Typical timelines by type
| Type | Realistic timeline | Assuming |
|---|---|---|
| Business website (5–10 pages) | 3–5 weeks | Content and feedback within a few days at each step |
| Online store (up to ~50 products) | 6–10 weeks | Product details and photos ready or gathered in parallel |
| Large content site (30+ pages) | 8–12 weeks | Subject-matter input available; e.g. a clinic’s procedures |
| Custom build / web app | 2–4 months | A discovery phase first, a written scope, no mid-build surprises |
| DIY builder | A weekend to forever | Depends entirely on you |
Where the time goes
- Brief and preview (week 1). Understanding your business, your customer, your competitors. At MOGGED this ends with a free homepage concept within five working days.
- Content (weeks 1–2). Words and photos. This runs in parallel with design and is the stage that most often stalls.
- Design (weeks 2–3). Every page, on a live link you can open on a phone. Feedback, revisions, approval.
- Build and test (weeks 3–4). Forms, tracking, speed, real devices, accessibility.
- Launch (week 4–5). Domain moved, site submitted to Google, training, first-weeks support.
Why projects run late
Almost never the design or the code. Websites run late because:
- Content isn’t ready. The agency assumed you’d write it; you assumed they would. Weeks pass. Ask up front who writes what. We write it, which removes the biggest delay.
- Feedback trickles. Five people review it on five different days. Nominate one decision-maker and a 48-hour feedback window.
- Photos don’t exist. Start shooting on your phone the day you sign. We’ll tell you what to capture.
- Scope grows. “While you’re in there, could we add…” Yes, and it moves the date. Write the scope down and put extras in phase two.
- Access is missing. Domain logins, hosting, Google accounts. Gather them in week one.
The 48-hour website
You’ll see NZ offers of a website “live in 48 hours” or “in one week”. Some are honest about what that is: a template with your details dropped in, often with AI-generated copy nobody has read. As a placeholder, fine. As the thing that’s meant to win you work against a competitor with a real site, it isn’t. The average business website is replaced after about two years and four months, and templated sites are why.
The test is simple: ask to see three sites they built, side by side. If they look like the same site with different logos, you’ve found the shortcut.
How AI changes the timeline
Honestly, a lot in the right places. Research, first drafts, testing, code checks and layout options that used to take days now take hours. That’s why we can show a real homepage concept in five working days and launch most business sites within a month, at prices under the NZ agency average.
What it doesn’t compress is judgement: understanding your business, deciding what to say, choosing the design that fits a family law firm rather than a pizza shop, and reading every word before it ships. We keep those slow on purpose. Here’s exactly how we split the work.