A small business site should run four to eight weeks from approved scope to launch. A web development project timeline, the ordered list of design, build, and review tasks, sets that pace from kickoff to go-live.
Simple brochure sites with ready text often finish near the short end. Custom design, online booking, or a store usually push work toward the long end or beyond. Your final length depends on pages, features, and how fast you approve each stage.
Table of Contents
- What fills the weeks?
- How does site size change the schedule?
- What often causes delays?
- How can you keep the project on track?
What fills the weeks?
Most projects start with a short planning block. You confirm goals, pages, and must-have features. The team maps the site structure and agrees on a schedule. Design then turns that map into page layouts. Writers and owners supply text and photos while layouts take shape.
Developers build the pages in WordPress or Drupal. Those are tools for managing site content without hand-coding each page. They also connect forms, menus, and booking or payment tools. Review and launch close the timeline. You test pages on phones and desktops, fix faults, and check load speed. Launch includes moving the site live and setting up backups and access.
How does site size change the schedule?
A five-page brochure site moves fastest. With logo, text, and photos ready, design and build can fit in three to four weeks. Review stays short because fewer layouts need approval. A service site with ten to twenty pages needs more time.
Staff bios, galleries, service areas, and contact forms each add drafting and review rounds. Expect five to eight weeks when content needs editing. Stores and booking sites run longest. Product setup, payment checks, tax and shipping rules, and policy pages add test cycles. Plan eight to twelve weeks, plus time to add real products and prices.
What often causes delays?
Missing content stalls more builds than code faults. Teams wait on final text, price lists, staff photos, and logos. Set a firm date for each file and hold one owner responsible. Slow approvals and added features also stretch the calendar.
Three rounds of design changes take far longer than one clear round. Freeze the page list early and route all feedback through one decision maker. Access problems create quiet delays. Domain logins, hosting logins, and past developer accounts often surface late. Gather those logins at kickoff and confirm who can publish the new site.
How can you keep the project on track?
Ask for week-by-week dates at the start. A clear schedule names content due dates, design reviews, build checks, and launch day.
Track these items in one shared checklist. Mark each page ready only when text, images, and approval are complete. Freeze page text one week before build ends so launch stays on date.
- Share final text and photos by week two.
- Return design notes within two business days.
- Test the demo site with real phones and tasks.
- Freeze changes one week before launch.
