Quick answer: Yes, you can still get a new website before Christmas. I build in WordPress, and it’s doable as long as we agree the scope, content, approvals and schedule early. I’ll tell you straight whether your project fits.

• A simple service-business site is very doable before Christmas. Big shops or sites with lots of integrations usually take longer.
• Late content, slow feedback and features added halfway through are the usual reasons a launch date slips.
• You can launch the essentials first and add a blog or resource library in the new year.
• Current BNI members get 20% off the website build price.

Your website has been on the to-do list all year. You know the one I mean. It still lists a service you stopped offering in 2023, or it looks fine on your computer but falls apart on a phone, or it just sits there and never rings the phone or fills the inbox. And now it’s November, Christmas is coming, and you’re wondering whether it’s too late to get a new website before Christmas this year.

For a lot of projects, it isn’t too late. A new WordPress website before Christmas is doable when the scope, the content, the approvals and the schedule get agreed early. So the first step is a chat about what your business actually needs. You can start that through my WordPress website creation page, and I’ll give you a straight answer on whether a pre-Christmas launch is realistic for your project.

Why does the way it’s built matter more than the paint job?

I’ve been building websites for more than 30 years, and programming for longer than that (since 1981, if you’re counting). In that time I’ve learnt that a good-looking website the right people can’t find does very little for a business. So I focus on building sites that perform well in search and work hard for the business behind them.

Here’s the practical chain I build around. First, the right people need to find your website when they search for what you do. Once they land, they need clear information about your services, where you work, and whether you’re the right fit for them. They turn up with questions, so your pages should answer the ones people ask before they pick up the phone. The site needs to make your business look credible and easy to deal with. And every page should quietly nudge visitors towards an enquiry, a booking or a purchase.

This matters because people don’t hang around. Research shows 42% of consumers will look elsewhere when they can’t find a website for a business. So if your site is missing, dated or confusing, some of those people are quietly heading to your competitors instead.

The foundations under all this are a bit boring, and essential: a sensible site structure, useful content, clear headings, internal links that help people (and search engines) get around, a layout that works properly on a phone, fast loading, and a sound technical setup behind the scenes. More than half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices, and 47% of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less, according to website research. Because of that, a slow or clumsy site loses visitors before they’ve read a word.

One honest note. I can build and launch a website before Christmas. Its search performance takes longer, because search engines need time to find and assess a new site. I set the foundations up right from day one so it starts on solid ground. But I can’t promise instant rankings, and I won’t pretend otherwise.

The short version: A website earns its keep when the right people can find it, understand it and act on it. The site can be live by Christmas, but search results build up over time.

What decides whether you can get a new website before Christmas?

It comes down to seven practical things. None of them are scary. They just need agreeing early.

1. Size and complexity

A straightforward service-business website is a very different job from a large online shop, a membership site, a directory, or a site with custom features and several integrations. Page count alone doesn’t decide complexity. A five-page site with a complicated booking system can take longer than a fifteen-page site of well-organised service pages.

2. Design requirements

I build clean, professional, practical websites, and for a lot of businesses that’s exactly what’s needed. If you want something more bespoke visually, a specialist designer can come on board, including designers I work with regularly. That’s a good path for the right project. It does add another person’s availability, design work and approvals to the schedule, so we need to build it into the timeline from the start.

3. Who writes the words

You can supply your own copy, or I can help you develop it. Either way, writing the content belongs in the scope and the timetable. Even when I draft the wording, you still need to give me accurate business information and approve the final copy. Words left until last are the single most common reason a launch date drifts.

4. Who provides the images

Existing photos, new photography and stock images all have different lead times. You don’t need everything ready before you contact me. We just need to agree who’s responsible for what, and by when.

5. Feedback and approvals

Prompt feedback, gathered in one place, keeps a project moving. One nominated decision-maker avoids the delays that come from three people giving conflicting instructions on the same page. (Yes, this happens. Aunty Christine has refereed a few of those conversations over the years.)

