Typical timelines for business websites, online stores, custom software and mobile apps — and the factors that make projects faster or slower.
"When can we go live?" is a fair question, and the honest answer depends on scope. These are typical ranges for well-planned projects — your proposal should always include a timeline specific to your requirements.
Typical timelines
- Business website (5–15 pages): roughly 3 to 6 weeks, including design, content entry, testing and launch.
- E-commerce store: about 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the number of products, payment and shipping integrations, and custom features.
- Custom web application or portal: often 2 to 6 months, usually delivered in phases so you can start using core features early.
- Mobile app (first version): commonly 3 to 6 months for a well-defined app on Android and iOS, plus time for app store review.
What makes a project faster
- Clear requirements: a written list of pages, features and examples you like.
- Content ready on time: text, photos, logos and product details are the most common cause of delays.
- Quick feedback: one decision-maker who reviews designs and test builds within a day or two.
- Phased launches: launching a solid first version, then adding extras, gets you live sooner.
What makes a project slower
- Changing the scope after design has been approved.
- Complex integrations with existing systems, payment providers or third-party APIs.
- Waiting on approvals, domain or hosting access, or app store accounts.
The stages you should expect
- Discovery and proposal — goals, features, timeline and cost agreed in writing.
- Design — layouts and interactive prototypes for your approval.
- Development — building the site or app, with regular progress demos.
- Testing — across devices and browsers, plus your own review.
- Launch and support — going live, monitoring and fixing anything that comes up.
Have a deadline in mind? Tell us in the project planner and we'll confirm what's realistic, or explore our website and app development services.
