The verdict in three sentences
For a cosmetics contract manufacturer, the website is not a brochure: it is the tool that qualifies brands before the first call, with a product brief form and compliance proof (ISO 22716, EU Regulation 1223/2009). A well built premium bilingual website costs 3,050 to 5,340 EUR with Kolonell, against 12,000 to 30,000 EUR at a mid-size agency in Amsterdam or Paris. A single signed first batch, worth 15,000 to 60,000 EUR, repays the project several times over.
What a DTC brand looks for before contacting you
The sales director of a 40-person lab near Amsterdam sees two kinds of prospects: European DTC brands in launch phase and overseas brands (UK, Scandinavia, Gulf) looking for EU-made products. Both compare 5 to 10 manufacturers online before requesting a quote. Their questions never change: minimum order quantity (MOQ), lead time from brief to production, in-house formulation capability, mastered formats (emulsions, serums, solids), certifications, and support with the Product Information File and regulatory dossier.
A site that does not answer these questions in 30 seconds loses the prospect to the competitor showing a 3,000 unit MOQ and a 12-week lead time.
The pages that generate qualified briefs
| Page or module | Expected content | Commercial impact | Included in Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capabilities by format | Emulsions, serums, gels, solids, sun care, with real photos | Reassures on technical capacity | Yes |
| Certifications and compliance | ISO 22716, ISO 9001, COSMOS or Ecocert, Regulation 1223/2009 | Filters demanding brands | Yes |
| End-to-end process | Brief, formulation, stability, PIF, production, filling | Cuts questions in meetings | Yes |
| Product brief form | Product type, volume, target MOQ, budget, launch date, attachment | Qualifies before the call | Yes |
| MOQ and lead times | Ranges by category | Avoids 30 to 50 % of unqualified requests | Yes |
| Full second language | Every page, not just the home page | Opens up foreign brands | Yes, bilingual |
| Anonymised case studies | Brand type, challenge, format, lead time | Social proof without breaching confidentiality | Yes, based on supplied content |
Confidentiality is sensitive: most contract manufacturing agreements forbid naming the client brand. Case studies are therefore written by type ('DTC hair care brand, 5,000 units, 14 weeks').
Comparing 2026 quotes
| Provider | Price range | Lead time | What is usually included |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress freelancer | 3,000 to 7,000 EUR | 4 to 8 weeks | Adapted theme, little content work |
| Kolonell Growth | 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA, i.e. 1,830 to 3,050 EUR | 4 to 6 weeks | Custom site, blog, analytics |
| Kolonell Premium | 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA, i.e. 3,050 to 5,340 EUR | 6 to 8 weeks | Bilingual, animations, advanced SEO, brief form |
| Mid-size Amsterdam or Paris agency | 12,000 to 30,000 EUR | 8 to 14 weeks | Art direction, sometimes a photo shoot |
| High-end brand agency | 35,000 to 80,000 EUR | 3 to 6 months | Brand platform, full identity |
Always budget on top: a photo shoot of the lab and lines (1,500 to 4,000 EUR), professional translation if copy is not supplied in both languages, and monthly maintenance (Kolonell: 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA, i.e. 50 to 180 EUR). To capture searches like 'private label cosmetics Europe' or 'cosmetics contract manufacturer Netherlands', a Kolonell SEO Growth plan at 200,000 FCFA, i.e. 300 EUR a month, is a reasonable order of magnitude.
Mini case study
Pieter, sales director of a 45-person cosmetics contract manufacturer near Amsterdam, currently receives 8 requests a month through a 2017 website, only 2 of which match his target (MOQ above 3,000 units). He signs about 4 new clients a year, with an average first batch of 28,000 EUR.
With a Premium site at 5,340 EUR, a 2,500 EUR photo shoot and SEO Growth at 300 EUR a month (3,600 EUR over a year), first-year investment is 11,440 EUR.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
If the brief form and full second language lift qualified requests from 2 to 4 a month and he converts 1 in 12, he signs 4 extra clients a year, i.e. about 112,000 EUR in first batches. Even one additional signature repays the project more than twice.
FAQ
Should we show our MOQ on the site?
Yes, at least as a range (for example 2,000 to 5,000 units depending on format). Manufacturers who publish it usually receive 30 to 50 % fewer off-target requests.
Can we show products made for client brands?
Rarely without written consent. The answer is to photograph the lines, the R&D lab and generic products, and to write case studies by type.
Does the site need a second language at launch?
If you target Germany, the UK or the Gulf, yes. A complete second language adds about 15 to 25 % to the content budget, but a half-translated site loses the credibility earned in the main version.
How long until launch?
Budget 6 to 8 weeks for Premium, 2 of which go to technical content validated by R&D and quality. The photo shoot should be scheduled from week 2.
Can the brief form feed our CRM?
Yes, sending to HubSpot, Pipedrive or a shared spreadsheet takes a few hours to set up. Attachments (moodboard, specification) should be stored in a secure space, not emailed in clear text.
Let's scope your project. We price your bilingual B2B website with capability pages, ISO 22716 compliance and a product brief form, for a budget of 3,050 to 5,340 EUR and a launch in 6 to 8 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h via our quote form. 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.
