The verdict in three sentences
For a 22-person accounting firm, a WordPress redesign at EUR 4,000 excl. VAT fixes the image but rarely the lead volume. A custom Next.js website at EUR 9,000 to 14,000 excl. VAT (roughly GBP 7,700 to 12,000), with a fee calculator and online booking, targets a measurable 15 qualified quote requests per month. The budget gap usually pays for itself by the third or fourth signed client, provided the calculator is scoped with the partners before the first mockup.
The starting diagnosis: why the current site does not convert
The firm's site dates from 2019. It lists services (bookkeeping, payroll, company secretarial, advisory) but gives no price reference. The typical prospect, a limited company director or a founder, compares three firms in ten minutes on their phone. Without a ballpark figure, they call the competitor that shows one.
| Metric | Current situation | Target after redesign |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile share of traffic | 48% | 48% (unchanged) |
| Mobile LCP (Core Web Vitals) | 4.1 s | under 2.0 s |
| Mobile bounce rate | 71% | 45 to 50% |
| Contact requests per month | 4 to 5 | 15 qualified |
| Indexed service pages | 6 | 18 to 22 |
| Online booking | No | Yes, synced with partners' calendars |
| Response time to prospects | 48 to 72 h | under 24 h |
A 4.1 s mobile LCP means nearly one visitor in two sees a blank or partial page for several seconds. On a query like "accountant for startups London", that is a direct handicap against national networks that invest in performance.
WordPress at EUR 4,000 or custom at EUR 9,000-14,000: the comparison
| Criterion | WordPress redesign | Custom Next.js site |
|---|---|---|
| Initial budget | EUR 4,000 excl. VAT | EUR 9,000 to 14,000 excl. VAT |
| Delivery time | 4 to 5 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Fee calculator | Generic plugin, limited logic | Custom pricing by entity type, turnover, payslips |
| Expected mobile LCP | 2.5 to 3.2 s | 1.2 to 1.8 s |
| Booking | Third-party plugin | Built in, slots per partner and service |
| Maintenance | EUR 60 to 90/month + plugin updates | EUR 120/month all-inclusive |
| Security | Plugin attack surface | Static site, no exposed database |
| Scalability (client portal, pricing) | Limited by the theme | Planned in the architecture |
The deciding factor is the calculator. Firms rarely charge a single flat fee: fees depend on entity type (sole trader, limited company), turnover, VAT scheme, number of payslips and secretarial options. A WordPress plugin handles three or four fields. A custom calculator applies the firm's real price grid and returns a credible range, for example "between EUR 180 and 240 per month for a service company with EUR 300,000 turnover and 2 employees".
What the custom budget includes
| Item | Share of budget | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping workshop and fee grid | 10% | EUR 900 to 1,400 |
| UX and mobile mockups | 18% | EUR 1,600 to 2,500 |
| Next.js and CMS development | 35% | EUR 3,200 to 4,900 |
| Fee calculator | 17% | EUR 1,500 to 2,400 |
| Booking and CRM | 10% | EUR 900 to 1,400 |
| SEO copy for 18 service pages | 10% | EUR 900 to 1,400 |
The 8-week schedule breaks down as follows: week 1 scoping, weeks 2 and 3 mockups, weeks 4 to 7 development and content, week 8 testing and go-live with 301 redirects for every old URL. The calculator shows a range, never a contractual price, and each simulation creates a lead record with its parameters, so the partner can call back with a quote already scoped.
Mini case study
Claire, a partner at a 22-person firm, thinks in client files. A new small-business client brings in on average EUR 3,600 in annual fees. With the old site, the firm signed about 1 web client per month. With 15 qualified requests and a 25% close rate, it signs nearly 4.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- Chosen budget: EUR 11,500 + EUR 1,440 annual maintenance, i.e. EUR 12,940 in year one.
- Gain: 3 extra clients per month x EUR 3,600 = EUR 10,800 of recurring annual fees added each month.
- Payback: the project is covered after 4 extra clients, a little over six weeks at the target pace.
Even if the assumption is halved, the site pays for itself before the end of the first quarter.
FAQ
Does the fee calculator commit the firm to a price?
No, it shows an indicative range with a clear disclaimer. The final quote is still set after a meeting, as the engagement letter requires. In our projects, 70% of prospects who run a simulation then book a meeting.
Can we keep our current rankings during the redesign?
Yes, through a page-by-page 301 redirect plan and reuse of existing tags. A temporary 5 to 10% traffic dip for 2 to 4 weeks is normal, then speed and new pages lift rankings.
How much time do partners need to invest?
About 6 to 8 hours spread over the 8 weeks: a 2-hour workshop on the fee grid, two mockup reviews and a proofread of service pages.
What does EUR 120 per month of maintenance cover?
Hosting, daily backups, security updates, Core Web Vitals monitoring and up to 1 hour of content changes per month. Major features, such as a client portal, are quoted separately.
Is a custom site harder for our assistants to edit?
No, the CMS lets staff edit text, tax news and team profiles without a developer. A 1-hour training session is usually enough.
Let's scope your project. Send us your fee grid and monthly lead target: we will price the scope, a EUR 9,000 to 14,000 budget and the 8-week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
