Most clients have had a website built once or never, so the most common question halfway through a project is "where are we now". This post describes the path from the first conversation to launch, how long each phase takes and what's needed from you in it.
1. Conversation and scope
Takes: half an hour of talking, the quote the same or the next day.
We go through what the site is for, who the customers are, which pages have to exist, what the deadline is and what content already exists.
Out of that comes a quote with a fixed price and a list of what's included, and of what isn't. That second list prevents most later misunderstandings.
Needed from you: answers to those questions. They don't have to be final; "we don't know yet" is a useful answer because then we talk about it.
2. Structure
Takes: a few days.
Before a single image, we decide which pages exist, what their addresses are and what's on each one. This is the phase most often skipped, and the one that costs the most: structure is hard to change later.
This is also where we decide whether each service gets its own page. That decision affects visibility more than any other; why is in why SEO is built in.
Needed from you: sign-off on the list of pages. If something is missing, now is the time.
3. Design
Takes: one to two weeks.
The home page first, because it sets the language of the whole site: typography, colours, spacing, how elements behave. Once it's approved, the other pages go faster because they use the same system.
The design is done for phones too, not just for the big screen. If that's skipped, the mobile version gets improvised during the build.
Needed from you: feedback, and concrete feedback. "I don't like this" doesn't help. "The heading is too small and the colour feels too dark" can be fixed.
Two rounds of comments are normal. More than that usually means not enough was agreed in the first phase.
4. Build
Takes: one to four weeks for a business site.
This is where the code is written. Along with it comes everything you don't see: preparing images, structured data, titles and descriptions, forms, fitting every screen size.
A working version is available the whole time, so you can watch it grow instead of waiting for the end.
Needed from you: content. This is the most common cause of delay in the whole project. Texts and photos arrive more slowly than everyone expects, and without them the site can't be finished.
5. Testing
Takes: a few days.
Everything is checked before anything goes live:
- Behaviour in different browsers.
- Testing on a real phone, not just in emulation.
- Speed and the Core Web Vitals measures.
- Every form gets filled in and sent.
- Accessibility: the legal requirements and keyboard control.
- Titles, descriptions and structured data.
- If an existing site is being moved: a list of every old address and its redirect.
Needed from you: a last look at the content. A typo is easiest to fix before launch.
6. Launch
Takes: half a day.
The domain is pointed, the certificate set up, the sitemap submitted to Search Console, analytics checked.
If an existing site was moved, the redirects go live the same day the new one does, with no period where both versions live side by side.
After launch: 30 days of free support, then monthly maintenance by agreement. That covers small fixes and whatever only shows up in real use.
How long it all takes
- A simple site: 1 to 2 weeks.
- A site with subpages: 3 to 4 weeks.
- With bookings, payments or a shop: 5 to 8 weeks or more.
These timelines assume content arrives on time and feedback comes within a few days. Projects rarely run long because of development; they run long because of waiting.
What speeds a project up
- One person decides on the client's side.
- Content ready before the build starts.
- Feedback in one place, not scattered across email and messages.
- Replies within a few days, not weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see the site before launch?
Yes, a working version is available throughout the build.
What if we change our minds halfway through?
Small changes are normal and part of the job. Bigger changes of scope are agreed separately; that's why the quote has a list of what's included.
Who writes the texts?
Usually the client, because they know the business best: you send what you want to say and I tidy it up. If I write the texts from scratch, that's charged separately.
What happens after delivery?
You get the code, access to the domain and hosting in your own name, and a guide to editing the content.
Where to start
The first call is free and takes half an hour.
Tell me what you're building or see my work.