So you’re thinking about getting a new website. Or maybe you’re finally ready to ditch the one you’ve had since 2016. Either way, one of the most common questions we get at Say Web Design is: “What actually happens? How long does it take? What do I need to do?”<\/p>\n
The truth is, most agencies make the web design process sound more mysterious than it needs to be. So in this post, we’re pulling back the curtain \u2014 the timeline, the workflow, what we need from you, and the honest stuff nobody else will tell you.<\/p>\n
Before a single pixel gets designed, we need to understand what you’re actually trying to achieve.<\/p>\n
The very first thing we’ll ask is whether this is a brand new website or a redesign. It sounds simple, but it changes everything. A new site means we’re starting from scratch \u2014 do you have a domain name? Do you know what pages you need? A redesign means we have something to work with, but also something to potentially fix.<\/p>\n
From there, we’ll ask about your goals. What is this website actually for? A professional storefront that gives clients confidence? An ecommerce store that needs to drive sales? A lead generation tool to compete in your local market? Are there websites out there you already love the look of?<\/p>\n
The one question we always ask that really gets people thinking is this:<\/p>\n
\n“In four to eight weeks, when we deliver this website to you \u2014 what would make it a successful outcome? What would you be genuinely happy with?”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It sounds straightforward, but you’d be surprised how many people haven’t thought about it in those terms. That answer becomes our north star for the entire project.<\/p>\n
\nStep 2: The Discovery and Brief \u2014 Getting Under the Skin of Your Business<\/h2>\n
Once we know your goals, we go deeper. We’ll want to know:<\/p>\n
\n
- What pages do you need? (This is your sitemap.)<\/li>\n
- Who is providing the content \u2014 you, or us?<\/li>\n
- Do you have photography, or do we need to source images?<\/li>\n
- Are you selling products or services online? If so, have you set up a payment gateway like Stripe or PayPal yet? (More on why this matters later.)<\/li>\n
- Who in your business needs to sign off on the finished design?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That last point is one we take seriously now. We once worked with a marketing manager at a company who briefed us thoroughly, gave us great examples, and we designed and built a site they were really happy with. Then the CEO saw it and didn’t like it. We made tweaks and got there in the end \u2014 but the lesson was clear: get the decision-makers involved early. We now make a point of that at the outset.<\/p>\n
\nStep 3: The Design Phase \u2014 What You’ll Actually See<\/h2>\n
For larger or more complex projects, we’ll start with wireframes. These are simple, structural layouts \u2014 no colours, no fonts \u2014 just a blueprint of how each page will work. This is especially useful if there’s any custom functionality involved, because we want to agree on how something works before we worry about how it looks.<\/p>\n
For most sites, we move straight into design using Figma. We’ll typically share a couple of homepage design concepts \u2014 usually as a prototype link so you can see it as it would look in a browser.<\/p>\n
And here’s what we always say at this stage: “This is a first draft. Don’t worry if you don’t like it.”<\/p>\n
We mean that. Design is subjective, and the first version is a starting point, not a finished product. But if something isn’t right, we need specifics. What don’t you like about it? Are there sites you’ve seen recently that you do like? That kind of feedback is actionable. “I don’t know, I just don’t like it” \u2014 that’s harder to work with.<\/p>\n
Once the design is signed off, we move into the build.<\/p>\n
\nStep 4: The Build Phase \u2014 The Quiet Period<\/h2>\n
This is where things go a little quiet from your side \u2014 and that’s completely normal. It can feel like nothing is happening, but behind the scenes there’s a lot going on.<\/p>\n
Your developers are:<\/p>\n
\n
- Setting up your account on our server<\/li>\n
- Building out the front end of the site based on the approved designs<\/li>\n
- Building and configuring the admin area so it’s clean and consistent<\/li>\n
- Integrating any third-party tools or systems<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
During this phase, the main thing we need from you is content \u2014 your text, your images, your product descriptions. If we’ve agreed to handle that for you, we’ll be getting on with it ourselves. But if you’re providing it, this is the time to do it.<\/p>\n
