We get asked about timelines more than almost anything else. Business owners have usually been burned before, either by a project that dragged on for six months, or a developer who promised a full redesign in a week and delivered something that looked rushed. Here's a realistic breakdown.
The short answer
For most business websites, a proper redesign takes 3 to 6 weeks from kickoff to launch. Larger projects with custom functionality run 8 to 14 weeks. Anything promised faster than that is usually cutting a corner somewhere, usually design quality, content, or SEO setup.
Why it's not faster
A website redesign isn't just restyling pages. It typically involves:
- Understanding what's actually underperforming on the current site
- Rewriting or reorganising content, not just moving it over
- Designing layouts that reflect your brand, not a generic template
- Building and testing across devices
- Setting up redirects so you don't lose your existing Google rankings
Skip any of these and you'll launch faster, but you'll likely be redoing work within a year.
A realistic week-by-week breakdown
Week 1: Discovery. We look at your current site's analytics, review what's working and what isn't, and agree on goals for the redesign.
Weeks 2 to 3: Design. You see wireframes and mockups, and we adjust based on your feedback before any code is written.
Weeks 3 to 5: Build. Development happens in short, visible rounds. You're seeing progress regularly, not waiting until the end.
Week 5 to 6: Testing and launch. Cross-browser and mobile testing, redirect mapping from old URLs to new ones, and a controlled go-live.
What makes a redesign take longer
- Missing or unclear content: if copy and photos need to be created from scratch, add 1 to 2 weeks
- Slow feedback turnaround: the biggest single cause of delay is waiting on client sign-off between stages
- Scope creep: adding new features mid-project without adjusting the timeline
- Custom integrations: payment gateways, booking systems, or CRM connections all add real time
Why redirects matter more than people expect
If your current site already ranks on Google, a redesign done without a proper SEO migration plan, mapping every old URL to its new equivalent, can quietly wipe out rankings you spent years building. This is one of the most common mistakes we see from redesigns done in a rush.
If you're planning a redesign and want a realistic timeline for your specific site, get in touch. We'll walk through what you have now and tell you what a proper timeline actually looks like.
