A website redesign can take anything from a few days to more than a year. A small visual refresh may be quick. A large website with hundreds of pages, new content, custom features and several system links can take many months. Some complex digital projects are delivered in stages over several years.
For a typical custom marketing website with about 30 to 100 pages, a useful early estimate is around three to six months from kickoff to launch. This is only a guide. The real timeline depends on the number of page templates, the amount of content, the level of custom design, the features and integrations, and how quickly decisions are made.
The page count matters, but it does not tell the whole story. A 100-page site built from eight clear page templates may be easier to plan and build than a 30-page site where every page needs a different layout, custom tool or approval process.
Indicative website redesign timeframes
These broad ranges can help with early planning:
- Small refresh, a few days to a few weeks: Updates to the look, copy or layout of a small site, with little change to its structure or technology.
- Small custom website, around six to twelve weeks: A focused site with a limited number of page types, ready content and few technical links.
- Typical marketing website, around three to six months: Often 30 to 100 pages, with strategy, a new sitemap, custom design, content work, CMS setup, forms, analytics and an SEO-safe launch.
- Large or complex website, six to eighteen months or more: Many content types, hundreds or thousands of pages, several audiences, complex approvals, advanced search, member areas, ecommerce or system integrations.
- Major digital programme, one year to several years: Several websites or platforms, major service design, custom software, deep integrations, large content migrations or a staged rollout across an organisation.
These are not fixed quotes or promises. Two websites with the same page count can need very different timelines.
What determines how long a redesign takes?
1. The number of pages and the state of the content
More pages usually mean more content to review, rewrite, approve, enter and test. But the condition of the content matters too. Moving 100 approved pages can be faster than rewriting 30 pages from scratch.
Content work should start early. We often see website schedules slip because the design and build are ready, but the copy, images, staff details or documents are not. Our guide on why website copy matters explains why content cannot be treated as a final task.
2. The number of page templates
A page template is a repeatable layout for a type of content, such as a service page, article, case study, team profile or event.
This is often a better measure of design and build effort than the total page count. Fifty pages that use six templates are very different from fifty pages that need twenty custom layouts.
3. Integrations and functionality
Forms, CRM links, payments, ecommerce, member areas, search, maps, event systems, job feeds and other tools all add planning, setup and testing.
An integration can look simple from the front of the website while needing careful work behind it. The project team must agree on what data moves, where it goes, who owns it, what happens when it fails and how it will be tested.
4. The level of design and customisation
A site based on an existing design system can move faster than one that needs a new visual direction, new components, custom motion and detailed art direction.
A brand refresh running at the same time can also affect the schedule. The website team needs enough certainty about the message, colours, type and image style before key design decisions can be approved.
5. Content migration and SEO risk
A redesign is not only about creating the new site. The team must decide what happens to the old content, URLs, documents, metadata and search rankings.
A large content migration needs an audit, a page-by-page decision process, redirect mapping and checks after launch. A website audit can help find outdated pages and useful content before the redesign begins.
6. Feedback and approvals
Fast work still needs timely decisions. A review that sits for a week can move every later phase.
Projects tend to run more smoothly when one person collects feedback, removes repeats and gives the agency one clear response. A long chain of separate comments from many people can turn a simple decision into several rounds of work.
7. The time your own team can give the project
The client team usually needs to attend workshops, supply content and assets, review designs, test forms and approve launch details. If those people are also handling campaigns, events or internal changes, the timeline should allow for that reality.
What does a three to six-month marketing website project include?
For a custom marketing website of about 30 to 100 pages, the work will often include the following phases. Some can overlap, so the total timeline is not the sum of every range below.
Discovery and planning, around two to four weeks
The team agrees on the goals, audiences, scope, key features, measures of success and project plan. It also reviews the current site and identifies major risks.
Sitemap and content planning, around three to eight weeks
The team plans the structure, user journeys, page list and content responsibilities. Copywriting, content review, photography and document preparation may continue through later phases.
Design, around four to eight weeks
The agency develops the visual direction, key page designs and reusable design system. The exact length depends on how many templates are needed and how many review rounds are included.
Build and content entry, around six to twelve weeks
The site is built, the CMS is set up, content is entered and integrations are connected. Design, build and content work may overlap once the main direction is approved.
Testing, migration and launch, around two to four weeks
The team tests the content, layouts, links, forms, integrations, accessibility, analytics and SEO setup. It also prepares redirects, training, domain changes and post-launch checks.
How can you get a more useful timeline?
Before asking an agency for a launch date, prepare a short list of the things that shape the work:
- The rough number of current and planned pages
- The main page templates or content types
- The features and integrations needed at launch
- Whether the brand, copy, photography and documents are ready
- Who will review and approve each phase
- Any fixed campaign, event or enrolment dates
- What can move to a later stage if time is tight
A clear scope lets the agency estimate the work instead of guessing from the page count alone.
Can a website launch date be fixed?
Yes, but the scope may need to change. If the date cannot move, the team should agree on what must be ready for the first launch and what can follow later.
Phasing is useful when it protects the main user journey without creating expensive rework. It is less useful when important content, testing or migration work is simply pushed aside to meet an unrealistic date.
Review our website capabilities and recent work to see what IGNITE plans, designs and builds. If you have a launch date in mind, contact IGNITE. We can assess the scale, templates, content, functionality and approval process, then give you a timeline that fits the actual project.