'How long will it take?' is one of the first questions every client asks — and one of the most frustratingly vague answers they often receive. Let me give you realistic timelines based on what I actually deliver, not what agencies promise in pitch decks. For a simple small business site, the answer is usually days, not months — provided you are ready with content and clear about what you need.
Simple brochure sites: 3–10 days
A straightforward website for a small UK business — homepage, about, services, contact — can be designed, built, and launched in three to ten working days. That is my typical turnaround for the £150–£200 tier. The timeline depends mainly on how quickly you provide content (text, images, logo) and how many revision rounds we need. Most delays are content delays, not build delays.
What affects the timeline?
- Content readiness — the biggest delay is almost always waiting for copy and images from the client
- Number of pages — five pages is faster than fifteen
- Revision rounds — clear feedback speeds things up; vague 'make it pop' requests slow things down
- Custom features — contact forms are quick; booking systems and e-commerce take longer
- Design complexity — a clean, focused design is faster than endless custom illustrations
Medium projects: 2–4 weeks
A more detailed site with custom design, five to ten pages, blog setup, SEO optimisation, and integrations (booking, payments, email marketing) typically takes two to four weeks. This allows time for proper design exploration, content development, and thorough testing across devices. The extra time is worth it when the site needs to do more than simply exist online.
Larger projects: 1–3 months
E-commerce stores, sites with custom functionality, or projects requiring extensive content creation can take one to three months. Agency projects at this scale often involve multiple stakeholders, approval chains, and phased deliverables — which is why they take longer, not necessarily because the work itself is more complex. For a standard brochure site, months of waiting is usually queue time, not build time.
How to speed up your project
Prepare your content before we start — text, images, logo, and brand colours. Be specific with feedback, designate one decision-maker, and trust the process. The fastest projects I have delivered went from first message to live site in four working days. The slowest simple sites took two weeks — usually because the client was busy gathering photos and copy.
Why agencies take months for simple sites
Agencies often quote six to twelve weeks for a basic brochure site. Some of that is genuine process — discovery workshops, wireframes, design presentations. But a lot is queue time: you are waiting for the next available slot in their production pipeline. As a solo freelancer, you get my full attention. No queue, no account manager relay, no waiting for the developer to be free next month. If you need a simple site live quickly, that difference matters.
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