The verdict in three sentences
A serious business website in Nairobi costs in 2026 between 800,000 and 2,500,000 FCFA (equivalent) depending on page count, animation and SEO depth. The real metric is not the sticker price but the cost per lead: a well-built site brings on average +40% inbound enquiries via form and WhatsApp within the first quarter. Plan 3 to 5 weeks of production and a running budget of roughly 100,000 to 220,000 FCFA per year (hosting + maintenance).
What a business website really costs
The market has matured into three clear service levels, from the "business card" site to a genuinely acquisition-driven one. The ranges below are 2026 orders of magnitude for a services SME.
| Tier | Pages | Included | Timeline | Price FCFA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5 pages | Custom design, form, WhatsApp, mobile | 3 weeks | 800,000 – 1,100,000 |
| Growth | 8-10 pages | + blog, Google Business, analytics, basic SEO | 4 weeks | 1,300,000 – 1,800,000 |
| Premium | 12+ pages | + advanced animation, deep SEO, light multilingual | 5 weeks | 2,000,000 – 2,500,000 |
Recurring costs are often underestimated. Here is what a Nairobi company should budget each year to keep the site fast and secure.
| Recurring item | Frequency | Cost FCFA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting + domain | Yearly | 60,000 – 180,000 | CDN recommended for mobile networks |
| Technical maintenance | Monthly | 40,000 | Updates, backups, security |
| SSL certificate | Yearly | Included | Mandatory for credibility |
| Small changes | Ad hoc | 25,000 / page | Content additions, promo pages |
What really moves the quote up or down
Three variables drive most of the price gap: the volume of pages and content to write, the level of animation and custom design, and SEO ambition. A site that must rank for "logistics provider Nairobi" needs architecture, optimised copy and internal linking that are worlds apart from a simple online presence. Conversely, reusing your existing copy and limiting pages pushes the budget toward the bottom of the Starter range.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Marc, manager of a 14-person engineering firm in Nairobi, starts from a Facebook page and no website. He picks a Growth tier at 1,600,000 FCFA, plus 150,000 FCFA/year running cost. Before, he received about 8 qualified enquiries a month. Four months after launch, with a form and WhatsApp button, he reaches 11 monthly enquiries (+40%). On an average deal of 1,200,000 FCFA and a 20% conversion rate, those 3 extra enquiries represent about 720,000 FCFA of additional monthly revenue: the site pays for itself in under three months.
FAQ
Is a site under 800,000 FCFA viable? Yes for a 3-4 page "business card" site with no SEO, but it generates few leads. Below that threshold you mostly find generic templates that fail to reassure a B2B buyer.
How long to go live? Between 3 and 5 weeks depending on tier, provided you supply logo, base copy and photos quickly. The main cause of delay is client-side content approval.
Local or international hosting? International hosting with a CDN is often more reliable and faster, including on mobile networks. Budget 60,000 to 180,000 FCFA/year including the domain.
Does WhatsApp Business really change enquiries? Yes: the floating WhatsApp button captures a major share of contacts, often more than the classic form. It is a must-have from day one.
Can payment be staged? Most projects are settled in 2 to 3 instalments (deposit, mockup approval, delivery), smoothing cash flow across the project.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your page count, sector and indicative budget (range 800,000 – 2,500,000 FCFA), and we will frame the right tier. 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.
