The verdict in three sentences
A slow B2B website does not necessarily need a redesign: in 7 cases out of 10, an audit at EUR 1,200 to 2,500 followed by fixes at EUR 3,000 to 8,000 brings LCP under 2.5 s and INP under 200 ms. A full EUR 15,000 redesign is only justified when the theme or page builder itself is the root cause. Expect 15 to 30% more indexed pages and about a 20% drop in bounce rate on service pages within 3 months.
Reading your diagnosis: where does your site stand?
Google assesses three metrics on real visitor data (CrUX report), measured at the 75th percentile on mobile. Here are the 2026 thresholds and the typical situation of a services SME site built 4 or 5 years ago.
| Metric | Good | Needs improvement | Poor | Typical site before fixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (largest element render) | ≤ 2.5 s | 2.5 to 4 s | > 4 s | 4.8 s |
| INP (click responsiveness) | ≤ 200 ms | 200 to 500 ms | > 500 ms | 450 ms |
| CLS (visual stability) | ≤ 0.1 | 0.1 to 0.25 | > 0.25 | 0.18 |
| Home page weight | < 1.5 MB | 1.5 to 3 MB | > 3 MB | 4.2 MB |
| Third-party scripts loaded | < 5 | 5 to 12 | > 12 | 17 |
| Server response time (TTFB) | < 0.8 s | 0.8 to 1.8 s | > 1.8 s | 1.4 s |
A 4.8 s LCP is almost always caused by an unoptimised 600 KB to 1.5 MB header image. A 450 ms INP usually comes from third-party scripts: chat, ad tracking, maps, review widgets.
What fixes cost, workstream by workstream
| Workstream | 2026 cost (ex. VAT) | Typical gain | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full audit (Lighthouse, CrUX, network waterfall, prioritised report) | EUR 1,200 to 2,500 | Costed roadmap | 1 week |
| AVIF/WebP images, sizing and lazy loading | EUR 600 to 1,500 | LCP -1.2 to -2 s | 2 to 4 days |
| Third-party script triage and deferral | EUR 800 to 2,000 | INP -150 to -300 ms | 3 to 5 days |
| Self-hosted, preloaded fonts | EUR 300 to 600 | CLS -0.05 to -0.1 | 1 day |
| Caching, CDN and compression | EUR 500 to 1,200 | TTFB -0.5 s | 2 days |
| Hosting change (shared to VPS or managed platform) | EUR 600 to 1,800 + EUR 25 to 80/month | TTFB halved | 2 to 3 days |
| Page builder clean-up (unused CSS and JS) | EUR 1,000 to 2,500 | Weight -30 to -50% | 1 week |
Adding up the relevant workstreams, most SME sites land between EUR 3,000 and 8,000. Require before and after measurements on the same pages: a serious provider commits to thresholds, not to an isolated Lighthouse score.
Fixes or redesign: the decision grid
| Situation | Recommendation | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Recent theme, image and script issues | Fixes | EUR 3,000 to 5,000 |
| Heavy page builder but sound structure | Fixes + clean-up | EUR 5,000 to 8,000 |
| Site over 7 years old, obsolete technology | Redesign | EUR 15,000 and up |
| Redesign already planned within 12 months | Image fixes only | EUR 1,500 to 2,500 |
| Saturated shared hosting | Hosting migration first | EUR 600 to 1,800 |
Mini case study
Camille, marketing manager at a 45-person IT services firm in Amsterdam, sees a 4.8 s LCP and a 450 ms INP. She orders an audit at EUR 1,800 then EUR 5,200 of fixes, EUR 7,000 in total versus EUR 15,000 for a redesign. Three months later, LCP is at 2.1 s, INP at 160 ms, and service pages bounce 22% less. The site used to receive 12 quote requests a month; it now gets 16. With a 25% close rate and EUR 3,000 margin per contract, the gain is EUR 3,000 of margin a month: the investment pays back in under 3 months.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
How much does a Core Web Vitals audit cost in 2026?
EUR 1,200 to 2,500 for a 20 to 100 page B2B site, with a prioritised, costed report. A free automated audit gives hints, but not the priority order or the cost of fixes.
Do Core Web Vitals really affect rankings?
They are part of Google's ranking signals, with moderate weight compared with content. Their most visible effect is on crawling: a fast site often sees 15 to 30% more pages indexed.
How quickly do results show?
Lab measurements change immediately, but the CrUX report uses 28 days of real data. Allow 4 to 6 weeks to see the switch to green in Search Console.
Should we remove chat and tracking tools?
No, load them after interaction or after a few seconds. That technique alone often saves 150 to 300 ms of INP.
Is a Lighthouse score of 100 necessary?
No: a score of 85 to 95 with green Core Web Vitals on real data is plenty. Chasing 100 often costs 30 to 50% more for zero commercial gain.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL and key pages, and we will price an audit at EUR 1,200 to 2,500 and fixes delivered in 2 to 4 weeks. 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.
