The verdict in three sentences
For a London management consultancy, the website contract matters as much as the design, because the site will carry client names, case studies and thought leadership that partners consider core assets. Before signing, make sure the contract settles ownership of the domain, hosting, code and content, ties payments to testable milestones, and makes client approval and compliance sign-off a formal acceptance step. A fixed price with a short timeline reduces risk, but only if acceptance criteria and handover are written down.
Which clauses should a consultancy website contract contain?
Most London agencies use their own template. That is normal, but templates are written to protect the agency. Here is what a typical contract says, what a consultancy should ask for, and where Kolonell stands.
| Clause | Typical local agency contract | What to ask for | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | High-level sitemap, "up to X pages" | Named page list, insights section, case study template, team profiles | Scope written in the quote |
| Domain and hosting | Sometimes registered or hosted on the agency's account | Domain and hosting account in the firm's name, admin credentials handed over | Written in the quote |
| Code and content ownership | Licence to use, agency retains reusable components | Assignment of bespoke code and all content on final payment, licences listed for third-party themes or plugins | Written in the quote |
| Price | Day rates or project fee with variations | Fixed price per milestone, change requests priced before work starts | Fixed grid: Starter £2,300, Growth £3,900, Premium £6,900 |
| Timeline | 10 to 16 weeks, dependent on "client feedback" | Dated plan, named dependencies on your side | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Acceptance | "Deemed accepted" after 5 working days of silence | Written test list, two revision rounds, explicit sign-off | Acceptance terms written in the quote |
| Support | Retainer from launch | Defined bug-fix warranty period, then optional support | 3 months of support included, then on quote |
| Exit and handover | Rarely detailed | Full export of content, code repository access, DNS transfer within a set number of days | Written in the quote |
Ask your solicitor to check the governing law (usually English law), the limitation of liability and the IP assignment wording. This is not legal advice.
How should milestones and acceptance work?
Pay against deliverables you can test, never against time spent. The split below is a common market pattern for a consultancy site, given as an illustration.
| Milestone | Deliverable | Acceptance test | Typical payment share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature | Signed scope, page list, plan | Plan agreed by the managing partner | 30% |
| Design approval | Home, service page, insight article, case study layouts | Two revision rounds, brand check | 20% |
| Build complete | All pages on a staging site | Test list run on desktop and mobile, forms delivered to the right inbox | 20% |
| Content and compliance sign-off | Final copy, anonymised case studies, privacy and cookie pages | Client approvals logged, legal and risk review done | 20% |
| Go-live and handover | Live site, credentials, CMS training | DNS, redirects, analytics consent checked | 10% |
Consultancy-specific acceptance steps. First, a client approval workflow: no client name, logo or quote goes live without written consent, and anonymised case studies follow a template (sector, challenge, approach, outcome range) agreed with your risk partner. Second, ownership of thought leadership: reports, frameworks and articles written by your partners belong to the firm, including if the agency edited them. Third, a CMS where partners can publish insights with roles (author, reviewer, publisher), tested during acceptance.
Data and accessibility. Your provider will process personal data from contact and newsletter forms, so you need a data processing agreement under UK GDPR Article 28. The UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 frame this in general terms, the ICO is the regulator, and PECR covers cookies and marketing emails: non-essential cookies need consent. For accessibility, the Equality Act 2010 duty to make reasonable adjustments is the general frame; target WCAG 2.2 AA and include an accessibility check in acceptance.
You can compare these fixed terms with our international website offer.
What does it cost in London in 2026?
2026 ballpark from typical London agency quotes and public freelance rates, for a 10 to 25 page consultancy site.
| Option | Build (GBP) | Usual timeline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large London agency | 25,000 to 60,000 | 12 to 20 weeks | Strategy workshops, brand work often extra |
| Boutique London studio | 12,000 to 30,000 | 8 to 14 weeks | Day rates around £500 to £900 |
| Freelancer | 4,000 to 12,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Contract terms vary widely |
| Kolonell Starter | 2,300 | 3 to 4 weeks | Compact site, 3 months support |
| Kolonell Growth | 3,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Insights section, more pages |
| Kolonell Premium | 6,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
Kolonell includes a project manager reachable in your time zone and native English or French copywriting. Integrations with your CRM or a client portal are on quote.
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Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* Eleanor, COO of a fictional 40-person transformation consultancy in Shoreditch, receives a local agency contract at £28,000 with 50% upfront and "deemed acceptance" after 5 days. She renegotiates the structure using the milestone table, then compares with Kolonell Growth at £3,900, plus an independent accessibility check at £1,200 and a half-day team photo shoot at £800 (both third-party costs): £5,900. Partner review time is the same in both cases, about 12 hours at an internal value of £200 per hour, or £2,400. Her total cost of ownership at launch is £8,300 versus £30,400, and with milestone payments her cash at risk before design approval falls from £14,000 to the deposit only.
FAQ
Who should own the domain of a consultancy website?
The firm, always. Register it on a firm account and give the agency delegated access; a DNS transfer can otherwise take 5 to 10 working days and block a relaunch.
What does "deemed acceptance" mean, and should I accept it?
It means the site counts as accepted if you do not object within a set period, often 5 working days. Ask instead for explicit written sign-off against a test list, with two revision rounds.
Do we need a data processing agreement with the web agency?
If the agency hosts the site or accesses form submissions, it processes personal data on your behalf, so UK GDPR Article 28 terms apply. Most agencies have a standard DPA; read it before signing.
Can a fixed-price contract handle change requests?
Yes, if each change is quoted before work starts. A typical consultancy project sees 2 to 4 change requests, often around new service lines or case studies.
What support comes after launch?
Kolonell includes 3 months of support; beyond that, support is on quote. In London, market retainers commonly start around £150 to £500 per month.
Ready to compare contracts side by side? Request a free quote with your page list and approval process.
Let's scope your project. Share your page list, case study approval rules and launch date, and we will return a fixed scope, price and 3 to 4 week plan. 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.
