Guide · Web Design
Commissioning a website: what happens, step by step
We have gathered in one place how a corporate website project runs, what determines the timeline and the cost, what you will be asked to provide and the questions to ask when collecting quotes. The same steps apply whether your business is in Çorlu or anywhere else in Türkiye.
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In short
A corporate website project usually goes through six steps: a needs meeting, scope and proposal, content and sitemap, design, development and testing, and launch. A standard corporate site usually goes live within a few weeks if the copy and images are ready; content delays are what stretch the schedule most. The cost is driven by the number of pages, custom design, multiple languages, e-commerce and integrations.
Process
Which steps does a website project go through?
1. Needs meeting
Who the site is for, what you want visitors to do (call, request a quote, buy), your competitors and the state of any existing site are discussed.
2. Scope and proposal
The page list, languages and special features (e-commerce, admin panel, integrations) are written down; price and schedule follow from this written scope.
3. Content and sitemap
What each page will say and the menu structure are decided; copy, photos and references start being collected at this stage.
4. Design
The home page and sample inner pages are designed around your brand and presented for approval; the mobile view is handled at the same stage.
5. Development and testing
The approved design is built and content is entered; forms, speed, mobile behaviour and different browsers are tested.
6. Launch
The domain is pointed to the site; SSL, Search Console and analytics are set up. If there is an old site, its addresses are redirected to the new pages so Google rankings are not lost.
How long does it take?
Two things decide the timeline: the scope, and whether the content is ready. A corporate site of five to ten pages usually goes live within a few weeks if the copy and images are ready. Projects that need e-commerce, several languages or integrations with systems such as an ERP or CRM take longer; the schedule is given in writing once the scope is clear.
In practice the most common delay comes from content, not from the technical side: copy awaiting approval, photos not yet taken, references not yet collected. Planning content collection in the first week of the project is the step that brings the launch date forward the most.
What determines the price of a website?
Two projects under the same "corporate website" heading can differ in cost several times over. The main factors are the number of pages and who writes the copy, whether a ready-made theme or a custom design is used, how many languages the site has, whether it sells products (payments, shipping, stock), the need for a content management panel, and integrations with other systems.
That is why quotes should be compared by their written scope, not their total. A quote that looks cheap can become expensive later through items such as the domain being registered in the agency’s name, paid content updates, or SEO not being included at all. Vesta does not publish a price list; once the scope is clear, we give a fixed-price, written proposal.
Ready-made theme or custom design?
A ready-made theme goes live faster and on a smaller budget; for a small, simple need a well-configured theme can be the right choice. In return, your site looks like others, unused features can slow pages down, and you depend on the theme’s updates.
A custom design is built around your brand, includes only the features you need and gives full control over speed and search engine compatibility; it takes more time and budget. The decision should follow the role the site plays in your business: if the site is a credential and a sales channel, a custom design usually pays for itself.
Checklist
Questions to ask when collecting quotes
In whose name will the domain be registered?
The domain and hosting account should be in your name; being able to take your site with you if you change agency depends on it.
Who owns the source code and content?
The contract should state clearly that the rights to use the site and its content belong to you.
Can we update the content ourselves?
Ask whether there is an admin panel for changing content such as news, products or listings, and whether training is included.
Is technical SEO included?
Title and description tags, a sitemap, structured data and Search Console setup should be part of the delivery.
How are mobile behaviour and speed tested?
Most visitors arrive on a phone; ask which devices are tested and how speed is measured.
Will privacy notices and cookie consent be set up?
Any site with a contact form and analytics needs a privacy notice (KVKK in Türkiye) and a cookie preference screen.
How will support work after launch?
Agree up front on the scope and cost of security updates, backups and small changes.
Will our existing rankings be protected?
If the site is being rebuilt, ask for the plan for redirecting old addresses to the new pages.
Preparation
What will you be asked to provide?
Logo and brand identity
A vector file of the logo, brand colours and any typefaces.
Page copy
About, services and product text; if it is not ready, copywriting is planned separately.
Photos
Office, team, production and product photos; real photos build more trust than stock images.
References
Client logos and testimonials, with permission to publish.
Access details
Admin access to the domain, the existing site and email accounts.
Contact and location details
Address, phone and opening hours, written exactly as in your Google Business Profile.
After launch
Launch is not the end of the work. Google can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to index a new site, and rankings for competitive queries build over months. During that period, tracking which searches you appear for in Search Console, keeping your Google Business Profile up to date and asking customers for reviews are the steps that raise visibility most.
Security updates, backups and content updates should happen regularly. If you want to run search visibility as ongoing work, take a look at our SEO and AI search visibility (GEO) services.
FAQ
Common questions about commissioning a website
How long does it take to have a website built?
A corporate site of five to ten pages usually goes live within a few weeks if the copy and images are ready. Projects with e-commerce, several languages or integrations take longer; the most common delay comes from preparing content.
Why do website prices vary so much?
Because very different work is done under the same heading: the number of pages, custom design, multiple languages, e-commerce and integrations can change the cost several times over. Compare quotes by their written scope, not their total.
Are website builder platforms enough?
They can be enough for small, simple needs. Consider the monthly subscription, the limits on design and functionality, and how hard it is to move the site to another platform; if the site is one of your main business channels, those limits turn into cost over time.
In whose name should the domain and hosting be?
Always yours. If the domain stays in the agency’s account, moving your site and email becomes difficult when you change agency.
Will my website appear on Google straight away?
No. Google can take a few days to a few weeks to index a new site, and reaching the top for competitive queries usually takes months of steady work. Technical SEO setup is the starting condition for that process.
Will our Google rankings drop if we rebuild our site?
Rankings are preserved if old addresses are correctly redirected to the new pages. Launching a rebuild without redirects is the most common reason earned rankings disappear.
Let’s plan your website together
We clarify the scope and the schedule in a free initial meeting; the written proposal follows once the scope is clear
Get in touch