"How long will it take?" is usually the second question a Vancouver business owner asks about a new website, right after cost. The honest answer depends far more on the project and on how quickly decisions get made than on how fast anyone can write code.

For the custom Next.js sites we build, the typical timeline is 3 to 4 weeks from kickoff to launch for a standard business site, and 5 to 6 weeks for a multilingual site, for example in English and Chinese, or English and French. Other builders quote anything from a few days for a template to several months for a large custom project, so it is worth understanding what goes into those weeks before comparing quotes.

What happens in a typical four-week build

Every project is different, but a standard build usually runs in four stages:

  1. Discovery and structure (week 1). We look at your current site if you have one, your competitors and the people you want to reach, then agree the page list, the main calls to action and the structure of each page. This is also when we collect access to your domain, hosting, analytics and Google Business Profile.
  2. Design and copy (week 2). Wireframes come first, then the visual design. Copy is written or adapted for each page in parallel, so design and words are reviewed together rather than one after the other.
  3. Build (week 3). The site is developed on Next.js, with the forms, booking links, analytics, schema markup and SEO foundations set up as it is built rather than added afterwards.
  4. Review, testing and launch (week 4). You review the site on a staging address. We test it on real phones and slower connections, check every form and link, set up redirects if a site is being replaced, then launch.

What makes a website take longer

When a project runs late, it is rarely the build itself. These are the usual causes, roughly in order of how often they come up:

  • Content that is not ready. Photos, team bios, service details and testimonials are the most common bottleneck. Copy we write still needs your facts and your approval.
  • Several decision-makers. A site that needs sign-off from two partners and a board moves at the speed of the slowest calendar.
  • More than one language. A second language is not a translation pass at the end. It needs its own URLs, its own copy review and correct hreflang tags, which is why we plan 5 to 6 weeks for multilingual sites.
  • Integrations. Booking systems, CRMs, ecommerce, payment providers and member areas each add setup and testing time, especially when a third-party account has to be created or approved.
  • Replacing a large site. A migration means mapping every existing page that has search history to a new address and setting up redirects, so rankings are not lost. A site with many pages takes longer to map and test.
  • Changes in scope. New pages or features added halfway through are normal, but they move the launch date.

How to keep your project on schedule

Most of what keeps a build on time is on the client side, and none of it is difficult:

  • Gather photos and key facts early. Even rough material helps more than waiting for perfect material.
  • Name one decision-maker. One person who can approve designs and copy, and who gathers everyone else's feedback.
  • List the must-have integrations at the start. Booking, CRM, online payments, newsletter, chat. Discovering one in week three costs more time than planning it in week one.
  • Share access in the first week. Domain registrar, hosting, analytics, Search Console and Google Business Profile. Waiting on a login is a surprisingly common delay.
  • Review within a couple of days. Quick feedback rounds keep the momentum.

Is faster always better?

Not necessarily. A template site can go live in a few days, and for a brand-new business that needs something online this week, that can be the right call. The trade-off is that it is built around the template rather than around your customers, and many owners end up rebuilding it later.

The opposite risk is a site that launches on time with placeholder text, stock photos and a contact form nobody tested. We would rather move a launch by a few days than publish something that is not ready, and we will tell you when that is the better choice.

Launch is not the finish line

A new site needs attention in its first weeks: checking that analytics and forms work in the real world, watching Search Console for crawl errors and confirming that redirects behave. Our builds include 30 days of post-launch support for exactly that.

It also helps to separate two timelines that often get mixed up. A website can be built in a few weeks. Ranking for competitive Vancouver searches is a different process that usually takes months of ongoing SEO work after launch. A well-built site makes that work possible; it does not replace it.

The short answer

For a standard custom business website, plan on about a month from kickoff to launch, and about six weeks if it needs more than one language. Add time for large migrations, complex integrations or a lot of content still to be written. If you tell us what your site needs, we can give you a realistic timeline for your project before any work starts.