How we structure a website project: from brief to launch
The phases a website project goes through with us, what each produces, what we need from the client at each, and how long each usually takes.
The short answer
A website project with us runs through six phases, and each one ends with something the client can see and approve before the next begins. Six to twelve weeks is typical for a full project; a defined package is shorter. The brief and audit establish what the site must do, for whom, and what the current site and accounts look like. Content and structure define what the site says and how it is organised, and start in week one because content decides the schedule. The design system turns the brand into tokens and components the whole site will be built from. The build assembles pages from those components, with a preview link for every change. Testing and content loading bring the site to launch quality: accessibility, performance, security, forms, redirects, real content in every page. Launch is a checklist followed in a quiet window, and the first month afterwards is part of the project, watching real visitors and finishing what they reveal. Six to twelve weeks is typical for a full project; a defined package is shorter, and the variable is almost always content.
The six phases
| Phase | What happens | What it produces | What we need from you | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief and audit | Goals, audiences, offerings, constraints; audit of the current site, accounts, analytics and rankings | One-page brief; audit report; project plan | Honest answers; access to accounts | One to two weeks |
| 2. Content and structure | Site map; page types; content model; content plan; writing or gathering begins | Site map; content model; content schedule | Decisions on offerings and structure; content owner named | Starts week one; runs in parallel |
| 3. Design system | Tokens, typography, components, key page designs | Design system; approved key pages | Feedback on design within days | Two to three weeks |
| 4. Build | Pages assembled from components; forms, integrations, redirects; preview for every change | Working site on previews | Feedback on previews | Two to four weeks |
| 5. Testing and content loading | Accessibility, performance, security, forms, redirects; all real content in place; launch checklist; the site goes to a private staging address for your acceptance review | Launch-ready site; checklist complete; written acceptance | Your review inside the acceptance window | One to two weeks |
| 6. Launch | DNS switch in a quiet window; monitoring on; the redirect map completed from the not-found log | Live site; launch report | Availability at launch | Launch day |
The acceptance window, and it is the one deadline that can cost you something
Phase five ends with the site delivered to a staging environment for you to review. In our terms that review window is 10 to 15 business days, and work you do not reject in writing inside it counts as approved; revision rounds beyond the ones in your package are billed at the add-on rate. Phase approvals happen in meetings, but this one runs on a clock whether or not anybody meets.
It is the only deadline in our contract where doing nothing costs you a right, which is why it is on this page rather than only in the small print. Put it in your own calendar next to ours, and ask any supplier the same two questions before you sign: how long is the acceptance period, and what happens if we let it pass?
How the phases connect
- The brief decides the structure; nothing is designed until the site’s purpose is written down.
- The structure decides the content model and the page types the design system must cover.
- The design system is built before pages, so pages are assembled rather than designed one by one.
- The build runs on previews from the first day, so the client watches the site appear.
- Content lands as it is ready, into the structured model, and the schedule tracks it.
- Testing runs in the pipeline throughout and is confirmed in full before launch.
- Launch follows the checklist, and the first month closes the loop with real data.
What the client sees along the way
The brief and audit as documents. The site map and content model as a plan they can react to. The design system and key pages as approved designs. The build as preview links that change daily. The testing as reports. The launch as a checklist with ticks. The first month as a report with real numbers. At no point is there a reveal; there is a steady view of the site becoming itself.
What this means for you
A website project with a clear structure runs through brief, content and structure, design system, build, testing and launch, with something to approve at the end of each and a first month that finishes the job. Your part is decisions, content and feedback on a schedule. Content sets the pace, so it starts first. Done this way, the launch is a checklist rather than a leap, and the site that goes live is the one you watched being built.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a business website take?
A full project with all six phases runs six to twelve weeks from brief to launch; a defined package is shorter, and the package pages say how much. Content readiness is the largest variable. The design system and build phases are predictable; the content phase depends on how quickly the client can decide, write and approve. Projects that run long almost always run long there, which is why we start content work in the first week.
What do you need from us?
A named decision-maker, honest answers in the brief, content or the time to produce it with us, access to accounts in your name, feedback on previews within a few days, and attendance at the phase approvals. The list is short, and each item is on the schedule so nobody is surprised when it is due.
What happens after launch?
The first month is when a launch is judged, so agree in advance who does it and whether it is included. What belongs in it: monitoring and analytics watched, what real visitors reveal fixed, the redirect map completed from the not-found log, and a review at the end of the month. After that the site moves into the monthly partnership if there is one, or is handed over with documentation and access if there is not.