DIY website builder — 1-3 days to weeks
Wix, Squarespace and similar builders let you technically have a site live in a day. The template is there, you fill in your details and publish. In practice, if you're doing this properly — writing real service descriptions, gathering photos, setting up your navigation, connecting your domain, configuring contact forms — it takes most first-timers 2-5 days of actual work spread over 2-3 weeks.
The variables: how much content you have ready, how comfortable you are with the interface, and how many times you second-guess the design. Many people start a DIY build and come back to it repeatedly over several months before it's actually live.
Freelancer — 4-8 weeks typically
A freelance web designer or developer follows a process that, compressed, looks like this:
- Week 1-2: initial brief, scope, deposit paid
- Week 2-4: design concepts created, shared for approval
- Week 4-6: build based on approved design
- Week 6-8: content added, revisions, testing, launch
Four to eight weeks is the typical range when things go smoothly. It stretches to 10-12 weeks when feedback cycles are slow, when the client is hard to reach, or when scope changes partway through.
The most common delay: the freelancer is waiting for content from the client. Photos, copy, credentials, service descriptions — these are often not ready when the build starts, and the project stalls while the client catches up.
Agency — 8-16 weeks
Agency projects have more process. Discovery workshops, strategy documents, wireframes, multiple design rounds, stakeholder approvals, staging environment testing, formal handover. All of this serves a purpose for complex projects — it catches problems early and ensures everyone is aligned. For a straightforward trade website, most of it is overhead.
Eight to sixteen weeks is a realistic range. Some agency projects run longer. If you need a website quickly, an agency is rarely the right choice.
Managed monthly — 2-3 weeks
A managed monthly service designed for trade businesses can typically turn a site around in 2-3 weeks once content is gathered. The process is streamlined: a focused brief call, content gathering, build, review, launch. No lengthy design approval rounds, no scope documents.
The 2-3 week figure assumes content arrives promptly. If photos or service details are delayed, the site is delayed. The provider can often help with copywriting and can work with whatever photos you have initially, adding more later.
The consistent pattern: At every tier, the delay is almost always on the client side, not the builder's. The businesses that get their sites live fastest are the ones that have their content ready before they start.
What you need ready before the build starts
Regardless of who's building your site, having these things ready at the start will halve your build time:
- Business name: exactly as you want it to appear online
- Logo: or at minimum a colour preference and font direction
- Phone number: the number you actually answer
- Services: a clear list of everything you offer
- Areas you cover: specific towns and regions, not "the local area"
- Photos: 5-10 minimum of completed work; more is better
- Credentials: Gas Safe number, NICEIC/NAPIT ID, NFRC membership, ICAEW/ACCA number — whatever applies to your trade
- About blurb: a paragraph about your background and experience
The builder can write copy, suggest structure and handle the technical setup — but they can't invent your credentials, photograph your work or decide your service area. The content has to come from you.
How long before it appears on Google?
A new website is typically indexed by Google within 1-4 weeks of launch, provided it's been submitted to Google Search Console. Indexing means Google knows it exists — it doesn't mean it ranks.
Meaningful organic search rankings for competitive local terms take 3-6 months to develop. This is why starting before you urgently need the work is important. A Google Business Profile set up at the same time as the website can appear in local Maps results within 2-4 weeks of verification, giving you a faster route to local visibility while the organic rankings build.