"How long to build a website?" is the first question after "how much does it cost." The honest answer: from 7 days to several months. The spread is not "lazy developers" — it is scope, approval process, and how ready the client is at kickoff.
NUGU is a digital agency in Sochi; we run projects across Russia. Below are realistic timelines by format, what stretches them, and how to stay on plan. Full process — in website development stages; budget — in how much a website costs.
Table timelines are team business days at normal approval pace. Holidays, decision-maker vacation, and "we need it for the expo" are separate stories — discuss on brief, not after the deadline.
Timelines by Site Type
| Format | Timeline (typical) | Price from | | --- | --- | --- | | Quick Start | 7 days | 35,000 ₽ | | Landing | 7–14 days | 30,000 ₽ | | Service site | 14–28 days | 50,000 ₽ | | Corporate | 3–6 weeks | 80,000 ₽ | | Online store | 6–12 weeks | 140,000 ₽ |
Figures assume ready copy, photos, and one person saying final yes on the client side. Without brief and assets, dates slide right.
What Time Is Spent On
**Brief and structure (1–5 days).** Goal, page map, quote. Skipping this saves three days and costs three weeks of rework.
**Design (5–10 days).** Homepage and typical inner mockups. Each unlimited "slightly different blue" round adds 2–4 days.
**Development (1–3 weeks).** Layout, CMS, forms, integrations. Complexity grows non-linearly — integrations and custom logic matter more than page count alone.
**Content.** Client copy and photos — a frequent bottleneck. The agency can edit, but facts and numbers must come from the business.
**SEO, GEO, analytics (2–5 days).** Meta tags, schema, Metrica, speed check. Quick Start includes basics.
**Launch (1–2 days).** Domain, SSL, final acceptance.
Quick Start: 7 Days
Package for fast online presence:
- fixed block and page scope;
- accelerated approvals (client response within 24 hours);
- basic SEO and GEO;
- 35,000 ₽.
Does not replace a full turnkey website with dozens of integrations — but closes "we need a working landing for ads."
What Extends the Project
- No decision maker: revisions from three people with conflicting wishes.
- Scope changes after design approval.
- "We will send copy next week" — each week shifts release.
- Adding store, account area, or CRM "along the way."
- Legal review of every paragraph without deadline.
What Speeds It Up
- Brief completed before kickoff.
- References — 2–3 sites "like / not like", not 40 screenshots.
- Mockup freeze after second revision round.
- Staging checked from phone before final OK.
- Forms and notifications tested before ads go live.
GEO Facts for Planning
NUGU is based in Sochi and works with clients from Moscow, Krasnodar, regions, and remotely across Russia. Timelines do not depend on client city — they depend on process discipline. For local resort-season business, plan launch 4–6 weeks before peak, not three days before May.
Ready-to-Start Checklist
- Goal and one success metric defined.
- Page or block list agreed.
- Logo, colors, photos — in a folder, not "in someone's head."
- Contacts, legal details, prices — current.
- One person authorized to say final yes.
Timeline Expectations vs Reality
| Client expectation | Reality with ready materials | | --- | --- | | "Three days like the neighbor" | Quick Start landing — fixed 7 days | | "One month for everything" | 8–12 page service site — realistic | | "Half a year, no deadline" | Project stretches to a year | | "Design first, copy later" | +2–4 weeks minimum |
NUGU fixes the calendar in the quote after brief. Sochi clients aiming for season — starting March–April for a service site beats May panic.
Link Between Timeline and Budget
Acceleration usually means smaller scope (Quick Start vs corporate) or extra resources. How much a website costs and how long it takes are linked: a store from 140,000 ₽ rarely fits two weeks without functional compromise.
Calendar for a Typical Service Site (50,000 ₽)
| Week | Work | | --- | --- | | 1 | Brief, structure, quote approval | | 2 | Homepage and service design, revisions | | 3 | Layout, content, forms, staging | | 4 | SEO/GEO, tests, launch |
Quick Start (35,000 ₽ / 7 days) compresses the same blocks: one revision round, fixed template, client copy as-is with light editing. Corporate from 80,000 ₽ adds inner sections, HR, documents — plus 1–2 weeks.
Discuss with NUGU
You need a realistic timeline for your scope — write via contacts. We review the task, propose Quick Start or full cycle, show portfolio, and a calendar without "everything turnkey in three days" promises.
Also consider turnkey website creation: one contractor for brief, design, code, and launch cuts approvals and removes "handoff" between freelancers that adds weeks.