The honest answer: it depends. But let's be specific about what it depends on.
A single-page homepage: 5–7 business days
A focused single-page site — hero, services, about, contact — with clear scope and a client who responds quickly to feedback can genuinely be done in a week. This is where most small businesses should start.
A multi-page business site: 2–3 weeks
Five to eight pages, with more complex content like team pages, case studies, or booking integrations. Two weeks is achievable if content is ready upfront. Three weeks if you're gathering copy and photos as you go.
A store or booking system: 3–5 weeks
E-commerce adds meaningful complexity — product pages, cart, checkout, payment integration, order management. Even a well-scoped Stripe-powered store needs at least three weeks to build properly and test.
What actually makes projects run late
In our experience, the number one cause of delay isn't the build — it's waiting for client content. Photos, copy, logo files, product descriptions. If those aren't ready before the project starts, every day of waiting is a day the launch slips.
The second most common cause: scope creep. "Can we just add a blog?" mid-build doesn't take a day — it can add a week. Agreeing on full scope before work starts protects everyone.
What you can do to speed things up
- Have your logo, brand colours, and fonts ready before you start
- Write your homepage copy in advance (or brief it clearly)
- Gather all your photos in one folder before day one
- Be available for feedback within 24–48 hours
Do those things and a week-long build stays a week-long build.