6. Access and third-party services

Domain access, hosting details, logins for any existing website, and what you need for bookings, payments or other integrations all need sorting out early. Outside providers work to their own timetables, and that can affect yours.

7. Scope and availability

Extra features added partway through a build will change the launch date. I confirm Christmas delivery for each project on its own, based on the agreed scope and how busy I actually am when you get in touch. That way the date I give you is one I can keep.

Where it usually comes unstuck: Words and feedback, mostly. Sort those two early and the rest tends to fall into place.

What if you haven’t written your content yet?

Get in touch anyway. A blank page shouldn’t stop you. We can go through what your site needs to say and how much help you want with words and images. Some clients write everything themselves. Others want a hand shaping their ideas into clear pages.

Your quote spells out who does what, what’s included and what it costs, so you know exactly what’s covered and what sits with you. Nothing gets sprung on you later.

Good to know: You don’t need your copy written before we talk. We’ll agree who’s doing what and it goes in the quote.

How do you plan a launch that actually hits the date?

The smart way to hit a Christmas deadline is to agree what the site really needs on launch day and what can wait. A service business might go live with its essential service pages, an about page and a clear contact process, then build out a blog or resource library in the new year.

The essentials still get finished properly, though. I won’t launch a shop that can’t reliably take orders, and I don’t skip testing to make a date. The idea is to launch a complete, working core and grow it from there.

Going live before Christmas gives you an up-to-date site to share over the holidays, when plenty of people are planning their new year. It also gives you a solid starting point for whatever you want to do in 2027.

The plan in a nutshell: Launch a working core before Christmas, with testing done properly, then add the extras in the new year.

How much does a new website cost, and is there a BNI discount?

You’ll find current prices on my website pricing and plans page. If you want a feel for the kind of work I do, have a look at examples in my portfolio.

Current BNI members receive a 20% discount on the website build price. Mention your membership when you enquire and I’ll apply it to your quote.

Money matters: Prices are on the pricing page, and BNI members just need to mention their membership to get the discount.

How do you get started?

Get in touch through my WordPress website creation page and we’ll talk it through. Bring a link to your current website if you have one, a rough idea of what you need, and the date you’d like to launch. A rough idea is plenty to start with, so please don’t spend your weekend writing a polished brief.

With the right scope and a clear plan, a new website before Christmas is very doable. So this year, that item can finally come off the to-do list, and your website can start earning its keep.

Frequently asked questions

Is it too late to get a new website before Christmas?

For a lot of projects, no. It depends on the size of the job, how quickly content and feedback come through, and my availability when you get in touch.

How long does a simple website take compared with an online shop?

A straightforward service-business site is a much smaller job than a large online shop, membership site or directory. Page count alone doesn’t decide it, because one complicated booking system can take longer than ten extra service pages.

Do I need to have my content written before I contact you?

No. You can write it yourself or I can help you develop it. You’ll still need to supply accurate business information and approve the final copy.

Can I use my own designer?

Yes. A specialist designer can be involved, including designers I work with regularly. It adds their availability and approvals to the schedule, so we plan for it from the start.

Will my new website rank on Google straight away?

No. I set up the foundations properly from day one, but search engines need time to find and assess a new site, so rankings develop over time.

What if I want to add more features later?

That’s fine. Launch the essentials first, then add things like a blog or resource library in the new year. Adding features partway through the build is what pushes the date out.

Is there a discount for BNI members?

Yes. Current BNI members get 20% off the website build price. Mention your membership when you enquire.

What should I bring to the first conversation?

A link to your current website if you have one, a rough idea of what you need, and the date you’d like to launch.

The main points

• A new WordPress website before Christmas is doable when scope, content, approvals and schedule are agreed early.
• A website needs to be found, answer people’s questions and lead them to get in touch. Looking nice is only part of it.
• Late words and scattered feedback are the most common reasons a launch date drifts.
• Launching a working core first, then adding to it in the new year, is the sensible way to hit the date.
• Search rankings build over time, even when the site goes live on schedule.
• BNI members get 20% off the build price.