Website Development Stages and Real Timelines: From Brief to Launch

"How long does it take to build a website?" is the second question clients ask, right after "how much does it cost?" The answer "anywhere from a week to six months" is true but not very helpful. So in this article we walk through the website development stages in order: what happens at each step, how long it takes, what we need from the client along the way, and why projects most often run late.

We are Studio Nomad, a web studio based in Almaty, and our portfolio includes more than 70 projects, from landing pages to portals and CRM systems. The timelines below come from our own practice. They aren't a "ready in three days" promise but reference points to help you plan your launch and check whether any proposal you receive is realistic.

In short: how long it takes to build a website

The timeline depends mainly on the type of website and the number of features. Here are reference points based on our projects:

Project type	Development time	What affects the timeline most
Landing page	7–14 working days from approval of the specification	Ready copy, number of sections, quizzes and calculators
Brochure website	20–30 working days	Number of pages, availability of photos and copy
Corporate website	30–45 days for a standard scope	Number of sections, language versions, client accounts, integrations
Online store	40–80 working days	Catalog size, online payment, 1C data exchange, delivery
Portal, marketplace, web service	40–120 working days, usually in phases	User roles, modules, payments, external APIs

A few examples from our portfolio: we built the Grand Family banquet hall website in 20 working days, the BCC Invest corporate website in 50, the Ak Zhol Pharm online pharmacy in 70, and the Kazteleport corporate portal in 120 working days. We give the exact timeline after the technical specification and fix it in the contract, stage by stage.

Why are the ranges so wide? Projects of the same type vary a lot in scope. A ten-page corporate website with ready copy and a site with a catalog, client accounts and three language versions technically fall into the same category, but the workload differs several times over. So compare the scope of work, not the labels.

Website development stages, step by step

Studios name the stages differently, but the logic is the same everywhere: first we agree on what we're building, then we plan, design, develop, test and launch. Here is how it works at our studio.

1. Brief and first meeting

We meet at our office in Almaty or online. We discuss your business, audience, the website's goals, competitors and examples you like. At this step it's important to name your budget and target launch date, because they determine how much can realistically go into the first version. The brief usually takes one meeting plus a couple of days of follow-up questions.

2. Proposal and contract

Based on the brief, we prepare a proposal: scope of work, cost, timeline and payment schedule. Once it's approved, we sign the contract. From that point on, the project has a schedule, and both sides know what should be ready and when.

3. Technical specification and structure

We describe every page and feature: which sections the site will have, which forms, filters and language versions, and which integrations with CRM, 1C or payment systems are needed. The specification is the project's key document, since the work is later accepted against it, so this stage is worth the time. For a corporate website it usually takes a few days; for a store or portal, longer.

4. Wireframes

We sketch the key pages without visual styling: where the menu goes, which blocks appear on the home page, how a user gets to an inquiry form or checkout. A wireframe is cheaper to fix than a finished design, so this is where we test the site's logic.

5. Design

We create layouts of the home page and inner pages in your brand style, in two versions from the start: desktop and mobile. We present them, collect feedback and finalize. One or two rounds of revisions are usually enough if you showed us examples you like and dislike during the brief.

6. Front-end and back-end development

The longest stage. We build the approved design, program the content management system, forms and user accounts, and connect integrations and language versions. We write our own code without templates and show progress on a test server as parts are ready, so you can see how the work is moving.

7. Content

We upload copy, photos, documents and products. For an online store, this often means importing the catalog from 1C or Excel. At the same time, we fill in meta tags and other SEO settings for each page.

8. Testing

We check forms, payments, loading speed, and how the site looks on different devices and browsers. For stores we run test orders and payments; for sites with integrations we check data exchange in real scenarios.

9. Launch and training

We move the site to the production server, connect the domain and analytics, and set up redirects from the old site so you don't lose search rankings. We hand over all access credentials and show your team how to work in the admin panel.

10. Warranty and maintenance

Launch isn't the end of the project. In the first weeks we monitor errors and indexing, and after that the site stays under warranty: our clients get 24 months of free technical maintenance.

Brief vs. technical specification: what's the difference

These two documents are often confused, but they serve different purposes.

A brief is a questionnaire about your business and your goals. The client fills it out, with help from the studio's manager if needed. A good brief covers:

• what the company does and who its customers are;
• why you need the website: leads, sales, brand image, hiring;
• what action a visitor should take;
• examples of websites you like and dislike, and why;
• required sections and features;
• budget and target launch date.

