How to build a website in a week
Many web designers, especially those who offer custom designed sites, ask me how it’s possible to create a website in just one week.
You might be attracted to and see the benefits of the one week website model – benefits such as not having to juggle multiple clients at one time, saying good-bye to project blow-outs and being able to have a better work/life balance – but knowing how to make this your reality can seem tricky – especially when you’ve been doing custom builds.
The good news though, is that as someone who has built a profitable and sustainable business with one week websites as my signature offering (I’ve built close to 70 in just three years) I have loads to share on this topic.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the key components that make it possible to create a high-quality site in just one week.
01. Set clear boundaries
Website projects can tend to ‘blow out’ if a clear scope is not outlined from the beginning.
The one week website model avoids this by outlining clear inclusions and deliverables, and setting boundaries around things like customisations and reviews.
As a designer, this structure is supportive for your time and energy (and sanity!) and it means that your projects unfold predictably and to plan – creating a sense of calm in your business.
Client’s also find a lot of calm and safety in having guidelines and a set process to work within. Website builds can feel overwhelming for our clients, so having clear steps in place is a helpful way to get a great outcome and positive customer experience.
How I do it:
After each sales call, I send a detailed proposal document to my client which outlines everything we discussed on our call, along with a clear and transparent outline of what is included in a one week website package. This ensures we are both on the same page when we begin our collaboration together.
02. Fix your pricing
One thing I used to dread when I designed custom websites, was quoting. And don’t get me started on the crickets I’d hear after pouring hours of time into them.
One of the great gifts of the one week website model is that there is zero need to quote because your pricing is fixed.
This saves you a great deal of time and your client’s love it too because they know what the investment is up front.
What happens if your client asks for customisations or you want to allow space for custom requests? An effective way to do this is by offering fixed price Design Days and fixed priced Add Ons – such as search engine optimisation, branding, e-commerce, scheduling or extra pages.
03. Get high quality inputs from your client
My experience has shown me that when clients have high quality branding, photos and written words, it’s easier to create a beautiful site for them quickly, plus they get better results and see a much longer return on their website investment.
In fact, these days this isn’t just an ideal in my business, it’s a non-negotiable.
Have you ever paid attention to how much longer it can take to design a beautiful site for someone whose branding is lacking, photographs fall short and copy is poorly written?
It can be difficult to get a good result.
High quality assets make your projects more enjoyable and ease-filled (and they often leave you with a project you feel proud to add to your portfolio).
They also result in the client having an online home they feel excited to share and offer you raving reviews about.
How I do it:
All my clients receive a ‘Welcome Guide’ and ‘Website Starter Kit’ which include copy planners, checklists, questionnaires, resources and helpful tips giving my clients a structured format to follow to write their copy, have a successful photoshoot and get their branding assets in order.
Not only is this supportive for the client, it eliminates the ‘back and forth’ that often happens when information and content are missing and when elements aren’t up to scratch.
04. Do a Home Page Mockup before build week
Having your client sign off on a home page mockup prior to the scheduled build week has the potential to save so much time.
It’s much easier to change up colours, fonts and images in a mockup, as opposed to reworking them in a live site. Am I right?
With no time sucking surprises and your sole attention on building, home page mockups add a great amount of calm and predictability to your build weeks and they result in the client feeling confident and at ease.
This step also means that, come review day, there’s often very few change requests, because your client has been involved in the process along the way.
Curious to see how I navigate the mockup feedback process to ensure that the scope stays fixed and no boundaries are flexed?
My Email Scripts template is complete with all the emails I send to my clients during a one week website project.
These scripts offer a clear and structured way to collect feedback from clients in the mockup phase to ensure that the feedback is constructive and stays within scope. It also gives your client a clear understanding of what to look for during the review process, helping to offer direction, relieve overwhelm and support them to communicate effectively. You can get a copy of my email scripts at this link here.
05. Build from a base design or template
Creating a website in a week from scratch might be possible… but instead, I suggest creating a base design, or starting with a pre-made template or pre-made section templates that you can piece together.
Base designs and templates make the process much quicker while still allowing for a huge amount of personalisation based on the client’s requirements, business and branding.
Clients also love the idea of base designs because they can see what they’re going to get before they invest! This provides a great deal of safety during a time that can feel quite stressful for a business owner.
I’ve created my own base designs over time (tailoring them to the industries and clients I feel most passionate about working with!). Check them out over this way.
If you’re ready to create your own templated base designs, I highly recommend The Standout Squarespace Course (that’s an affiliate link btw!)– this is where you can learn the smart coding techniques I use in my one-week website base designs that make them easy and fast to duplicate (hello swift turnaround times!), and simple for my clients to maintain and edit after handover. Plus there’s a whole bonus course on template creation, too!
06. Offer a review period, not review rounds
Review / edit rounds can easily blow out and be hard to put boundaries around – which is why I don’t offer them.
Instead, we do a review period (that’s simply, a two-hour window on a set day) that involves both my client and I being online at the same time, and me making changes to the site as the client sends their requests through.
While two hours may not sound like a lot, I’ve found this is more than sufficient, because the client is already in love with and has approved the home page mockup.
Clients tell me they love having my undivided attention, and seeing changes happen in real time, during the review period. No waiting and back and forward – edits literally unfold before their eyes.
How I do it:
Much like the collection of client feedback for the home page mockup, setting clear boundaries and expectations for the review period is essential. My email scripts template is complete with the emails I send in preparation for and on review days. These scripts offer a clear and structured way to collect feedback during the review phase to ensure that the project stays within scope, to the scheduled timeline and doesn't blow out with customisations.
Explore my email scripts here.
07. Handover in a way that makes your client feel confident
One time-sucker many web designers face is past clients returning with loads of questions about their website.
To alleviate this, I offer an in-depth handover pack complete with video recordings, to help my clients feel excited about and confident to manage their site independently.
I also provide one month of email support should they need me.
However, because my handover process is so thorough and clear, I often find that my clients don’t need a lot of support – a win-win for both of us!
You can grab an exact copy of my website handover template and start using it in your business. Find out more here.
One week websites have completely revolutionised my clients’ satisfaction, my income, how I feel in my business, and my health, happiness and lifestyle…
All this to say, if you are ready to bring more calm into your business, get great results for your clients, generate a sustainable income and have more time for you – one week websites might just be the perfect addition to your business.
I'm so passionate about this one week website model that I've put everything I’ve learnt into a step-by-step delivery system and document template bundle.
Learn the steps I follow and get access to the exact, professionally designed templates I use over this way.