Is Building A Website In One Day The Best Choice For You?

Oct 13

Let me tell you a secret… when a web designer tells you your website will take 6+ weeks to design, build and launch, it’s because you’re not their only client. They are likely juggling multiple websites, projects and clients simultaneously.

Now, this is no shade to designers that work in this way! It’s the most common way for web designers to work and allows time for clients to review and give feedback without feeling rushed (which is particularly useful if there is more than one decision-maker). But, the downside of this way of working is that it’s easy to lose momentum on a project with the constant ‘stop/start’ and prioritise projects that may be moving at a faster pace or dare I say, feel more enjoyable to the designer. This can lead to missed content or feedback deadlines and therefore a delay in launching.

When working in a VIP day setting you work with your designer exclusively for that day so you are able to talk through questions immediately, see design adjustments in real time and have your website come to life at a much faster pace. There won’t be time to see alternative layouts and feedback is needed pretty much then and there, but the sticking point I often see with clients is needing something to get going in the first place - your website will always change and grow with your business, so no matter how much money you spend on your website, or how long it takes to design and build, the end result will never be the final product. It’s a live, dynamic part of your business after all!

The size of your website, or the number of pages will be a big factor in how long your website takes to build. From my experience building 70+ websites in one day, 5-7 pages is an achievable amount in one day which is perfect for a small or start-up business. If you are a more established business, have an online store, or require longer sales pages multiple days may be required, or you could look at working with a web designer that offers ‘semi-intensive’ one or two-week turnaround times.

There is no denying that complex customisations take time (there are fab tools like Squarekicker to help speed up the process though!) and if you’re looking for a super bespoke, animated website a custom build may be the best option for you. If not it’s worth talking through ‘need to have’ and ‘nice to have’ ideas with your designer. Most designers (myself included) have their own code bank that they dip into to make customisations quicker. For most of my Website in One Day projects, I preload my most frequently used code snippets into the initial website template before our design day, ensuring everything is set and ready to go! This approach allows each website to showcase unique features rather than sticking to the typical Squarespace template style.

Choosing between a one-day website build and a longer custom project really depends on your current business and website goals. If you're not in a rush to get online, expect to have more than 10 pages, want to explore different layout options, need time for reviews and feedback, and require specific customizations, then a longer project would be a better fit for you. On the other hand, if you're eager to launch quickly (even just to overcome procrastination), need only 1-7 pages, can make decisions swiftly (or already have a clear vision of what you want), and prefer a more personal, one-on-one collaboration, then a VIP day, or what I like to call a Website in One Day, might be just the right choice for you.