The verdict in three sentences
For a Munich manufacturer of professional drones selling into inspection, surveying and public safety, the right agency is the one that can turn German and English spec sheets into buying arguments while respecting export control constraints and supporting a reseller network across the DACH region. The 2026 market ballpark runs from 18,000 to 70,000 EUR excluding VAT, over 10 to 18 weeks. Score every candidate on the same 100 point grid, shortlist only those above 70, and only then compare prices.
The 100 point scoring grid
Fill it in during and after each pitch, ideally with two people: the CEO and the head of sales or channel.
| Criterion | Points | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of technical buyers | 20 | Questions about use cases and buyer roles before any design talk |
| Comparable industrial B2B references | 15 | At least 2 technical product sites with spec sheets and downloads |
| Bilingual German and English product data | 15 | Structured templates for endurance, payload, sensors, ingress rating, PDF export |
| Reseller portal capability | 15 | Gated area per country with price lists, marketing kits and lead routing |
| Method and plan | 10 | Written milestones, template by template sign off, realistic timeline |
| Export control workflow | 10 | Agency asks how restricted content is reviewed and who approves it |
| Ownership and reversibility | 10 | Code, accounts and content in your company name |
| Three year total cost | 5 | Build, maintenance and evolutions quoted |
| Total | 100 | Shortlist threshold: 70 points |
The reseller portal weighs heavily here because a DACH drone business typically sells a large share through partners: if partners cannot find price lists and demo material in seconds, they push a competitor's product.
Red flags in the pitch
| Red flag | What it reveals | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| No questions about buyers or resellers | Pure design approach | Who reads a spec sheet at a utility or a surveying firm? |
| German pages via machine translation | Credibility risk with German engineers | Who writes and reviews the German technical copy? |
| Lump sum quote without line items | Likely hidden costs | How many days for product data and the reseller portal? |
| Hosting outside your control | Lock in | How do we take everything back if we part ways? |
| Export control dismissed as not our topic | Legal exposure on product pages | How do you handle content our compliance team restricts? |
| Full scope promised in under 8 weeks | Unrealistic plan | Show us the milestone plan |
If parts of your range fall under dual use rules, your export compliance officer decides what can be published and how; BAFA and EU guidance are the reference, not the agency's opinion. A good agency builds an approval step into the CMS for those pages.
Budget by scope
| Scope | Content | 2026 market ballpark |
|---|---|---|
| Core site | 25 to 35 pages, 6 to 12 products, German and English | 18,000 to 35,000 EUR |
| Product videos | 2 to 5 flight and demo videos | 4,000 to 18,000 EUR |
| Spec sheets | 6 to 12 bilingual sheets with PDF generation | 2,500 to 7,000 EUR |
| Reseller portal | Gated area for Germany, Austria and Switzerland | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR |
| Press area | Releases, media kit, high resolution images | 1,000 to 3,000 EUR |
| Maintenance | Updates, backups, small evolutions | 250 to 900 EUR per month |
As a nearshore benchmark, Kolonell's prices are 3,050 to 5,340 EUR for a Premium site, 110 EUR per extra language and 230 EUR for a client area, delivered in 21 to 30 working days; a full reseller portal would be quoted as a custom application from 3,810 EUR, and flight videos are best shot locally.
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Illustrative example, fictional persona: Stefan is CEO of a 40 person Munich drone maker. He scores three agencies: A reaches 84 points at 52,000 EUR, B 76 points at 38,000 EUR, C 61 points and drops out. He picks B, because A's extra 14,000 EUR mostly buys animation he does not need, while B scores well on the reseller portal. Assuming the portal helps 12 resellers each close one extra system per quarter at 25,000 EUR with a 30 % margin, that is 360,000 EUR of margin a year, so the project pays back within the first quarter after launch.
FAQ
How much does a drone manufacturer website cost in Munich?
The 2026 market ballpark is 18,000 to 70,000 EUR excluding VAT depending on videos, spec sheets and the reseller portal. Complete projects usually land between 38,000 and 55,000 EUR.
How do we use the 100 point grid?
Have two people score each agency, average the results and shortlist only those above 70. Compare prices among finalists only.
Do we need a reseller portal at launch?
If partners drive a large share of sales, yes. Budget 6,000 to 15,000 EUR for a gated area with price lists, marketing kits and lead routing per country.
Who approves export controlled content?
Your export compliance officer, with BAFA and EU guidance as reference. The agency should provide an approval workflow, typically 1 to 2 days of extra setup.
How long does the project take?
Between 10 and 18 weeks. Video production and German technical copy review often add 3 to 4 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Send us your product range, reseller network and video needs, and we will return a scope, an indicative budget and a timeline. 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.
