How Long Does Website Development Actually Take?

Timelines get blown more often by unclear scope and slow content delivery than by anything technical. Here's what a realistic schedule actually looks like.

The Typical Phases

Discovery and planning usually take one to two weeks, covering goals, sitemap, and scope before any design work starts.

Design typically runs two to four weeks, depending on the number of unique page templates and rounds of revision.

Development and testing usually take the longest stretch, scaling directly with the number of custom features involved.

What Actually Causes Delays

Slow content and asset delivery from the client side is the single most common cause of timeline slippage, more than any development issue.

Scope changes mid-project — adding pages or features after design is locked — almost always pushes the launch date.

Multiple rounds of stakeholder feedback without a single decision-maker can add weeks that have nothing to do with the actual build.

How to Keep a Project on Schedule

Have content (copy, photos, product data) ready before development starts, not after.

Designate one person with final sign-off authority to avoid conflicting feedback rounds.