The build phase is also where projects can slow down if content isn’t ready. It’s worth having it prepared before we reach this stage.<\/p>\n
\nHow Long Does the Whole Thing Take?<\/h2>\n
Honestly? We can get a website finished in around four weeks. But realistically, for most clients, six to eight weeks is more typical.<\/p>\n
The variable isn’t us \u2014 it’s turnaround time on your end. How quickly can you review designs? Who needs to sign things off, and how available are they? Is the content ready to go?<\/p>\n
At the start of every project, we ask one question that helps us manage this well: “How hard do you want us to push you?” If you have a launch deadline \u2014 an event, a product launch, a new financial year \u2014 we’ll be more proactive in chasing things through. If there’s no hard deadline, we’ll check in regularly but give you space to breathe around your own business priorities.<\/p>\n
The key thing is communication. If you’re going through a busy period and need to pause for a couple of weeks, just tell us. We can adjust our schedule around yours. What causes problems is silence \u2014 when we don’t know where things stand.<\/p>\n
\nStep 5: Launch \u2014 What Actually Happens When You Go Live<\/h2>\n
Launch day isn’t just flicking a switch. There’s a thorough QA checklist we work through before anything goes live. Here’s a flavour of what that involves:<\/p>\n
\n
- Meta titles and descriptions for every page (essential for SEO)<\/li>\n
- A full URL audit \u2014 if you’re redesigning an existing site, we redirect any old URLs so you don’t lose your search rankings<\/li>\n
- Social sharing images and a favicon<\/li>\n
- Removing the no-follow instruction from the robots.txt file so Google can index the site<\/li>\n
- Creating an XML sitemap and submitting it to Google Search Console<\/li>\n
- Installing an SSL certificate to make the site secure (the padlock in your browser)<\/li>\n
- Updating DNS records to point your domain to the new server<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Once the site is live, we test everything again. And for the thirty days following launch, we’re on hand for any bug fixing if anything isn’t working as expected.<\/p>\n
That post-launch window matters. Real-world usage always uncovers edge cases that testing doesn’t \u2014 it’s worth having someone in your corner during that period.<\/p>\n
\nThe Things That Catch People Out (That Nobody Warns You About)<\/h2>\n
After years of doing this, there are two things that trip people up more than anything else.<\/p>\n
\n
- \nNot owning your own domain.<\/strong><\/p>\n
If you’re moving from one agency to another, and your old agency registered the domain on your behalf, getting it transferred can cause real delays. Always make sure your domain is registered in your name, with access you control. It’s a small thing that can become a big headache.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \nNot setting up your payment gateway early enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n
For ecommerce sites, getting approved and set up with a provider like Stripe or PayPal can take longer than people expect. It’s not something we can rush. If you leave it too late, it can hold up your entire launch. Get this sorted early \u2014 ideally before the build phase starts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\nStill on the Fence?<\/h2>\n
If you’ve been putting off building or updating your website because it feels overwhelming, expensive, or just too much to think about \u2014 here’s the honest truth:<\/p>\n
Your competitors are online. When someone searches for what you do, if you’re not there, they’ll find someone else. A website isn’t just about getting new business \u2014 it’s about giving the clients you already have the confidence that you’re a serious, professional operation. People look you up. They want to see a website.<\/p>\n
If you’ve never been through this process before, that’s fine \u2014 that’s exactly what we’re here for. We’ll ask all the questions, we can write your content, source your images, and guide you through every step. And if budget is a concern, we offer payment plans that let you spread the cost.<\/p>\n
The process is more straightforward than you think. You just need to know what to expect \u2014 and now you do.<\/p>\n
Ready to talk? Get in touch with the Say Web Design team<\/a> and let’s start with that first question.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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