For most businesses, commissioning a website is a bit of a black box. You sign a proposal, pay a deposit, and then... what? You might get some wireframes, maybe a design mockup, probably some emails asking for content, and eventually a website appears. But understanding what's actually happening at each stage helps you be a better client, avoid common delays, and get a better result.

Here's an honest week-by-week breakdown of a typical 8-week web design project for a standard Irish business website (8-15 pages). Simpler sites compress this timeline; more complex projects stretch it out.

Week 1: Discovery and Planning

This is where the foundations are laid, and it's more important than most clients realise. Your designer should be asking detailed questions about your business, your customers, your competitors, and your goals. Not just 'what pages do you want?' but 'what does success look like for this website?'

During this week, expect a discovery meeting or call (60-90 minutes) covering your business, target audience, and goals. Your designer should review your competitors' websites, discuss site structure and navigation, define the project scope in detail, and agree on a realistic content timeline. You should receive a sitemap — a document showing every page on the site and how they connect.

Your homework this week: Start gathering content. Seriously. This is the single biggest thing you can do to keep the project on track. Our website content checklist tells you exactly what to prepare.

Week 2: Wireframing and Content Strategy

Before any visual design happens, your designer creates wireframes — simple, layout-only sketches showing where each element goes on key pages. Think of these as the architectural blueprints before the interior design. They show content hierarchy, navigation structure, placement of calls to action, and the overall user flow.

Wireframes might look unimpressive (they're deliberately stripped of colour, images, and styling), but reviewing them carefully is crucial. It's far easier to move elements around at the wireframe stage than after the visual design is complete. This is also when content requirements are finalised — your designer confirms exactly what text, images, and information they need from you, and by when.

Your homework this week: Review wireframes promptly. Ask questions about anything you don't understand. Continue writing content.

Weeks 3-4: Visual Design

This is the exciting part. Your designer takes the approved wireframes and adds the visual layer — colours, typography, images, icons, and brand elements. Typically, you'll see a homepage design first (this sets the visual direction for the entire site), followed by 2-3 key interior page designs (e.g., a service page, about page, and contact page).

Design is presented as static mockups (essentially high-fidelity images of how the pages will look). You'll usually get one round of revisions included — this is your opportunity to request changes to colours, layout, typography, or imagery. Be specific with feedback: 'The headline feels too small' is more useful than 'I'm not sure about it.'

Your homework this week: Provide timely, consolidated feedback (don't send five separate emails). Supply all remaining content and images. The design phase is when content delays start causing real problems.

Weeks 5-6: Development

Once the design is approved, development begins — turning the static designs into a functioning website. This is typically the most intensive phase for the developer. They're building the site on a staging server (a private version you can view but the public can't see), setting up the content management system, building page templates, configuring forms, integrating any third-party tools, and ensuring everything works responsively across different devices.

During development, you should have access to the staging site to review progress. Content is populated into the actual pages, and you'll start seeing your website come to life. This is also when functionality is tested — do forms submit correctly? Does the booking system work? Are all links pointing to the right places?

Your homework this week: Review the staging site and report any content errors or functionality issues. Prepare your Google Analytics and Search Console accounts for setup.

Week 7: Testing, Revisions, and SEO Setup

Before launch, your site goes through thorough testing. A good agency or developer will test across multiple browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge), multiple devices (desktop, tablet, phone), and check every form, link, and interactive element. They'll set up on-page SEO (title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, image alt text), configure analytics tracking, and implement any remaining integrations.

This is also your final review period. Go through every page methodically. Check spellings, phone numbers, addresses, and any factual claims. Review your pre-launch checklist to make sure nothing is missed.

Your homework this week: Complete a thorough review of every page. Test forms by submitting them yourself. Check the site on your own phone. Sign off on the final version.

Week 8: Launch

Launch day is actually less dramatic than most people expect. The technical process involves pointing your domain name to the new hosting, deploying the site from staging to live, setting up SSL certificate, redirecting any old URLs to new ones (critical for maintaining search rankings), and verifying everything works on the live server. Most launches are planned for a Tuesday or Wednesday (avoiding Fridays when issues can't be addressed over the weekend).

In the 48 hours after launch, your developer should be monitoring for any issues — broken links that only appear on the live site, email delivery problems from contact forms, or DNS propagation delays. Google Search Console should be submitted with your new sitemap to prompt indexing.

After Launch: The First 30 Days

The website is live, but the work isn't done. In the first month, you should be checking analytics to see how visitors are finding and using your site, monitoring Search Console for any crawl errors or indexing issues, collecting initial user feedback and noting any usability problems, and starting to plan your ongoing content strategy (blog posts, updates, fresh pages).

Your designer should provide a handover package including all login credentials, a CMS training session, documentation for managing content, and details of your hosting and domain setup. For what this handover should include, see our web design handover checklist.

Why Projects Get Delayed (And How to Avoid It)

The number one cause of web design project delays is content. Not design changes, not technical issues — content. Specifically: clients not having their text ready, waiting for professional photos that haven't been scheduled, and the painful back-and-forth of 'we'll get that to you next week' that stretches across months. The second most common cause is slow feedback. When a design is sent for review and the client takes two weeks to respond, the project sits idle and the designer has moved on to other work.

To keep your project on track: prepare content before the project starts, nominate one person as the decision-maker (design-by-committee kills timelines), respond to review requests within 3-5 business days, and consolidate feedback rather than sending it piecemeal. Our web design brief guide helps you start the project properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a website be built faster than 8 weeks?

Yes, simpler sites (5-8 pages) can be completed in 3-5 weeks if content is ready from day one and feedback is prompt. Rush projects are possible but typically cost more and may sacrifice some refinement. The key is having all content, images, and decisions made before the project begins.

How involved do I need to be during the project?

You'll need to be available for the discovery meeting (week 1), wireframe review (week 2), design feedback (weeks 3-4), and final review (week 7). In between, your main responsibility is providing content and responding to questions. Budget around 2-3 hours per week of your time across the project for a standard site.

What if I don't like the design?

Most proposals include one or two rounds of design revisions. If the initial design direction feels fundamentally wrong, speak up immediately — it's much easier to change direction early than after development has started. Specific, constructive feedback helps your designer understand what's not working. If the issue is subjective taste rather than objective problems, trust their expertise on what performs well.

How long does a typical website project take from start to finish?

A standard project for an 8-15 page business website typically takes 8-10 weeks from discovery to launch. This breaks down into 1 week for discovery, 1 week for wireframing, 2 weeks for design, 2 weeks for development, and 1-2 weeks for testing and launch. More complex sites (e-commerce, custom functionality) take longer. For detailed guidance, see our web design brief template.

What causes web design projects to go over the planned timeline?

The primary causes are delayed content delivery, slow feedback on deliverables, scope creep (adding pages or features mid-project), and last-minute design changes. Projects with clear content timelines, quick decision-making, and well-defined scope stay on track. Learn more about avoiding common delays in our web design contracts guide.