A technical specification is prepared by the developer based on the brief. It's a working document: the list of pages and their content, a description of each feature, user scenarios, integrations, and requirements for language versions, speed and SEO. The specification is attached to the contract and protects both sides: you know exactly what you'll get, and the studio knows exactly what it has to build.

If a developer is ready to start coding without a specification, that's a risk. Without a defined scope, it's hard to accept the work and almost impossible to prove that a feature is "missing."

What you need to build a website: what the client should prepare

The most common cause of delays isn't development but waiting for materials. To keep the project on schedule, prepare in advance:

• a domain, ideally registered to your company, and access to it;
• logo and brand identity: colors, fonts, a brand book if you have one;
• copy about the company, services and products, or at least key points to write it from;
• photos of your team, office, products or projects;
• a price list and list of services or products; for a store, an export from 1C or an Excel spreadsheet;
• access to the old website, hosting, Google Search Console, Yandex Webmaster and analytics;
• a contact person who answers questions and approves each stage.

If something is missing, that's fine. Copy can be ordered along with the website, photos can be shot separately, and the brief helps gather whatever else is needed. What matters is agreeing on the list of materials and their delivery dates at the start.

Why deadlines slip and how to avoid it

In our experience, projects get delayed for the same few reasons:

• Materials arrive late. The site is ready, but the copy and photos are still being approved inside the company.
• Long approvals. Five people review the layout, and each one adds their own edits.
• Requirements change. New sections and features appear mid-project, after the design has been approved.
• External systems. Integrations with a bank, 1C or a delivery service depend on third-party access and documentation.

What helps you stay on schedule:

• appoint one person who makes decisions;
• approve results stage by stage rather than all at the end;
• put new ideas on a list for phase two instead of adding them to the current stage;
• request access to external systems in the very first week;
• launch in phases: for example, an online store can open with a catalog and inquiry form, and online payment and customer accounts can follow in the next phase.

Rushing, on the other hand, usually costs more: to compress the timeline, the team has to run several stages in parallel. We cover how timeline and budget are connected in our article "How Much Does a Website Cost in Kazakhstan".

How to order a website the right way: a checklist

1. Define the website's goal and the main action you want visitors to take: a call, an inquiry, a purchase.
2. Collect examples of websites you like and note what exactly you like about them.
3. Set a budget and the date by which the site needs to go live.
4. Request a proposal that lists the stages and the timeline for each one.
5. Make sure the technical specification is part of the work and attached to the contract.
6. Clarify what's included in the price: design, mobile version, content, SEO setup, training.
7. Make sure the domain, access credentials and rights to the website stay with you.
8. Ask about the warranty and support after launch.

If your budget doesn't allow paying for everything at once, you can split the cost: we offer installments of up to 12 months with no banks and no extra fees.

Frequently asked questions about development timelines

Can a website be built in a week?

A landing page, almost: with ready copy and quick approvals, we deliver in 7–14 working days. A corporate website or online store can only be put together in a week using a ready-made template or a website builder. That's acceptable for a temporary page, but custom design, integrations and proper testing don't fit into such a timeframe.

When does the clock start?

On the date set in the contract, usually after signing, the prepayment and approval of the specification. If materials or answers from the client are delayed, the deadline shifts by the same amount of time. It's worth seeing this clause in the contract up front rather than discovering it at the end of the project.

How much of our time will the project take?

Your involvement matters most at three points: at the start (brief and access), when approving wireframes and design, and before launch, when you accept the work. The rest of the time, it's enough to answer the manager's questions and deliver materials on time.

What if we need the website by a specific date?

Tell us during the brief. If the launch is tied to an opening, an event or the start of an ad campaign, we plan backward from that date. If the full scope doesn't fit, we launch a first phase with the key pages by that date and add the rest in the next phase.

How long does a redesign take?

About as long as a new website of the same type, plus time to move content from the old site and set up redirects so you keep your search rankings. The exact timeline depends on whether we keep the structure or rebuild it completely; we give it after reviewing your current site and fix it in the contract.

Summary

Building a website isn't one big step but a sequence: brief, contract, specification, wireframes, design, development, content, testing and launch. A landing page goes through it in 7–14 working days, a standard corporate website in 30–45 days, and a store or portal in several months. Timelines depend less on the developers than on how ready your materials are and how quickly approvals happen.

At Studio Nomad, stages and timelines are fixed in the contract, and you see and approve the result of every stage. We have an in-house team for design, development and SEO, write our own code without templates, work from an office in Almaty, and provide a warranty with 24 months of free maintenance. Learn more about our process on the website development in Almaty page. To find out the timeline and cost of your project, submit a request on the Order a Website page, and we'll get back to you with a work plan.