"When can the website be ready?" It's almost always the first question clients ask us. The honest answer is: it depends. Not as a way to dodge the question, but because the timeline genuinely varies based on the type of project, the complexity of what you need, and — something most people underestimate — how quickly you can supply the content. Here's a straightforward breakdown of what to expect for three common project types.
Brochure website: 2 to 4 weeks
A brochure website — typically a handful of pages introducing a business, its services, and a contact form — is the fastest type of project we handle. With everything in place from the start, two weeks is achievable: one for design, one for development and testing.
In reality, most brochure projects land closer to three or four weeks. Not because of anything on our end, but because content takes time to arrive. The copy is almost ready. The photos are on someone's phone. The logo only exists as a tiny JPEG. Each small gap adds up, and even a short project can stall for a week or more waiting on these basics.
Business website: 4 to 8 weeks
A fuller business website — multiple sections, a blog, multilingual support, an enquiry system, or integration with a CRM or booking tool — is a more involved project. It needs a deeper briefing, more rounds of design review, and thorough testing before launch.
Four weeks is possible if you come to the first meeting with clear requirements and respond quickly to our questions throughout. Eight weeks is more realistic for businesses going through a rebrand at the same time, or those with several stakeholders who each need to sign off on decisions. Both are fine — we just plan accordingly.
Online store: 6 to 16 weeks
An online store is a project of its own. Alongside design and development, there's product data to structure and import, payment gateways to configure, shipping logic to set up, tax rules to apply, and the entire checkout flow to test end to end. The larger the catalogue and the more complex the business model, the more time is needed.
A small store with around twenty products and a straightforward checkout can go live in six to eight weeks. A shop with hundreds of variants, tiered pricing, and automated fulfilment integrations can take three to four months. That's not slow — that's the reality of building something reliable that handles real money and real customers.
What actually delays projects — and how to avoid it
When a web project runs late, the cause is almost always the same: content hasn't arrived. Copy, images, brand assets, product information — these need to exist before design and development can move forward at full speed. Waiting on content is the single biggest timeline killer we see.
Here's what you can do to keep your project on track:
- Write or commission your page copy before the project starts, or in the first week — not after design begins.
- Use professional photos where possible. If you don't have them, stock photography is a valid interim option we can help you source.
- Supply your logo in a vector format (SVG, AI, or EPS). If you only have a low-resolution file, let us know early so we can find a solution.
- Nominate one person on your side to review work and make decisions. Multiple approval layers dramatically slow things down.
- Don't wait until everything is perfect to share materials — send what you have and we'll work with it.
A realistic plan beats a fast promise
Any studio that quotes you a one-week turnaround without knowing your content or requirements is either using an off-the-shelf template unconnected to your brand, or that one week will quietly become three. We've seen it happen to clients who came to us after exactly that experience.
At Aurel Design, we open every project with a concrete schedule: content deadline, first design draft, feedback window, development, testing, launch. That structure protects your time and ours, and it means you always know where the project stands.
If you're considering a new website or online store, our web design service page and pricing give you a solid starting point for understanding what your project might involve. Send us a message and we'll get back to you within 24 hours with a straightforward response — no sales pressure, just clarity.