"When will the site be ready?" is one of the first three questions anyone asks a web agency. The answer is usually "it depends", which helps nobody. This guide sets out realistic timelines by type of site, the steps a project goes through and what stretches the schedule most. The figures below are ranges commonly seen in the market; what decides your own timeline is the scope and when your content is ready.
Typical timelines by type of site
One page site
A single page that says who you are, what you do, where you are and how to reach you. If the copy and photos are ready, it can go live in anything from a few days to two weeks. For a tradesperson, a freelancer or a newly opened shop, it is often the quickest and most sensible place to start.
Small business site (5-10 pages)
Home, about, services, gallery, contact and perhaps a second language. Built on a ready-made template it takes a week or two; designed from scratch it usually takes three to six weeks. As the page count grows, the real work stops being design and becomes writing the copy for each page.
E-commerce site
Products, categories, a basket, payments, shipping, returns and the legal pages. Here the schedule depends less on the software than on the product data: if photos, descriptions, prices and stock levels for a hundred products are not ready, the site waits. Applying for a payment provider takes time too, because providers review your business documents. A typical range is four to twelve weeks.
Project with custom software
Member logins, your own booking flow, an admin panel or a connection to another system (ERP, accounting, a channel manager). These projects have separate stages for discovery, design, development and testing; they start at two or three months and grow with the scope. Without a written scope, any date you are given is no more than a guess.
What steps does a website go through?
- Scope: which pages, which languages, which features? Even a half hour call or a few lines by email saves weeks later on.
- Gathering content: copy, logo, photos, address, opening hours, prices. This is usually the longest and least predictable part of the schedule.
- Design or template choice: with custom design a draft is drawn and signed off; with a template an existing structure is adapted to your business.
- Build: setting up the pages, forms, map, WhatsApp button and second language.
- Review and sign-off: you look, changes are made, you look again.
- Launch: the domain is connected, SSL is set up and the site goes live.
- Google setup: Search Console, the sitemap and, if you have one, your Google Business Profile. Verifying the profile alone can take a few days.
What slows projects down most?
Content
In most projects the delay is not caused by design or code but by the copy. "I'll write the about page at the weekend" often means two weeks. Decide at the very start who will write up your services, prices and frequently asked questions.
Photos
A site is not finished until the photos arrive. Clear phone photos taken in daylight are enough for most businesses. If you are hiring a photographer, fit their schedule around the site's, not the other way round. Sites that launch with stock images and a promise to "swap them later" tend to stay that way.
Approvals
When several people make the decision (partners, family, management), every review round takes longer. Name one person to collect feedback and send it in one go. Ten scattered messages over a day take far more time than one consolidated list.
The domain and transfers
If your domain sits with a former agency or in an account nobody remembers the password to, you need to get hold of it first. A transfer requires a transfer code (also called an EPP or auth code) and can take a few days. For most extensions, a domain registered or transferred in the last 60 days cannot be transferred again. If your business email runs on the same domain, plan the settings in advance so email keeps working during the move.
Growing scope
Requests that arrive mid-project, such as "let's add a blog" or "can we take payments online too?", rewrite the schedule. Keep new ideas on a list and treat them as a second step once the first version is live.
How to speed things up
- Gather your content before the project starts: logo, copy, photos, address, phone and opening hours.
- Send three sites you like and three you do not; it halves the design conversation.
- Name one decision maker and give feedback in one batch.
- Find out in advance whose name the domain is in, which company it is registered with and the login details.
- Keep the first version small. A simple site that is live brings in more work than a draft waiting to be perfect.
- If you have an opening or a season to hit, say so at the start so the plan is built around that date.
A realistic example
A six page, two language small business site built on a template might run like this: on day one the scope is agreed and the template chosen; over the next few days the copy and photos are gathered; the content goes in and a first preview is shared; after one or two rounds of changes the domain is connected and the site goes live. If the same site is designed from scratch, drawing and signing off a draft and then development come in between, and the timeline stretches from days to weeks. In both cases the most variable item is the same: when the content is ready.
Launch day is not the finish line
A new site may not show up on Google on the day it goes live. Google can take days, sometimes weeks, to crawl and index a new site. Where you appear in search depends on competition and content, and nobody can guarantee a particular position. In the first week after launch, set up Search Console, submit the sitemap and update the website address on your Google Business Profile. We cover the steps in our guide on how to get found on Google.
How it works at KMG
When you work from a template, most of the design and code is already done, so what really sets the timeline is your content. Pick a template for your trade on the templates page, then change everything from colours and text to photos in the KMG Studio and see the result instantly. You send us the version you like, and we connect the domain and take the site live. The weeks usually spent waiting for a design disappear, and the schedule comes down to when your content is ready. What each plan includes is on the pricing page, with monthly plans from 749 TL (excluding VAT).
For work that does not fit a standard plan, such as e-commerce, an admin panel or an integration, we share the timeline in writing together with the scope; just describe what you need in the custom quote form. If you are unsure which route suits you, read our guide on template or custom website design. For businesses looking for a website in Adana or Mersin, we have put local price ranges and the process on our Adana and Mersin web design pages.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a website on average?
It depends on the type. With the content ready, a one page site can take from a few days to two weeks and a small business site one to six weeks. E-commerce and projects with custom software usually take a few months.
What causes the most delays in website projects?
Usually content: copy, photos and the logo arriving late. Scattered approvals, problems getting access to the domain and scope that grows mid-project come next.
How long does a domain transfer take?
Usually a few days once you have the transfer code. For most extensions, a domain registered or transferred in the last 60 days cannot be moved again. If you use business email on the domain, plan the settings in advance.
Will my site appear on Google as soon as it launches?
Not straight away. Google can take days or weeks to crawl a new site. Submitting a sitemap in Search Console helps, but nobody can guarantee a particular ranking.
How long will it take KMG to put my site live?
When you work from a template, most of the design and code is ready, so your content sets the timeline. For custom projects we share the schedule in writing along with the quote.