Timeline questions get vaguer answers than pricing questions, which is impressive. Here are real numbers, and the thing that actually blows deadlines.
Realistic ranges
- Template customization — 3–7 days. Pick, populate, adjust, launch.
- Custom marketing site (5–10 page types, custom design) — 3–6 weeks: about a week of design direction, a week or two of full design, a week or two of development, a few days of polish and launch plumbing.
- Content-heavy site (case studies, blog, filters) — 4–8 weeks; content preparation is the long pole, not code.
- Web application — 8 weeks to forever, scoped case by case. Anyone quoting a fixed date before understanding your data model is guessing.
What actually causes delays
It’s almost never design or code. In order of frequency:
- Content. The site is built; the About text isn’t written. Weeks pass. Start content the same day as design, not after.
- Feedback loops. Three stakeholders reviewing sequentially adds a week per round. One consolidated voice per round keeps momentum.
- Scope creep mid-build. “While we’re at it, can we add…” Every yes restarts a clock somewhere. Park additions in a phase-two list.
- Approvals nobody scheduled. The decision-maker on vacation the week of sign-off is a classic. Book approval dates like meetings, at kickoff.
How to compress a timeline honestly
Decide fast (24–48h feedback), prepare content in parallel, and cut pages — not quality. A five-page site that launches in three weeks beats a fifteen-page site that launches in “Q3, probably.” You can add pages to a live site forever.
We run projects on exactly this structure — see what ships, or book a call and we’ll give you a real date for your scope.