The verdict in three sentences
For a telecom tower and infrastructure contractor in Manchester, the website has to prove to mobile operators, tower companies and their main contractors that you can build, upgrade and maintain sites safely across the North West and beyond. A 100 point scorecard across 6 criteria lets you compare three agencies objectively, with quotes running from GBP 6,000 to 28,000 as a 2026 market ballpark. Reject any agency scoring under 12 out of 20 on sector understanding, whatever its price.
What the site has to show a tower company
The managing director of a Manchester firm that builds monopoles and lattice towers, installs antennas and cabinets and carries out 5G upgrades sells to buyers who assess risk first: regional coverage, safety record, working at height competence, programme delivery. The site needs 20 to 60 projects mapped by county, with structure type, height and duration, a detailed health and safety page with your accreditations, and a recruitment section for riggers and engineers, a constant bottleneck in the sector.
| Line item | 2026 market ballpark (GBP) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and sitemap | 500 to 2,000 | Client journey and recruitment journey |
| Design and mockups | 1,200 to 5,000 | Project page template |
| Build | 2,000 to 10,000 | CMS, project map by county |
| 20 to 60 project pages | 900 to 4,500 | Photos, structure type, height |
| Health, safety and accreditation pages | 500 to 2,000 | Method statements, competence schemes |
| Recruitment forms | 400 to 1,800 | CV upload, filtering by trade |
| Testing and launch | 500 to 2,700 | Mobile and accessibility checks |
| Total | 6,000 to 28,000 | Timeline: 6 to 14 weeks |
| Support | 150 to 600 per month | Depends on update volume |
The 100 point scorecard
Score each agency after the meeting and the written proposal. Have two people score separately, then average.
| Criterion | Points | What earns full marks |
|---|---|---|
| Sector understanding | 20 | Talks about operators, safety and recruitment without prompting |
| Comparable references | 15 | At least 2 live industrial or engineering B2B sites |
| Method and schedule | 15 | Phased plan, named project manager, weekly call |
| Technical quality and performance | 20 | Written speed target, WCAG 2.2 AA checks, backups |
| Two year total cost | 15 | Line by line quote, support included in the sum |
| Support and reversibility | 15 | Written response time, code and access handed over |
| Total | 100 | Recommended threshold: 70 points |
The weighting favours sector understanding and technical quality, because a slow or generic site will not reassure a tower company's supply chain team, however cheap it was.
Red flags during meetings
| Red flag | What it reveals | Points to deduct |
|---|---|---|
| No questions about your clients | A generic site is coming | 5 to 10 on sector understanding |
| Two weeks promised for 40 project pages | Data entry quietly left to you | 5 on method |
| Domain registered in the agency's name | Strong lock in | 10 on reversibility |
| No accessibility standard mentioned | Retrofit costs later | 5 to 10 on technical quality |
| Support to be discussed later | Hidden cost | 5 on total cost |
| 100% payment upfront | Risk of an abandoned project | 5 on support |
Recruitment forms collect candidate data, so the agency must set up a privacy notice and retention rules that comply with UK GDPR; the Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance on recruitment records that your HR lead should read.
As a nearshore benchmark, here are Kolonell's prices: Growth website at 1,830 to 3,050 EUR (1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA, 8 to 12 pages, built in blog, 14 to 21 business days), Premium at 3,050 to 5,340 EUR (21 to 30 business days), extra page about 40 EUR, client area about 230 EUR. Kolonell's care plans are 53, 114 or 183 EUR a month.
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Illustrative example, not a client: Gareth, managing director of a 90 person tower contractor in Manchester. He scores three agencies. Agency A: 64 points for GBP 8,000. Agency B: 79 points for GBP 15,000. Agency C: 83 points for GBP 26,000. A falls below the 70 point threshold. Comparing cost per point above threshold, B costs GBP 15,000 for 9 points and C GBP 26,000 for 13 points. He picks B, with GBP 300 a month of support, or GBP 22,200 over two years. If the recruitment page fills just 2 rigger vacancies a year without recruitment agency fees, estimated at GBP 6,000 each in 2026, it saves GBP 12,000 a year before counting new contracts.
FAQ
How many agencies should we score?
Three is enough, scored by two people. Beyond 4, the scorecard takes too long for little gain.
What minimum score should we accept?
70 out of 100, with at least 12 out of 20 on sector understanding. An agency on 85 points with 10 out of 20 on the sector is still a risk.
Do we need a Manchester based agency?
Not necessarily. A remote or nearshore agency can work if it runs weekly video calls and tests on real mobile networks. Prices can fall by 30 to 50%.
Should we publish exact site locations?
No, for security reasons. Show the county, structure type and height, which satisfies 90% of buyers.
What timeline should we plan?
From 6 to 14 weeks depending on the number of project pages and how quickly photos arrive.
Let's scope your project. Send us your project list, regions covered and indicative budget, and we will answer your scorecard point by point with a detailed quote and schedule. 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.
