The verdict in three sentences
For a nonwoven manufacturer, the right agency is the one that can structure 50 to 200 products with filterable technical data for converters in Vietnam, Indonesia or China, not the one with the slickest mockup. A 100 point scorecard shared between sales, product management and IT keeps the decision away from pitch day charm. Drop any agency that cannot explain how gated data sheets capture leads while staying compliant with the PDPA.
What you are actually buying
Your site serves procurement teams and product developers at diaper converters, filter makers and automotive tier suppliers across Asia. They search by application, compare basis weight and air permeability, then request a data sheet. Everything else is secondary.
| Project element | 2026 market ballpark (Singapore) |
|---|---|
| Build budget | 25,000 to 80,000 SGD |
| Products listed | 50 to 200 references |
| Languages | English and Simplified Chinese |
| Delivery time | 10 to 16 weeks |
| Maintenance and hosting | 300 to 1,000 SGD a month |
| Gated data sheets | Form before download, synced to CRM |
| Application filters | Hygiene, filtration, automotive, medical, by technology |
The product database drives the budget. Hand keyed pages are cheap at launch and expensive forever after, in two languages. An import from your ERP or a master spreadsheet costs more upfront and saves hours on every update.
The 100 point scorecard
Score each agency after the second meeting, with two or three colleagues, and average the results.
| Criterion | Points | What earns full marks |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data sheet handling | 20 | Product data model, spreadsheet import, auto generated PDFs |
| English and Chinese delivery | 15 | Field level translation, separate URLs, native technical review |
| B2B manufacturing references | 15 | Two live industrial catalogue sites you can check |
| Search visibility of product pages | 15 | URL plan, product structured data, redirects from old pages |
| Three year total cost | 15 | Itemised quote including maintenance and hosting |
| Ownership and exit terms | 10 | Code, content and accounts in your name, full export clause |
| Method and timeline | 10 | Milestones over 10 to 16 weeks, user testing with your engineers |
Below 60 points, stop. Between 60 and 75, fix weaknesses in writing. Above 75, compare total cost.
Red flags in pitch meetings
| Red flag | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Machine translation for Chinese pages | Wrong specs in front of converters |
| No question about your ERP | Manual data entry and costly upkeep |
| No maintenance line in the quote | 300 to 1,000 SGD a month appears after launch |
| Gated forms with no consent wording | PDPA exposure and poor lead quality |
| Domain and hosting in the agency's name | Strong lock-in |
| Four weeks for 150 products | Unrealistic, the project will slip |
As a nearshore benchmark, Kolonell's prices are 1,830 to 3,050 EUR (1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA) for a Growth site with 8 to 12 pages and a blog in 14 to 21 working days, and 3,050 to 5,340 EUR for Premium in 21 to 30 working days. Each extra language adds 110 EUR (75,000 FCFA) and a 50 to 500 product catalogue 760 EUR (500,000 FCFA).
Mini case study
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Illustrative example: Wei Ling, marketing director of a nonwoven maker in Singapore, compares three agencies. Agency A scores 81 points at 62,000 SGD plus 700 SGD a month, so 87,200 SGD over three years. Agency B scores 66 points at 34,000 SGD plus 400 SGD a month, 48,400 SGD, but keys 140 products by hand. With 3 updates a year across 2 languages, she estimates 85 internal hours a year, about 21,000 SGD over three years at 80 SGD an hour. B really costs 69,400 SGD for 15 fewer points. She picks A and negotiates 4,000 SGD off the Chinese module.
FAQ
How many agencies should we shortlist?
Three or four. Each one takes 6 to 8 hours of meetings and reviews, so more rarely improves the outcome.
Should Chinese pages be live at launch?
Yes if more than 25 % of enquiries come from China or Taiwan. Otherwise launch in English and add Chinese within one quarter.
Are gated data sheets worth the friction?
Usually yes for B2B: expect 20 to 40 % of visitors who open a product page to fill a short form. Keep it to 4 or 5 fields with a clear consent line.
Who reviews translated data sheets?
A native speaking engineer or sales lead, about 10 to 15 minutes per sheet, so roughly 25 hours for 100 sheets.
What maintenance should we budget?
Around 300 to 1,000 SGD a month including updates, backups and security patches. Ask for a written response time such as 48 business hours.
Let's scope your project. Send us your product count and target languages, and we will return a scope, indicative budget and 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.
