The verdict in three sentences
For a manufacturing SME in Berlin in 2026, a professional template costs EUR 4,000-9,000 while a custom build rises to EUR 15,000-35,000. A technical catalogue with product sheets adds around EUR 6,000 and multilingual scope +25 %, over a 6-12 week timeline. The right choice hinges on three-year TCO and cost per lead, not the entry price.
Template or custom: what you pay for
A template speeds launch but caps differentiation; custom expresses your technical positioning and cleanly integrates your catalogue. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Criterion | Pro template | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | EUR 4,000-9,000 | EUR 15,000-35,000 |
| Design personalisation | Limited | Total |
| Technical catalogue | +EUR 6,000 | Included |
| Multilingual DE/EN/other | +25 % | +25 % |
| Technical performance/SEO | Standard | Optimised |
| Timeline | 6-8 weeks | 9-12 weeks |
| Scalability | Low | High |
An SME selling technical components to OEM buyers needs structured, filterable product sheets: custom or a headless CMS quickly pays off.
Three-year TCO: template vs custom
Let's compare a pro template at EUR 8,000 (with catalogue +6,000) and a custom build at EUR 22,000, over three years.
| Item | Template + catalogue | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | EUR 14,000 | EUR 22,000 |
| 3-year maintenance | EUR 4,200 | EUR 5,500 |
| 3-year hosting (EUR 70/mo) | EUR 2,520 | EUR 2,520 |
| Partial rebuild year 2 | EUR 3,500 | EUR 1,000 |
| 3-year TCO | EUR 24,220 | EUR 31,020 |
The template looks cheaper, but its low scalability forces a partial rebuild by year 2. The real TCO gap is only EUR 6,800 over three years for a far more capable site: cost per lead quickly favours custom.
Mini case study
Thomas, managing director of a 45-employee manufacturing SME in Berlin, is undecided. He picks a custom build at EUR 22,000, or EUR 31,020 in three-year TCO. His current site generates 6 qualified quote requests a month; the new filterable catalogue targets 15. At 22 % conversion and an average contract of EUR 18,000, the 9 extra requests represent roughly 1.98 contracts/month, or over EUR 420,000 in potential annual revenue. Cost per lead drops from EUR 305 to EUR 172: payback comes in under two months of operation.
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FAQ
What budget for a manufacturing SME website in Berlin in 2026?
Expect EUR 4,000-9,000 for a pro template and EUR 15,000-35,000 for custom. The technical catalogue adds around EUR 6,000.
Do I need a headless CMS?
If your catalogue is rich and evolving, yes: headless separates content from presentation and eases multilingual. It adds 15-25 % but reduces future rebuilds.
How much does multilingual cost?
DE/EN/other adds around 25 % to the build, because you must structure translations, hreflang and sometimes per-language SEO.
What is the launch timeline?
Between 6 and 12 weeks: 6-8 for a template, 9-12 for custom with a catalogue.
Is the template really cheaper?
Over three years, the TCO gap is only around EUR 6,800 versus custom, often offset by a better cost per lead. Templates remain valid for a simple, stable need.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your catalogue size, target languages and indicative budget. 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.
