One of the most common questions we get from new clients is "how quickly can you build it?" The honest answer varies enormously depending on complexity, but for most small business websites, it's much faster than people expect. Here's a realistic breakdown.
A standard small business website — the kind that most tradespeople, professional services, and local businesses need — takes 7–21 days from kick-off to live. At Arlo Studio our standard is 14 days, and we've delivered in as few as 5 when clients needed it urgently.
The main factors that affect speed at this level are how quickly the client can provide content (copy, photos, information about their services) and how many rounds of revisions are needed.
An e-commerce site takes longer — typically 4–8 weeks depending on the number of products, whether products need to be entered manually, payment gateway setup, and any custom functionality required. A basic Shopify or WooCommerce store with under 50 products can be done at the faster end; a complex product catalogue with custom filters takes longer.
Custom platforms, membership sites, booking systems, or sites with complex integrations (CRM, ERP, stock management) typically take 2–4 months. These require detailed scoping, more development work, and more thorough testing before launch.
In our experience, the most common cause of delays is content — waiting for clients to provide copy, photos, and information. Agencies can only build with what they have. A few things that speed things up:
Our fastest ever build: 3 days for an emergency services contractor who needed their site live before a major contract started. It's possible when everyone moves fast.
A done website beats a perfect website every time. The most common mistake is delaying launch while chasing perfect copy or waiting for professional photos. Launch with what you have and improve over time — a live imperfect website generates business; a perfect website that's still being built generates nothing.
Our standard delivery is 14 days. Rush delivery available. Let's talk about what you need.
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