The verdict in three sentences
For a small interior design practice in Quebec City that also sells a curated furniture and objects collection, the website has two jobs: convincing a client to hand you a project and presenting pieces people can buy. A Quebec City agency is worth it if you want a partner on site to shoot the collection every season, connect the shop to your point of sale and train the team in the showroom. A remote studio such as Kolonell, with Growth at USD 4,900 for the portfolio and a price-on-request catalog, and the online shop on quote, lets you start quickly and test demand before investing in e-commerce.
Which questions should you ask both types of provider?
In Quebec City, your clients live in Old Quebec stone houses, Limoilou plexes with outdoor staircases or homes in Sillery. Low winter light makes photography harder, and buyers of the collection compare you with the shops of Saint-Roch and rue Saint-Joseph. Before signing a quote, compare the answers.
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the domain, hosting and code? | The studio, written into the contract with credentials handed over | We keep the hosting, with no exit clause |
| How do you structure a 40 to 80 piece catalog? | Product records, variants, categories, ready for online sales | An image gallery with no product data |
| Who writes the French, and the English if needed? | A native copywriter, reviewed by you | Unreviewed machine translation |
| How do you handle Law 25 on forms and cookies? | Published policy, non-essential cookies off by default | A decorative banner with no settings |
| How heavy is a 20-photo project page on mobile? | Under 2 MB thanks to WebP or AVIF and lazy loading | No measurement provided |
| What does adding online payment cost later? | Priced in a separate quote | We will see |
The Kolonell project manager is reachable during your Eastern Time business hours, and native French copywriting is included.
What does each scenario cost?
A 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages in Quebec City, in CAD converted at roughly USD 0.72.
| Scenario | Quebec City agency | Freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio only, in French | CAD 8,000 to 20,000 (about USD 5,800 to 14,400) | CAD 3,000 to 9,000 (about USD 2,200 to 6,500) | Starter USD 2,900 or Growth USD 4,900 |
| Portfolio and price-on-request catalog | CAD 12,000 to 25,000 | CAD 5,000 to 10,000 | Growth USD 4,900 |
| Portfolio and online shop | CAD 15,000 to 40,000 (about USD 10,800 to 28,800) | CAD 7,000 to 15,000 | E-commerce on quote |
| Adding an English version | CAD 2,000 to 6,000 | Varies | Premium USD 8,900 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) |
| Collection photos, 40 to 80 pieces | Often coordinated | Separate | Local photographer, third-party cost |
| Maintenance, months 4 to 36 (market assumption) | CAD 150 to 400 a month | CAD 75 to 200 a month | On quote |
Each tier is detailed on the Kolonell international offer.
When is the Quebec City agency clearly the better choice?
If your collection changes every season and you want a team to come and shoot and style 60 objects in your Saint-Roch workshop, a local agency will save you a lot of time. The same applies if the shop must connect to the showroom's point of sale, with a single inventory, on-site training and someone who drops by when a label will not print. A remote studio is enough when your photos exist or you commission them yourself, online sales are still to be proven and you want a fixed cost for the first step.
What the site must include, and the Quebec frame
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- Two clear paths: design projects (by type of space, Montcalm, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Sainte-Foy) and the collection (lighting, ceramics, furniture), without mixing calls to action.
- Rights and discretion: photographer credit, a web-use license, written client consent before publishing a home, no address.
- Minimal form: project type, budget range, timeline, nothing more.
- Fees page described in general terms, a press page for real coverage only, links to Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz, a suppliers and makers page.
In Quebec, Law 25 requires a privacy policy in plain language, publication of the contact details of the person in charge of protecting personal information, the highest privacy settings by default, and an assessment before personal information is communicated outside Quebec, for example to a commerce platform hosted elsewhere. The Charter of the French language requires the commercial site to be available in French. Distance sales fall under the Consumer Protection Act, which sets out specific information before an order. CASL governs your newsletter. For the interior designer title, check with the provincial association, and never present the studio as architects. This is not legal advice.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Léa and Samuel run a design duo in Saint-Roch and sell a collection of about 60 pieces by Quebec makers. Quote A, a Quebec City agency: site and shop for CAD 28,000 (about USD 20,200), plus CAD 300 a month for 33 months, or CAD 9,900 (about USD 7,100). Three-year total: about USD 27,300.
Option B in two steps: Kolonell Growth at USD 4,900 with a price-on-request catalog, plus a shoot of the 60 pieces by a local photographer, a third-party cost of CAD 1,500 (about USD 1,100). Step one: about USD 6,000, or USD 14,200 less committed upfront than the option A build. They set a threshold: if the catalog brings at least 10 price requests a month for 6 months, they ask for a quote for the online shop.
FAQ
Does the site have to be in French? Yes, the Charter of the French language requires French to be available. If you also want English for tourists or Ontario clients, Premium at USD 8,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote.
Where should the site and shop be hosted? Law 25 calls for an assessment before personal information is communicated outside Quebec. For a small studio, documenting the host, the payment platform and the newsletter tool takes about half a day.
Can we sell the collection later? Yes, if the catalog is built from the start with real product records. Moving 60 price-on-request records to online sales is then priced in a separate quote.
Can I publish a client's home in Sillery? With written consent, no address and nothing that identifies them. A 2-line clause in your design contract settles it.
How long until launch? Allow 3 to 4 weeks for the portfolio and catalog, with 3 months of support included. The online shop follows its own schedule, set in the quote.
Let's scope your project. A portfolio with a 40 to 80 piece catalog, about USD 4,900, live in 3 to 4 weeks, shop on quote. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.