In short: a presentation website takes 2–4 weeks, a more complex custom website 4–8 weeks, and an online store 6–12 weeks, from brief to launch. These timelines assume something few people state openly: that we receive the content on time. In practice, the most common cause of delay is not development but copy and photography arriving late from the client.
We are writing this because "how long will it take" is the second question after price, and it gets just as many vague answers. We are a Bucharest agency building websites with code we write ourselves, working in sprints with regular demos — so the timelines below are the ones we actually use on projects, not brochure estimates. For the budget side, the companion guide is how much a website costs in 2026.
Table: how long it takes, by project type
In short: duration grows with the number of integrations and the volume of content, not with the number of pages. A 30-page site with no integrations ships faster than an 8-page one with payments and invoicing.
| Project type | Duration | Biggest influence |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | 1–2 weeks | Copy and visual material |
| Presentation website | 2–4 weeks | Page count, content, feedback rounds |
| Custom website / with features | 4–8 weeks | Specific features, integrations |
| Online store | 6–12 weeks | Product catalog, payments, invoicing, couriers |
| Web app / platform | 3–6 months | Business logic, roles, testing |
| Migration from an existing site | +1–3 weeks | Content volume and 301 redirects |
The stages of a 3-week project, day by day
In short: a presentation website has five stages, and you are actively involved in three of them. The faster you respond during the feedback stages, the shorter the calendar gets.
| Stage | Duration | Who works |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and quote | 2–3 days | Together: goals, structure, budget |
| Design and architecture | 4–6 days | We design, you approve |
| Development | 5–8 days | We build, with interim demos |
| Content and revisions | 3–5 days | Together: final copy, corrections |
| Testing and launch | 2–3 days | Us: performance, technical SEO, go-live |
The stages are not strictly sequential: development starts on approved sections while design progresses on the rest. That is why a 3-week calendar does not mean 3 weeks of waiting, but a rhythm in which you see progress every week.
An 8-week online store calendar, week by week
In short: on a store, half the calendar goes on things nobody sees — payments, invoicing, couriers and testing the order flow. Here is what a realistic 8-week delivery looks like.
| Week | What happens | What we need from you |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discovery: catalog, categories, delivery and pricing rules | Product list and delivery policy |
| 2–3 | Design: product page, category, cart and checkout | Design approval, in a single round |
| 3–5 | Development: catalog, filters, cart, customer accounts | Product photography and descriptions |
| 5–6 | Integrations: payment processor, invoicing, e-Factura, courier | Supplier accounts and company details |
| 7 | Testing: trial orders, real payments, returns, performance | Validating the flow from your operating perspective |
| 8 | Launch: migration, redirects, sitemap, monitoring | Go-live time and who takes the orders |
Notice where the asks land on you: weeks 1, 3 and 5. If product photography is two weeks late, the calendar does not stretch by two weeks — it stretches by more, because the synchronisation with the following stages is lost too. That is why we push for content earlier than seems necessary.
What delays projects, in order of frequency
In short: in our experience, most delays have no technical cause. They are process causes — and that is good news, because you can control them.
- 1. Content. Late copy and photography are by far the number one cause. A website cannot launch with placeholder text.
- 2. Slow or fragmented feedback. Three rounds of notes sent piecemeal, days apart, add more than one complete, clear round.
- 3. Too many decision-makers. When five people must approve the design and each has a different opinion, the calendar doubles. Appoint one person who decides.
- 4. Scope changes mid-project. "Actually, we would like a blog too" adds real days of work. That is not a problem — but it has to be acknowledged as an extension, not slipped in as a correction.
- 5. Access credentials. Domain, hosting, supplier accounts. Prepare them in week one, not on launch day.
- 6. External integrations. A third-party API that does not respond or is poorly documented can add a week, however well you plan.
How to speed up delivery without ruining the result
In short: real speed is won before the project starts, through preparation — not during it, through pressure.
- Prepare content before kick-off. Copy, logo, photography, service list. It is the single change that shortens the calendar by 30–50%.
- Name one decision-maker. One person who collects the team's notes and sends a single list.
- Send feedback in batches. One complete round within 48 hours beats five scattered messages over a week.
- Launch in stages. Publish the core version and add secondary sections after go-live. A launched website brings customers; an "almost ready" one brings nothing.
- Do not compress testing. It is the one stage where saving two days is paid for with bugs your customers can see.
How long until you appear in Google
In short: launching the website and becoming visible in Google are two entirely different calendars. The site is ready in weeks; ranking is measured in months.
- Indexing: from a few days to a few weeks after launch, if you submit the sitemap in Google Search Console.
- Company-name searches: usually the first to start working, within a few weeks.
- Long-tail searches ("how much does…", "how do I choose…"): 2–4 months with good content.
- Competitive terms ("website design Bucharest"): 6–12 months and beyond for a new domain.
It is important to separate these two expectations from the start. If someone promises you page one in Google a month after launch on competitive terms, that promise is not realistic. What you can do in parallel with development is prepare your local presence — we detailed the steps in the Google Business Profile guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a website be built in a week?
A simple landing page, yes, if the copy and visuals are ready. A complete presentation website in a week almost certainly means a template filled in at speed, without research, technical SEO or real testing. It shows, and the results show it too.
Why does an online store take three times as long as a presentation website?
Because a store does not merely display information: it takes money, issues fiscal documents and triggers deliveries. Payments, invoicing, e-Factura and couriers are separate integrations, each with its own testing. Details in how much an online store costs.
What happens if I am the one delaying the content?
The calendar moves by exactly that many days. It is not a penalty but a consequence: a page cannot be finished without its final copy. That is why we ask for content early, even when it feels premature.
Can I launch the website and add features later?
Yes, and it is usually the best strategy. You launch the version that brings you customers and add the rest as real data tells you what is missing. On custom code, adding later does not mean rebuilding.
How long if I already have a website and just want it redone?
Usually 1–3 weeks longer than a new site of the same size, not less. Content migration is added and, critically, 301 redirects from the old URLs — without them you lose the positions you have already earned in Google.
Want a concrete calendar for your project? Tell us what kind of website you need and whether your content is ready, through our request a quote page, and you will receive a stage-by-stage estimate within 24 hours. If you are in Bucharest, details on how we work locally are on our website development in Bucharest page.