How much of my time does a website project take as a client?
Monday morning, 09:07. Coffee in hand, your inbox is already filling up with support tickets, sales questions, and the usual stream of Slack pings. As you start crossing off your first to-dos, your marketing manager asks:
“Can we launch our new website before summer?”
A great goal. But in the back of your mind, the real question pops up:
How many extra hours will this project take on top of everything else I already do?
At Mars, we know that feeling all too well. Budget, tech and creativity all matter, but time is often your scarcest resource. That’s why we’re here to take as much off your plate as possible. Anything we can handle for you, we will. So you can stay focused on your day-to-day work. On top of that, there’s always a project manager by your side, keeping the process on track and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. The better we plan upfront, the less your daily flow gets disrupted.
- Here’s what to expect:
- What actually happens during a website project
- Which tasks may land on your desk
- How much time you’ll typically need to set aside
- Smart tips to fit those hours into a full schedule
The route at a glance
Every website goes through six clear phases. Think of it like a road trip: you know where the stops are and how much fuel (read: time) you need to bring yourself. No stress, you don’t have to memorize the map. Your project manager will guide you through each step like a trusted travel companion.
*Guideline for a B2B website of around 20 pages. If you leave the copy or content population to us, your time investment drops significantly.
1. Workshop & preparation: the foundation
Think of this as the architect session for your new home. The more we clarify here, the fewer rebuilds we’ll need later.
What you do
- Fill out a short intake document (1–2 hrs)
- Form a core team: one main contact + max. three sparring partners
- Join a workshop at our office (1.5–2 hrs)
How does this fit into your day-to-day?
Block half a day in one go, not just a slot between meetings. That way, you can dive back into your regular work with full focus once the session’s done.
2. Wireframes & design: from idea to pixels
Every two weeks, we’ll show you progress. Your input stays nice and focused:
- 1-hour review call
- 1 hour to gather feedback (bundle everything in one document or Loom video)
Time-hack
Schedule your feedback session right after the review call. Your thoughts are still fresh, and you won’t need to switch context later.
3. Writing content: start early, win later
Content is often the silent deadline killer. That’s why we kick it off as soon as the wireframes are ready. Once the wireframes are done, you know where and how long the new texts need to be. We estimate 1 to 2 hours per page. Also, don’t forget that your team will probably provide some feedback, which can double the time. Below you’ll find a realistic table that gives you an idea of the estimated time.
4. Development: wrapping up
Once the design is signed off, our team starts building your new website. This phase usually takes a few weeks, depending on complexity. While we’re working on the code, this is your moment to wrap up the content side of things. Use this time to finalise your texts, collect or select the right images for each page, and plan a quick team photoshoot if needed.
Your tasks
- Finalise your website texts
- Gather photos for each page
- Arrange new team photos (if needed)
- Answer ad-hoc questions (approx. 30 min per week)
- Take care of practical matters like hosting, DNS, and tracking setups
We’ll keep you updated on the progress and reach out whenever your input is needed, so you can stay focused on your own projects in the meantime.
5. Testing & content population: the intensive sprint
We launch your site in a protected staging environment. You fill in content and test key flows.
- If you handle content: block 2–3 weeks (several half days)
- If we handle content: you test, we import (saves up to 30+ hours)
Team tip
Host a joint ‘bug bash’. One afternoon with pizza often achieves more than a week of scattered click tests.
6. Go-live & support: the final stretch
In a live call (± 1 hr), we go through the launch checklist together. After that, you’re good to go:
- Make small copy changes yourself (after our CMS training)
- Send us bigger updates or new features — we’ll schedule a growth sprint
What if your schedule shifts?
Transparency speeds things up.
Is your content delayed? Just let us know. We’ll update the planning for you. If your workload doesn’t allow for certain tasks, we’ll adjust, reschedule milestones or take over parts of the work. No surprises in budget or scope.
5 quick tips to save time
- Block time before the project starts. Spare time doesn’t appear out of nowhere.
- Start on copy as soon as the wireframes are ready.
- Use our templates for copy and image formats.
- Centralize feedback via one contact person and one channel.
- Ask early. We’ve guided 100+ projects, put that experience to work.
Ready to take the first step?
Want to discuss your schedule or just want to now more how we work? Get in contact.
In half an hour, you’ll know exactly how much time this project will take.
