How long does it take to build a website?

The build itself is rarely the problem. What makes a project drag on is waiting: for copy, for feedback, for login details. Below you will see what is typical, which steps are involved and how to keep things moving.

Timeline by type of website

The timelines below are indicative. They assume a client who responds on time.

Type of website	Typical timeline	What decides the time
DIY with a website builder	1 to 4 weeks, alongside your work	How many evenings you put in
One-pager or landing page	1 to 2 weeks	Copy and one design round
Business website, 5 to 10 pages	3 to 8 weeks	Copy per service, feedback rounds
Larger custom website	2 to 3 months	Features, integrations, testing
Online shop	2 to 4 months	Adding products, payments, shipping

For prices per type of site, read what does a website cost.

The steps of building a website

1. Briefing

The builder wants to know what you do, for whom, in which area and what the site should deliver. Phone calls, quote requests, bookings? The sharper this is, the fewer rounds you need later.

2. Design

The homepage usually comes first. That is where colours, style and layout are set. With many builders this takes one to two weeks. At Qlickr, your homepage design is free and ready within 48 hours.

3. Feedback

You look at the design and say what needs to change. This is the moment to be critical. Changing the design now is cheap, after the build it costs more.

4. Build and copy

The remaining pages are built and filled with copy and photos. This is where most projects spend most of their time, especially when the copy has to come from the client.

5. Testing

Does everything work on phone and desktop? Do forms arrive? Does the site load fast? Is everything set up properly for Google?

6. Launch and migration

The site goes online. If you already had a site, the old addresses need to redirect to the new pages. Skip that and you can lose positions in Google. Qlickr makes a migration plan for this so you keep your Google rankings.

What slows a website down?

• Copy that never arrives. This is number one. A tradesperson has no time during the day to write about their services.
• Photos. Stock photos are quick, but photos of your own work and team work better. Someone has to take them.
• Too many decision makers. If three people need to approve the design, every round takes longer.
• Wishes that keep growing. Adding a shop or booking system halfway through sends the schedule back to square one.
• Login details. Who has access to the domain? Where is the old site hosted? Tracking this down can take days.
• Hourly billing. When you pay by the hour, there is little reason for the builder to hurry. With a fixed price there is.

Fast does not have to mean sloppy

A short timeline only helps if the basics are right. With a quick launch, check three things: does the site work well on a phone, does every service have its own page, and is the move from your old site taken care of? A site that goes live in a week but never gets found has not done anything for you.

How to keep things moving

1. List your services and service area before you start. A note on your phone is enough.
2. Collect ten good photos of your work, your van, your team or your practice.
3. Find your domain details: which provider is your domain with, and who can access it?
4. Agree on one decision maker who gives feedback.
5. Pick someone who shows you a design quickly. Then you know within days, not weeks, whether the style suits you. Torn between a freelancer and an agency? Read freelancer or agency.

Why it is faster at Qlickr

An agency spends a lot of hours on repetitive work: setting up pages, building standard sections, running technical checks. We hand that to our own AI systems and check everything by hand. AI is the how, not the what. So the time goes into what matters: your services, your customers and a design that fits you.

In practice: a free homepage design within 48 hours, you only pay once the design is right, and your site goes live 5 working days after you approve. You talk to the people who build, and you hear the fixed price upfront. Qlickr is based in Almere and works with businesses all over the Netherlands, so distance is not an issue. If you also want to get found in Google or ChatGPT, Get found can follow straight on. Our cases show websites we built this way.

Thinking about doing it all yourself? Read DIY website or hire a pro first, so you know how much time that realistically takes.

Find out where you stand, fast

Request a free design of your homepage. Within 48 hours you see what your new site looks like. If it is right, it can be online 5 working days later.