The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, a corporate institutional website scopes into three tiers: Standard 25,000-45,000 EUR, Premium 55,000-95,000 EUR, Group multi-site 120,000 EUR and up. Price does not follow page count but the headless CMS, editorial governance and integrations (ERP, portal, multilingual). Present the board an envelope with a 15% buffer and a 12-to-20-week timeline, not a bare number.
The three 2026 budget tiers
A communications director at a mid-market industrial firm must scope before the RFP. Here are the 2026 ranges in EUR, tuned to the premium European market.
| Tier | Scope | 2026 budget (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 15-30 pages, Sanity CMS, EN/DE | 25,000 - 45,000 | 12-14 wks |
| Premium | + ERP/portal, 3 languages, PWA | 55,000 - 95,000 | 16-18 wks |
| Group | Multi-site, design system delivered | 120,000+ | 18-24 wks |
| Maintenance | Support + managed hosting | 800 - 2,500 /mo | recurring |
| Editorial SEO | Content + link building | 1,500 - 4,000 /mo | recurring |
The jump from Standard to Premium comes from three items: ERP/CRM integration (SAP, Salesforce), a secure partner/employee portal, and a multi-level approval workflow in the CMS.
What really moves the invoice
Two 20-page sites can cost triple one another. The decisive line items:
| Item | Budget impact | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Headless CMS (Sanity/Strapi) | Structural | 6,000 - 14,000 EUR |
| Editorial governance | Structural | 4,000 - 9,000 EUR |
| Multilingual (per language) | Medium | 2,500 - 5,000 EUR |
| ERP/CRM integration | High | 12,000 - 30,000 EUR |
| Proprietary design system | High | 15,000 - 35,000 EUR |
| Accessibility WCAG AA | Medium | 4,000 - 8,000 EUR |
| Security audit + CSP | Medium | 3,000 - 7,000 EUR |
A corporate site is not a brochure: content governance and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility are often obligations, not options.
Mini case study
Sarah, communications director at a 450-employee industrial mid-cap in Berlin, is building her 2026 board budget. She targets a Premium site: 30 pages, EN/DE/FR, Sanity CMS with a 3-level workflow, partner portal, Salesforce integration. The envelope builds up as: base 45,000 EUR + portal 18,000 + CRM integration 15,000 + 3rd language 4,000 = 82,000 EUR. With a 15% safety buffer she presents 94,000 EUR plus 1,800 EUR/month support. Over a 4-year lifecycle, total cost (site + 48 months support) reaches roughly 180,000 EUR, i.e. 45,000 EUR/year amortizable against her communications budget.
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FAQ
Why does a corporate site cost more than an SME brochure?
Because 60-70% of the value is invisible: editorial governance, security, accessibility, ERP/CRM integrations and multilingual. A 5,000 EUR SME brochure carries none of these constraints.
Does page count set the price?
No. A 15-page site with Salesforce integration and 3 languages costs more than a 40-page static site. Price follows technical complexity and governance, not volume.
What buffer should I present to the board?
Always add 15% to the estimate for unknowns (content, translations, reviews). A budget presented with no buffer overruns in 8 cases out of 10 and damages your credibility.
Should I budget maintenance from year one?
Yes. Plan 800 to 2,500 EUR/month for support and managed hosting. A corporate site without maintenance degrades in security and SEO within 12 months.
Standard or Premium for a mid-market firm?
Standard is enough without heavy integration or a portal. As soon as you need to connect a CRM, an intranet, or manage more than two languages with approval, move to Premium.
Let's scope your project. Share your scope (number of languages, ERP/CRM integrations, portal), your indicative budget and your board date: 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.
