How Long Does It Take to Build a Simple 5-Page Website?
If you’re a small business owner thinking about setting up a website, one of the first questions you might ask is: “How long will it actually take?” The answer depends on a few key factors, but in this guide we’ll break it down step by step so you can plan realistically.
Why Timeline Matters
Understanding how long it takes to build a website is important for several reasons:
- Planning: You can schedule your content creation and marketing around it.
- Budgeting: Knowing the time helps estimate costs if you hire a designer.
- Expectations: You’ll know what to expect and avoid rushing or cutting corners.
Key Factors That Affect Website Build Time
Even a simple 5-page website can take more or less time depending on these factors:
- Content readiness: Having your text, images, videos, and logos ready in advance can save days.
- Design approach: Using pre-made templates is much faster than custom designs.
- Functionality requirements: Adding forms, booking systems, or e-commerce features adds time.
- Experience level: A professional web designer will usually be quicker than someone building it themselves.
Typical Timeline for a 5-Page Website
Here’s a realistic breakdown of tasks and how long each usually takes for a simple website with these standard pages: Home, About, Services, Contact, and Blog/FAQ.
| Step | Task | Time Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planning & gathering content (text, images, logos) | 1–3 days |
| 2 | Choosing a platform (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace) | 1 day |
| 3 | Setting up hosting & domain | 1 day |
| 4 | Designing the home page | 1–2 days |
| 5 | Creating other pages (About, Services, Contact, Blog/FAQ) | 1–3 days |
| 6 | Adding forms, maps, or basic functionality | 1 day |
| 7 | Testing & reviewing on desktop & mobile | 1 day |
| 8 | Launch | 1 day |
Total Estimated Time: Typically 5–12 days for a simple website. If you prepare content in advance and use a template, you could be live in under a week. For a completely custom design and SEO optimisation, allow 2–3 weeks.
Tips to Speed Up Your Website Build
- Use pre-made templates or page builders like WordPress with Elementor or Squarespace.
- Prepare all your content beforehand – text, images, and videos.
- Start with essential pages only and expand later.
- Keep your design simple – avoid complicated animations or custom coding for your first site.
- Consider reading our guide on what pages a small business website should include to stay focused.
Why Small Businesses Don’t Need Long Timelines
Small business websites are often simpler than large corporate sites, which means you don’t need months to get online. A functional website that looks professional, is mobile-friendly, and includes basic SEO can be ready in under two weeks.
Next Steps After Your Website is Live
Once your 5-page website is live, don’t forget:
- Optimise it for search engines so local customers can find you.
- Set up Google Analytics to track visitors and see which pages are most popular.
- Connect your website to your social media for consistent branding.
- Plan to update content regularly, like blog posts or news, to keep your site fresh.
By understanding the timeline and planning effectively, you can get your small business website online quickly and efficiently. A simple 5-page site doesn’t have to take weeks of stress – with the right preparation, it can be live in just a few days!