Many owners imagine a website as a quick job, and a good developer can build pages fast. What takes time is deciding what to say, gathering photos and reviewing drafts. Knowing the stages helps you plan.

The stages of a website project

1. Planning and scoping: agree the pages, goals, features and plan. This is usually quick when you know what you want.
2. Content gathering: text, photos, logo, services and contact details. This stage most often causes delays.
3. Design: layouts and styling for your key pages, shared for feedback.
4. Build: turning the design into a working site, including forms and mobile layouts.
5. Review and changes: you check everything and request agreed changes.
6. Testing and launch: checking forms, speed, links and mobile display, then going live.

What affects how long it takes

• Number of pages and features: more pages, forms, bookings or a shop add time.
• Content readiness: missing text or photos hold everything up.
• Speed of feedback: a few days between each round adds up.
• Custom requests: bespoke layouts or integrations take longer than standard ones.
• Provider workload: busy providers may have a waiting list.

How to get online faster

• Gather your logo, photos, service list and contact details before you start.
• Write short, plain descriptions of each service. They do not need to be perfect.
• Decide who will review the work, and keep it to one or two people.
• Give feedback in one batch rather than in many small messages.
• Launch with the essential pages first and add more later. See the pages a small business website needs.

What to ask your provider

1. What is the estimated timeline, and what does it assume?
2. What do you need from me, and by when?
3. How many rounds of changes are included?
4. What happens if content arrives late?
5. When will I see the first design?

Also read how to choose a web developer for more questions worth asking.

Frequently asked questions