Almost every website project we are asked to rescue was late for the same reason — and it was almost never the code. Understanding where time actually goes lets you protect the schedule at the points that matter.
Realistic timelines
| Project | Development time | Realistic total |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | 3–5 days | 1–2 weeks |
| Business site (5–8 pages) | 2–3 weeks | 3–5 weeks |
| Corporate site (15+ pages) | 4–6 weeks | 6–10 weeks |
| E-commerce store | 5–8 weeks | 8–14 weeks |
| Web application | 8–20 weeks | 3–7 months |
Note the gap between the two columns. That gap is content, review cycles, and approvals — the parts the client controls.
Week by week: a real business website
- Week 1 — Discovery and structure Goals, audience, competitor review, sitemap, and a written scope. Ends with an agreed page list. Skipping this week is what causes weeks 4 and 5 to expand.
- Week 2 — Design Wireframes then visual design for the homepage and one or two key templates. You review and consolidate feedback once, not in five separate messages.
- Week 3 — Build Design becomes working, responsive HTML/CSS. Content is populated. This is the part most people think of as "making the website", and it is roughly a third of the schedule.
- Week 4 — Integration and testing Forms, analytics, schema markup, performance tuning, and testing across real devices and browsers.
- Week 5 — Review and launch Your final review, corrections, DNS cutover, SSL, sitemap submission, and post-launch monitoring.
The single best thing you can do to hit a deadline: have your content — all text, all images, all staff photos — ready before week 1 ends. Projects with content ready on day one finish roughly two weeks faster than identical projects without it.
What actually causes delays
| Cause | Typical delay | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Content not ready | 2–6 weeks | Client |
| Slow or scattered feedback | 1–3 weeks | Client |
| Scope added mid-project | 1–4 weeks | Both |
| Too many approvers | 1–3 weeks | Client |
| Third-party integration issues | 3 days–2 weeks | Developer |
| Underestimated complexity | 1–3 weeks | Developer |
Four of the six most common delays are on the client side. That is good news — it means the schedule is largely within your control.
How to keep a project on time
- Nominate one decision-maker. Design by committee is the most reliable way to add three weeks.
- Batch your feedback. One consolidated list beats fifteen messages over four days.
- Write content before design starts. Designing around real text avoids a rebuild later.
- Book your review time in advance. If you are travelling in week 4, say so in week 1.
- Park new ideas for phase two. Keep a list; do not inject them mid-build.
- Get credentials early. Domain registrar and hosting access requested in week 1, not on launch day.
Beware unrealistic promises. An agency agreeing to a full 15-page corporate site in ten days is either planning to use a template, planning to cut testing, or planning to be late. Ask them to walk you through the schedule week by week — the answer is revealing.
Rushing responsibly
Sometimes a deadline is genuinely immovable. If so, cut scope rather than quality:
- Launch fewer pages Homepage, one services page, and contact. Add the rest afterwards.
- Use one template well A single strong page design applied consistently, rather than eight bespoke ones.
- Defer integrations Launch with a simple contact form; add CRM sync later.
- Never cut mobile testing or performance These are what determine whether the site works for real customers.
Working to a fixed date? Tell us the deadline and we will tell you honestly what fits inside it. See also our cost guide.