How Long Does a Website Redesign Take? The Phases and What Slows Them

How long a website redesign takes depends on how many pages you have, how much content must be written or moved, what the site connects to, and how fast feedback and content come back to the person building it. A small brochure site is a shorter project than a site with many service pages, bookings and integrations. Any agency should be able to give you a schedule in writing.

We do not put a number of weeks here because a number without scope is a guess. What we can do is show you the phases and where the time actually goes. This is part of our website redesign guide.

The phases of a redesign

1. Review and goals

Look at what the current site does, which pages bring in leads, what ranks, and what is broken. Write down the goals. This is also where you decide whether you need a refresh, redesign or rebuild.

2. Plan the structure

Decide the page list, how pages link together and what each page is for. If page addresses will change, the redirect list starts here. See how to redesign without losing SEO.

3. Content

Write or gather the text, photos, reviews and service details. This is the phase most likely to hold up the whole project, and it is mostly in your hands. Our redesign checklist lists what to collect.

4. Design

Layouts for the key pages, usually the home page and one service page first. Expect rounds of feedback. Each round of feedback adds time, so fewer and clearer rounds keep things moving.

5. Build

The design becomes a working site. Forms, tracking, speed work and mobile layouts are built here. If you are changing platforms, content migration also happens here.

6. Test

Click every link, submit every form, check each page on a phone and a computer, and check the redirects. Testing is where small problems get caught while they are cheap to fix.

7. Launch

The new site goes live, redirects turn on, the sitemap is submitted and tracking is confirmed. See website migration if the host or domain is also changing.

8. After launch

Watch search data and lead numbers, fix anything that broke, and adjust. Plan for time here. Problems often show up only once real visitors use the site.

What slows a redesign down

• Content that arrives late. Design can start without it, but the site cannot be finished.
• Several people approving. Name one decision maker and keep the others as advisers.
• Scope changes mid-project. New pages and new features are fine, but they move the date.
• Integrations. Booking systems, CRMs, payment tools and call tracking each need setup and testing.
• Moving a lot of old content. Every page has to be reviewed, edited and checked after it moves.
• Unclear access. Not knowing who holds the domain, hosting or analytics login can stall a launch.

How to keep it on schedule

1. Have your photos, reviews and service details ready before design starts.
2. Pick one person who gives final approval.
3. Agree the page list before design begins.
4. Ask for a written schedule with dates for each phase and what is needed from you by when.
5. Keep a list of “later” ideas so they do not slip into the launch.

Do not rush the testing

When a schedule gets tight, testing and content are the first things squeezed. That is how a launch ends up with broken forms or lost rankings. If a date is fixed, cut scope instead, for example launching with the most important pages first.

Get a schedule for your site

The honest answer for your site depends on its size and what it connects to. A short review of the current site is enough for us to tell you what a realistic schedule looks like.

What you can do while the work is underway

• Collect photos of finished work and your team, taken on a phone is fine if they are sharp and well lit.
• Ask recent customers for a review, and save the ones you already have with permission to use them.
• Write down the questions customers ask you most. They make good headings and FAQs.
• Find your domain registrar and hosting logins now, not on launch day.
• Decide which phone number and email address should appear everywhere.

Phases overlap

The phases above are not strictly one after another. Content can be written while the design is being drafted, and testing starts on early pages while later pages are still being built. Good planning uses that overlap, but it only works when content and feedback arrive on time.

A refresh is a different timeline

If the structure is fine and only the look needs updating, the project is smaller and the phases above shrink. If you are replacing the platform, there is extra time for moving content and testing, covered in the migration guide. The comparison of refresh, redesign and rebuild will help you pick the scope before you ask for dates.

Questions to ask a provider about timing

1. Which phases are included, and which ones need my input?
2. What do you need from me, and by what date?
3. How many rounds of design feedback are included?
4. What happens to the schedule if my content is late?
5. When does the redirect and SEO work happen?
6. Who handles problems after launch, and for how long?

More on website redesign

• Website Redesign Guide for Small Businesses: the full guide.
• Website Redesign Launch Checklist
• After a Website Redesign: What to Monitor
• Website Redesign for Lead Generation

Want a second set of eyes on your site?

If you want a realistic schedule for your project, Webfactory Media is a web design and marketing agency in Carlisle, PA. See our website redesign service or call (888) 849-2397 for a free review of your current site.