Small business · Websites
How long does it take to build a small business website?
The build is only part of the wait. After a site goes live, the domain has to point to it, Google has to find it, and your Business Profile may need verifying. Here is how long each step takes, from the companies that run them.
WritingBy Landon LittleNovember 10, 20265 min read
How long the build takes
| Route | Typical time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Website builder template | A few hours to a few weeks | Wix |
| Do it yourself, small business site | About 20 to 40 hours over a few weeks | Wix |
| Freelancer, agency or developer | Two to five months | Wix |
| Professional redesign, under 10 pages | 4 to 6 weeks | GoDaddy |
| Professional redesign, 10 to 50 pages | 8 to 12 weeks | GoDaddy |
| Nova Solutions | About seven days, from $600 setup | Our own timeline |
Clutch, a marketplace of agency reviews, says most web design projects reviewed there last seven months, but its projects skew larger than a typical small business site.
What slows a website down
- Content. Writing the pages and gathering photos is usually the slowest part, and it is easy to underestimate.
- Rounds of revisions on the design.
- Features like online booking, payments or a customer login.
- Waiting on access: the domain registrar login, the old host, or the Google Business Profile.
The waits after launch
| Step | How long | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Domain pointing to the new site (DNS) | Usually a few hours; up to 48 hours, occasionally up to 72 | GoDaddy, Squarespace |
| Google crawling the site | "Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks" | Google Search Central |
| Google Business Profile verification | Reviews take up to 5 business days; sometimes instant; postcard codes mostly arrive within 14 days | Google Business Profile Help |
| Seeing results from SEO changes | "A few hours" to "several months"; Google suggests waiting a few weeks to judge | Google Search Central |
You can help Google find a new site sooner by submitting a sitemap in Search Console and requesting indexing for the home page. For the local side, see Google Business Profile management cost.
Sources
Read November 10, 2026: Wix, how long does it take to build a website (updated October 20, 2026), GoDaddy, website redesign (October 6, 2026), Clutch, web designer pricing, GoDaddy, DNS propagation, Squarespace, domain updates, Google Search Central, ask Google to recrawl and SEO starter guide, and Google Business Profile Help, verification.
Questions this post answers
- How long does it take to build a small business website?
- Wix says a template site can take a few hours to a few weeks, a do-it-yourself small business site about 20 to 40 hours spread over a few weeks, and a freelancer or agency two to five months. Nova Solutions sites go live in about seven days.
- How long does it take for a new website to show up on Google?
- Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing in Search Console helps Google find the site.
- How long does DNS propagation take?
- Usually a few hours. GoDaddy says it can take up to 48 hours, and Squarespace says it normally takes 24 to 48 hours and occasionally up to 72.
- How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
- Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days, sometimes longer, and some profiles are verified instantly. Postcard codes mostly arrive within 14 days and expire after 30.
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