The verdict in three sentences
If your practice wants to move from a generalist portfolio to a clear specialism, the requirements checklist is where that decision has to be written down, before any agency is briefed. A precise brief lists service pages by building type, the projects you are allowed to show, the integrations as separate lines and the UK GDPR and accessibility targets, which makes quotes comparable. With it in hand you can weigh a London agency against Kolonell's fixed grid: £2,300 Starter, £3,900 Growth, £6,900 Premium.
What goes into the checklist?
| Section | What you write | London note |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning and audiences | The one or two building types you lead with (housing, heritage, hospitality, workplace, education or healthcare buildings) and who decides in each: homeowners, developers, estates teams, trusts | Residential extensions and refurbishments, workplace and mixed-use each attract a different buyer |
| Page list and templates | Home, one service page per building type, project template, approach, team, careers, insights, contact | Typically 6 to 8 templates and 15 to 30 pages |
| Content ownership | Who writes, who approves, who checks titles and credits | The word architect only for people on the ARB register, as the Architects Act 1997 requires; RIBA Chartered Practice only if you hold it |
| Projects and image rights | The list of projects to show, photographer licences, client consent | Private houses without addresses; awards, press or sustainability ratings only if real and supplied by you |
| Integrations, one line each | BIM viewer, project extranet, client portal, tender document room, CRM | All on quote, linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside a fixed-grid site |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.2 AA target, checked at acceptance | Supports your duties under the Equality Act 2010 |
| Data protection | Minimum form fields: name, contact, project type, location area, rough budget | UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, ICO guidance; PECR for cookies and marketing email; plans and drawings through a separate secure channel, on quote |
| Hosting, domain, migration | Domain and hosting in the firm's name; URL inventory and 301 map if a site exists | Search Console checks for 6 weeks after launch |
Add three short lines at the end: acceptance criteria (every form tested, project pages under 2 MB on mobile, all credits present), target launch month, budget range. Planning permission, conservation areas and listed building consent can be explained on your pages in general terms; the website should never read as planning advice. This is not legal advice.
How much does a precise brief change London quotes?
Figures are a 2026 ballpark from typical London agency quotes and public agency rate pages, never a price list.
| Topic | Vague brief | Precise brief | Typical effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall scope | "Refresh our portfolio site" | 22 pages, 7 templates, 4 building-type hubs | Spread narrows from £6,000 to £38,000 to £12,000 to £20,000 |
| Portfolio | "All our projects" | 18 projects selected, 22 redirected to hubs | Removes 1 to 2 weeks of migration guesswork |
| Images | Not mentioned | WebP or AVIF, responsive sizes, lazy loading | Performance is priced, not discovered after launch |
| Extranet | "Client area" | Link to the existing extranet | A link instead of a £10,000+ build |
| Careers | Not mentioned | Careers page for architects and technologists, form to HR inbox | One template, priced upfront |
| Compliance review | Not mentioned | Titles and credits checked before go-live | No last-minute rewrite |
How do you score three quotes fairly?
Give each quote points out of 100. Here is a worked example:
| Criterion | Max points | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage of the checklist | 30 | 24 | 18 | 27 |
| Portfolio performance plan | 20 | 14 | 10 | 17 |
| SEO migration (inventory, 301 map, monitoring) | 15 | 12 | 6 | 13 |
| Compliance (UK GDPR, PECR, accessibility) | 15 | 12 | 9 | 13 |
| Ownership and exit terms | 10 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
| Price over 3 years | 10 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| Total | 100 | 76 | 58 | 84 |
Quote B is the cheapest and still scores lowest, because the migration and performance lines are missing.
Where does Kolonell's grid fit?
- Starter, £2,300: focused site, a short project selection, enquiry form with minimum fields.
- Growth, £3,900: service pages by building type, full project template, insights, analytics.
- Premium, £6,900: advanced motion, deeper SEO setup, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in UK hours, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support. BIM viewers, extranets, client portals, tender rooms and CRM work are separate lines on quote. Compare tiers on the international offer page.
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Mini case study
*Illustrative example, fictional firm.* Fenwick Orme Partnership is a fictional multidisciplinary practice in Clerkenwell with ARB-registered architects and landscape designers. Its old site shows 40 projects in one undifferentiated grid. The checklist commits it to two specialisms, housing and heritage, with one hub page each, 18 projects kept and 22 redirected (a 40-line 301 map). A London agency quotes £18,000. Kolonell Growth costs £3,900, plus a local architectural photographer, a third-party cost, at about £1,800 for three reshoots: 3,900 + 1,800 = £5,700, or £12,300 less than the agency quote, with the extranet kept as a simple link.
FAQ
How long should the checklist be?
Two to four pages is enough. Most practices write it in 5 to 8 hours, including the project and image-rights list.
Should we show every project we have done?
No. A specialism reads better with 12 to 20 strong projects; the rest can redirect to building-type hubs so no ranking URL is lost.
Can landscape designers and architects share one team page?
Yes, with each person's title stated accurately. Only people on the ARB register should be described as architects.
Do we need our extranet rebuilt?
Rarely. Linking to the existing extranet costs almost nothing, while a custom build often starts above £10,000 and stays on quote.
What happens after the 3 months of support?
You keep full ownership. Maintenance and hosting after those 3 months are on quote.
Let's scope your project. Send your draft checklist, the specialism you want to lead with and a budget between £2,300 and £6,900. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
