Hiring someone to build your website can feel like handing over your keys and hoping for the best. You know the result you want. You don’t know what happens between “yes, let’s do it” and launch day.
This post removes the mystery. It’s exactly how my website projects run, from the first invoice to the months after launch, week by week. It covers what I do, what you do and what you approve at each step.
A typical project takes 6–8 weeks and moves through three stages: copywriting, design and development. You approve each stage before the next one starts.
Key Takeaways
- A typical project takes 6–8 weeks in three stages: copywriting, design and development.
- Copy comes first. The words decide the design, not the other way around.
- You approve the brand guide and layouts first, then the full design, before anything is built in WordPress.
- Each stage includes up to 3 rounds of revisions. Nothing moves on without your approval.
- Everything lives in one shared Notion page, so files, tasks and feedback stay in one place.
The Process at a Glance
| Stage | When | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | First days | Invoice, shared Notion page, questionnaire, strategy (1–2 days) | Fill in the questionnaire |
| 1. Copywriting | About 1 week | Homepage copy first, then the other pages | Review, request changes, approve |
| 2. Design | About 2 weeks | Brand guide, layouts, then the full design | Approve each step |
| 3. Development | About 2 weeks | Build in WordPress and Elementor, test and speed | Final review |
| SEO, launch and handover | 2–4 days | SEO, going live, Google Analytics and Search Console, training | Celebrate |
| After launch | Ongoing | Small fixes, training, optional maintenance | Use your new website |
The work itself adds up to about six weeks. With time for your feedback, a typical site of 5–7 pages takes 6–8 weeks in total. We agree on the exact schedule before we begin.
Getting Started: The First Few Days
Everything starts with a short call. We talk about your business, what the website needs to do and what you have already. After the call, you get a fixed quote.
Once we have a deal, three things happen:
- The first invoice. Projects are paid in two parts: 50% to start and 50% after the project is closed.
- Your client portal. I invite you to a shared Notion page. It’s where the project lives: the plan, the tasks, the files and your feedback. You never have to dig through old emails to find the latest version.
- The questionnaire. In the first couple of days, you fill in my questionnaire. It asks about your business, your clients, your services and what makes you different.
The questionnaire is the most important thing you’ll do in the whole project. The better your answers, the better the copy.
With your answers in hand, I spend 1–2 days on strategy: your goals, your audience and the structure of the site.
For everything else, we use whatever suits you: email, Google Meet, phone or Messenger.
Stage 1: Copywriting (About 1 Week)
I write the words before anything is designed. That’s the heart of how I work.
What happens:
- I turn your questionnaire answers into the first draft of your homepage copy.
- You review it in the Notion page and tell me what’s right and what’s not.
- Once the homepage says the right things, the other pages follow the same direction.
Why copy comes first: the words decide whether visitors understand what you do and get in touch. When the design comes first, the real copy never fits the layout. Headlines get cut, services get squeezed and half the design is redone. Writing first means the design is built around your actual message.
What you approve: the final copy for every page, with up to 3 rounds of revisions.
Stage 2: Design (About 2 Weeks)
The design happens in three steps. Each one is a smaller decision, so nothing big has to be redone later.
What happens:
- The brand guide. We agree on the visual direction: colors, fonts and the overall style. If you already have brand guidelines, we start from those.
- The layouts. We agree on the structure of your pages: what goes where and in what order.
- The full design. Once you approve both, I design the pages with your real copy and show them to you.
Only after you approve the design do I build the site in WordPress and Elementor. That way, the build starts from a design you’ve already said yes to.
What you approve: the brand guide and layouts first, then the full design, with up to 3 rounds of revisions.
Stage 3: Development (About 2 Weeks)
Development turns the approved design into a complete, working website in WordPress and Elementor.
What happens:
- All pages built in WordPress and Elementor, so you can edit them yourself later.
- Features set up: contact forms, bookings, payments or languages, if your project includes them.
- Mobile and tablet versions checked on real screen sizes.
- Speed optimization, so pages load quickly.
- Testing: every form, link and page, on different devices.
For a brand-new website, I build it directly as your new site. When I’m redesigning a live site, I work on a separate staging copy. Your current site keeps running until the new one is ready.
What you approve: the finished website, with up to 3 rounds of revisions.
SEO, Launch and Handover (2–4 Days)
The last few days prepare the site for Google and for you. Launch is where many owners feel lost, so I help with everything:
- Search engine optimization (1–2 days): page titles, meta descriptions, headings and the HTML details search engines read.
- Going live on your domain and hosting.
- Final checks of every page, form and link on the live site.
- Google Analytics set up, so you can see who visits.
- Google Search Console set up, so you can see how Google finds your site.
The second 50% is due once the project is closed.
After Launch
A website isn’t finished on launch day. Here’s what happens next:
- Small fixes are on me. If we missed something during development, I fix it after launch at no extra cost.
- Training. I show you how to update your text, images and pages in Elementor (1–2 days of handover, if you need it).
- Maintenance, if you want it. You can look after the site yourself or choose my maintenance plan for €50 a month, with no contract. Here’s what WordPress maintenance includes.
What Keeps a Project on Schedule
Most delays have nothing to do with the build. They come from waiting. These four things keep a project moving:
- Answer the questionnaire early and in detail. It feeds everything that follows.
- Have one decision-maker. Feedback from several people at once pulls the project in different directions.
- Send your content early. Logo files, photos and testimonials often arrive last and hold everything up.
- Keep feedback in one place. The shared Notion page exists so nothing gets lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a website project take?
A typical service-business website of 5–7 pages takes 6–8 weeks. Bigger sites or extra features take longer. We agree on the schedule before we begin.
What do I need to prepare?
Not much. You’ll fill in a questionnaire about your business in the first few days. Your logo, brand files, photos and testimonials help if you have them. You don’t need a finished brief.
How many revisions do I get?
Up to 3 rounds of revisions in each stage: copy, design and development. Nothing moves to the next stage until you approve it.
Will I see the design before the website is built?
Yes. You approve the brand guide and layouts first, then the full design of your pages. Only after that do I build the site in WordPress and Elementor.
Do you help with launch?
Yes. I handle going live, the final checks and the setup of Google Analytics and Search Console. Small fixes after launch are included.
Your Next Step
If this sounds like the kind of project you’d like to run, tell me about your business and what you want your website to do. I’ll reply within 1 business day.
Tamas Pocs is a freelance web designer and WordPress developer based in Hungary. For 5+ years he has written, designed and built websites for service businesses (more than 50 so far) and looked after them once they’re live. See his work or connect on LinkedIn.
