How long does it take to build a website?
A simple small business website can be live in one to two weeks. A larger one can take months. The difference is rarely the building itself; it is usually how long it takes to gather the content, agree the design and make decisions.
What actually takes the time
Content is the big one: the words describing your services, photos of your work, reviews, the areas you cover, your logo. A designer can build quickly, but cannot write about your business without your input, and waiting for photos is the most common delay of all.
Decisions come next. Every round of 'can we try it in blue' adds days. One clear, consolidated round of changes keeps a project moving.
Extra features add genuine build time: online shops, booking systems, customer logins and integrations with other software all need planning and testing.
A realistic timeline for a trade website
Day one: a short conversation about what you do, where, and who your customers are. Then you send what you have: photos, logo, reviews, a list of services. The site is built and shown to you on a private preview, usually within one to two weeks of your content arriving. You send one consolidated list of changes, those are made, and it goes live.
After launch, Google takes some weeks to find and settle the new site, so 'live' and 'showing in searches' are not the same day.
How to speed it up
Have photos ready, even phone photos of recent jobs. Write a rough list of the services you want more of and the towns you cover. Gather a few reviews you are happy to show. Decide who signs off the design. With those in hand, most small sites move quickly.
When it should take longer
If your business is complex, you sell online, or you need several people to approve things, allow more time and agree a timetable at the start. A rushed shop or booking system causes more trouble than a few extra weeks.
Red flags in a timeline
Be wary of a quote with no timeline at all, or one that depends on 'when we get to it'. A good provider tells you what they need from you, by when, and what happens next. Equally, a promise of a finished site in a day or two usually means a template with your name dropped in and very little written about your business.
Ask what happens if the project stalls on your side. A fair arrangement keeps the work moving when you send content, without penalising you for being busy with your own customers.
Common questions
- How long does your build take?
- Usually one to two weeks from the point your content is with me. You see a private preview first and get a consolidated round of changes before launch.
- Will my website show on Google straight away?
- Not immediately. A new site usually takes some weeks to settle into Google's results. Linking it to your Google Business Profile helps.
- What do I need to have ready?
- Photos of your work, your logo if you have one, a list of services and areas, and any reviews you would like shown.
If you would rather somebody just did it
I build websites for self-employed tradesmen and small businesses across the UK: £249.99 to build, then £49.99 a month to host, maintain and update it. The sites I have built show on page one of Google for 103 searches between them, in Search Console.