BuildFirstSite
Web design & development · Australia
Guide · 2026
How long does it take to build a website?
The honest answer: 2–3 weeks for most business websites, 4–6 weeks for e-commerce, and longer for complex web apps. Here is what those timelines actually look like — and what makes projects run long.
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At a glance
Timeline by website type
Landing page — 1–2 weeks
A landing page is a single-page website. It covers one topic — a service, a product, a promotion — and drives visitors to one action (call, book, buy). It is the fastest type of professional website to build.
Typical 2-week timeline: Days 1–2 — brief, scope and design direction agreed. Days 3–7 — design and build in Next.js and Tailwind. Days 8–10 — client review on a staging link, revisions. Days 11–14 — final checks, domain setup, launch.
Best for: tradies, service businesses, Google Ads campaigns, product launches, event pages. Tradie landing pages from $800 AUD →
Business website (multi-page) — 2–3 weeks
The most common type of website for established businesses. Usually 5–10 pages: Home, About, Services (sometimes one page per service), Portfolio/Gallery, and Contact. Built for SEO and long-term growth.
Typical 3-week timeline: Week 1 — discovery, sitemap agreed, content collected from client, design started. Week 2 — full build in Next.js, all pages coded, mobile-tested, SEO setup. Week 3 — client reviews staging site, revisions, domain connected, launch.
Best for: restaurants, real estate agents, tradies with multiple services, professional firms, small agencies. Business websites from $1,900 AUD →
E-commerce store — 4–6 weeks
An online store has many moving parts: product catalogue, cart, checkout, payment processing, order confirmation emails, inventory tracking, and usually an admin dashboard. 4–6 weeks is realistic for a clean, functional e-commerce build.
What adds time in e-commerce: number of products (10 vs 500 is a big difference), variants (sizes, colours, custom options), shipping rules (flat rate vs weight-based vs location-based), product photos (must be provided before the build can finish), and third-party integrations (accounting software, shipping labels, review apps).
Best for: retail brands, fashion, motorsport, specialty goods, anything you sell online. E-commerce from $4,500 AUD →
Web application / SaaS — 6–12 weeks
Web apps — SaaS products, AI tools, booking systems, dashboards, member portals — are significantly more complex. They involve user authentication, databases, APIs, and custom logic. Six weeks is the minimum for a simple app; complex products can take longer.
Rough app timeline: Weeks 1–2 — product scoping, database design, architecture decisions. Weeks 3–5 — core feature build (auth, data model, main workflows). Weeks 6–8 — front-end polish, mobile, edge case handling. Weeks 9–12 — testing, billing setup, deployment, soft launch.
Best for: SaaS products, AI-powered tools, booking platforms, internal tools, marketplaces. AI web apps from $5,000 AUD →
What actually delays a website build
In our experience, the website build itself rarely causes delays. Almost every overrun comes from one of these five things.
- Waiting for content. The #1 cause of delays. A website can't launch without text, photos, and a logo. The client provides these, not the developer. If you haven't written your "About" page or taken photos of your work, the build stalls. Gather all your content before you sign a proposal.
- Scope changes mid-build. "Can we also add a booking system?" mid-build adds weeks. This is why scope is locked in a written proposal before starting. Changes after sign-off are quoted separately and extend the timeline.
- Slow client feedback. We send a staging link. If it takes two weeks to review, the project is two weeks longer. We ask clients to give feedback within a few business days, and build that expectation into the proposal timeline.
- Third-party integrations. Connecting to your CRM, booking system, or inventory software adds time. Sometimes the third-party API is slow to approve, or their documentation is unclear. We flag all integrations upfront and add buffer time to account for this.
- Domain and DNS access. Connecting your domain is the final step — but if you've forgotten your registrar login or your domain is still with an old web developer, this can delay launch by days. Locate your domain access early.
How to get your website built faster
Three things you can do before signing a proposal that will cut your build time by one to two weeks.
- Write your content first. Services, about, contact details, any testimonials you have. It doesn't have to be perfect — we refine it. But having a first draft means we can start building immediately after sign-off.
- Get your photos ready. For a tradie: photos of your work. For a restaurant: food photos. For a service business: a headshot and any relevant visuals. Good phone photos are fine. This alone removes the #1 source of delays.
- Know your domain login. Log into your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) before we start. If you've lost access, get it back now — not the day before launch.
Common questions
How long does it take to build a website?
It depends on the type of site. A landing page takes 1–2 weeks. A business website (multi-page) takes 2–3 weeks. An e-commerce store takes 4–6 weeks. A custom web application takes 6–12 weeks or more. These are realistic timelines for a professional website builder — DIY tools like Wix can be faster but produce a very different result.
How long to build a website?
Five to seven business days for three to five pages, two to three weeks for up to ten, four to six weeks for e-commerce, and six to twelve weeks for a custom web app. Those are working days from the point content is supplied, not calendar estimates with padding in them.
How long does it take to develop a website?
Development itself is usually the shorter half. A ten-page business site takes roughly one week of build time; the two to three week timeline covers design approval, content, revisions and testing. Projects that run long are almost always waiting on copy or images rather than on code.
How many hours does it take to design a website?
For a three to five page site, roughly 15 to 25 hours of design and 20 to 30 hours of build. Up to ten pages runs closer to 40 to 60 hours total. We quote a fixed price rather than hourly, so the hours are ours to manage — but that is the honest shape of the work if you are comparing against an hourly quote.
How long does it take to build a local business website?
A local business site — tradie, cafe, clinic, agent — is typically three to five pages plus suburb or service pages, so five to seven business days at the small end and two to three weeks with local SEO pages included. Google Business Profile setup happens alongside the build rather than after it.
What causes a website to take longer to build?
The biggest delays are: waiting for content from the client (text, photos, logos), unclear scope or changing requirements, slow feedback on designs, and complex custom features like booking systems or CRM integrations. Providing all your content upfront is the single biggest thing a client can do to speed up their website build.
How long does it take to build an e-commerce website?
A custom e-commerce website typically takes 4–6 weeks. This includes product catalogue setup, Stripe payment integration, cart and checkout, mobile-optimised design, and an admin dashboard. Shopify stores can be set up in days, but come with ongoing monthly fees and platform limitations.
How quickly can I get a website built?
The fastest we can deliver is around 1 week for a simple landing page, assuming you provide all content upfront (text, logo, photos). For business websites, the minimum realistic timeline is 2 weeks. Rush delivery is possible with a surcharge for projects with a firm deadline.
Get a fixed price
Tell us what the business needs to do and we will send back a written scope with a fixed AUD price within one business day.
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