The verdict in three sentences
A 15-consultant strategy consulting firm in London will pay EUR 4,000 to 9,000 with a freelancer and EUR 12,000 to 30,000 with an agency for an expertise website with publications and case studies. A freelancer is the rational choice for a lean, stable site, while an agency wins as soon as the site must publish content continuously and feed the partners' business development. The deciding factor is rarely the upfront price: it is the cost of a continuity break, which can exceed EUR 10,000 when the sole provider disappears.
Agency or freelancer: the comparison
| Criterion | Freelancer (day rate EUR 450 to 650) | Specialist agency |
|---|---|---|
| Build budget | EUR 4,000 to 9,000 (8 to 15 days) | EUR 12,000 to 30,000 |
| Timeline | 8 to 12 weeks, depending on availability | 8 to 12 weeks, contractual schedule |
| Skills involved | 1 generalist profile | Project lead, UX, designer, developer, SEO |
| Content and editorial strategy | Rarely included | Included: positioning, case study templates |
| Monthly maintenance | EUR 80 to 200 | EUR 200 to 600 |
| Availability during incidents | Variable, no on-call | SLA, guaranteed response time |
| Continuity risk | High | Low |
A freelancer is not a bad choice. It becomes risky when the site relies on undocumented custom code that only they understand.
What a credible expertise website contains
A strategy firm's website sells a way of thinking. Partners and client directors must be able to send a prospect there after a first meeting.
| Block | Commercial role | Agency cost | Freelancer cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning and expertise (6 to 10 pages) | Clarify sectors and issues covered | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | EUR 1,200 to 2,500 |
| Case studies (template + 6 cases) | Prove through results | EUR 2,500 to 6,000 | EUR 800 to 1,800 |
| Publications and insight notes | Show thinking, feed SEO | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 | EUR 700 to 1,500 |
| Partner and team pages | Embody the expertise | EUR 1,500 to 3,500 | EUR 500 to 1,200 |
| Recruiting (consultants, interns) | Attract top university graduates | EUR 1,000 to 3,000 | EUR 400 to 1,000 |
| Design, testing, go-live | Perceived quality, performance | EUR 2,000 to 6,500 | EUR 400 to 1,000 |
| Total | EUR 12,000 to 30,000 | EUR 4,000 to 9,000 |
Putting a number on dependency risk
The risk is simple to compute: probability of a break multiplied by the cost of recovery.
| 3-year scenario | Estimated probability | Recovery cost | Weighted risk cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer unavailable for over 4 weeks | 30% to 40% | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | EUR 900 to 2,400 |
| Freelancer stops trading | 15% to 25% | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 (partial rebuild) | EUR 900 to 3,000 |
| Agency changes your contact person | 40% to 50% | EUR 0 to 500 (internal documentation) | EUR 0 to 250 |
| Agency stops trading | 3% to 5% | EUR 4,000 to 8,000 | EUR 120 to 400 |
Over 3 years, the freelancer therefore carries a risk cost of EUR 1,800 to 5,400, versus under EUR 650 for an established agency. To reduce it, always require: code in a Git repository in your name, admin access, domain and hosting in your name, and 5 to 10 pages of documentation.
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Camille, partner at a 15-consultant London firm (EUR 3.2M in fees), compares a freelancer at EUR 7,500 and an agency at EUR 19,000. Three-year cost with maintenance: 7,500 + 36 x 150 = EUR 12,900 for the freelancer, 19,000 + 36 x 350 = EUR 31,600 for the agency. Adding weighted risk (EUR 3,600 versus EUR 400), the gap narrows to about EUR 15,500. If the site, with 2 publications per month, generates a single extra EUR 60,000 engagement over 3 years, the agency pays for itself. If the firm plans no regular content, the freelancer remains the better choice.
FAQ
How many days does a freelancer bill for this kind of site?
Between 8 and 15 days at a day rate of EUR 450 to 650, or EUR 4,000 to 9,000. Beyond 15 days, an agency often becomes competitive.
Can an agency take over a site built by a freelancer?
Yes, after an audit costing EUR 600 to 1,500. If the code is clean and documented, takeover is quick, otherwise a partial rebuild is better.
How many publications before the site generates leads?
First inbound contacts usually appear after 15 to 25 quality publications, or 8 to 12 months at 2 per month.
Should client names appear in case studies?
Not necessarily. An anonymised case study with sector, size and a quantified result (for example 12% extra margin) remains convincing and respects confidentiality.
Which CMS suits a consulting firm?
WordPress works for budgets under EUR 10,000. Above that, a headless CMS like Sanity offers an approval workflow between partners for EUR 1,500 to 3,000 more.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many practice areas you cover, your planned publishing volume and your timeline, and we will price your expertise site between EUR 12,000 and 30,000, or point you to a freelancer if that fits better. 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.
