brief and call. What the business does, who the customers are, what the site should make them do. You agree pages, features, price and dates.
- Weeks 1–2 · Structure. A plan of pages and what goes on each, in what order. This is where most of the thinking happens.
- Weeks 2–3 · Design. The look of the key pages on phone and desktop. You review, and there are usually two rounds of changes.
- Weeks 3–4 · Build. The site is built, filled with real content and connected to forms, booking or payments.
- Week 4 · Testing. Checked on real phones and browsers; forms tested; speed and search basics set up.
- Weeks 4–5 · Launch. Connected to your domain and switched on. Old addresses are redirected if you had a site before.
Text and photos run alongside all of this. If they’re late, everything after them moves.
What usually causes delays
Most delays come from the client side, not the designer’s. UK agencies report that around four in ten projects overrun, and on a typical eight-week build, waiting for approvals alone adds a couple of weeks. The usual culprits:
- Text that isn’t written. The single most common delay.
- Feedback by long email chains instead of a short call.
- Too many decision-makers. Every extra person adds a round of opinions.
- Late changes of scope. “Can we also add a shop?” halfway through resets part of the plan.
- Third-party tools. Booking systems, payment providers and CRMs sometimes need accounts, verification or support tickets.
- Domain and email access. Nobody remembers who registered the domain or the login.
How to get your website live sooner
- Have the text ready before you start. Even rough notes save two to three weeks.
- Sort out photos early. Book a shoot, or choose what you already have.
- Pick one decision-maker. One person gives feedback and signs off.
- Reply within a day or two. Quick feedback keeps the project moving.
- Find your logins. Domain, current hosting, Google Business Profile, social accounts.
- Launch, then add. Start with the pages that matter most and add a blog or gallery after launch.
A full checklist is in what to prepare before hiring a web designer.
Can a website be built in a week?
A simple landing page, yes, if the text, photos and decisions are ready on day one. A multi-page site in a week usually means a lightly edited template. That can be fine as a temporary site, but rushed projects tend to skip the thinking about customers that makes a site bring in work. Rush jobs also usually cost more.
Common questions
How long does a Wix or Squarespace site take?
Setting one up takes days. Getting it right, with clear structure, good wording and a layout that works on phones, takes most people a few weeks of evenings.
Why do quotes give a range of weeks?
Because part of the timeline depends on you: how quickly content arrives and how fast feedback comes back. A good quote should say what’s needed from you and when.
How long does an online shop take?
Usually six to sixteen weeks, depending on the number of products, payment and delivery options, and how ready your product photos and descriptions are.
How long until my site shows up on Google?
Often days to a few weeks for your business name. Ranking for competitive searches takes months, and depends on content, links and your Google Business Profile.
Budgeting too? See how much a small business website costs.
Tatiana · UX/UI, web & product designer in the UK with 10+ years across B2B and B2C. I design and build websites for small businesses, and design products and apps for startups and established teams.