The verdict in three sentences
For a professional kitchen equipment supplier selling 3.5 M EUR online at a 0.9% conversion rate, a redesign costs 45,000 to 100,000 EUR excl. VAT and takes 4 to 5 months. The lever is not visual design but the professional buying journey: online quotes for equipment above 5,000 EUR, a technical comparison tool and leasing finance displayed on the product page. Reaching 1.4% conversion, a realistic 2026 target, means nearly 1.9 M EUR in extra sales at constant traffic.
Why professional equipment sites convert poorly
A restaurant owner buying a 14,000 EUR combi oven does not order like a consumer buying a frying pan. They compare power ratings, dimensions, electrical or gas connections, want to know delivery and installation times, and rarely pay cash. Sites that only show an « Add to cart » button lose these buyers, who leave to call a competitor.
| Friction point | Observed effect | Fix in the redesign |
|---|---|---|
| No online quote above 5,000 EUR | 60 to 70% of large baskets abandoned | « Request a quote » button with configuration and options |
| Technical sheets as PDF only | Long comparison time, mobile bounce | Structured data, filters by power, dimensions, energy |
| No financing option | Purchase delayed by 3 to 6 months | 36 to 60 month leasing simulator on every product page |
| Vague delivery times | Customer service calls, 25% of contacts | Delivery time computed by postcode and stock |
| Mixed prices excl. and incl. VAT | Doubt about the real price | Prices excl. VAT by default for business accounts |
| Customer account without history | Hard to reorder consumables | Quick order and saved purchase lists |
Redesign budget by tier
| Work package | Essential | Intermediate | Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B design and UX journeys | 12,000 EUR | 18,000 EUR | 24,000 EUR |
| Front-end and catalogue development | 18,000 EUR | 26,000 EUR | 34,000 EUR |
| Online quote and configurator | 6,000 EUR | 10,000 EUR | 14,000 EUR |
| Technical comparison tool | Not included | 6,000 EUR | 9,000 EUR |
| Connected leasing simulator | 4,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR | 9,000 EUR |
| ERP and CRM integration | 5,000 EUR | 9,000 EUR | 10,000 EUR |
| Total excl. VAT | 45,000 EUR | 75,000 EUR | 100,000 EUR |
| Timeline | 4 months | 4.5 months | 5 months |
The leasing simulator relies on a financial leasing partner (a bank or a lessor specialised in hospitality equipment). The rate and approval in principle come from the partner; the site simply shows the indicative monthly payment and forwards the request.
Protecting SEO during the redesign
An established supplier often gets 40 to 55% of its traffic from organic search. A poorly migrated redesign can lose 20 to 30% of it for six months. Three precautions are usually enough: a page-by-page 301 redirect plan, keeping the URLs of the 300 product pages driving the most traffic, and daily Search Console monitoring for 8 weeks after launch. Budget 3,000 to 6,000 EUR excl. VAT for this package, already included in the figures above.
Mini case study
Marc, marketing director of a professional kitchen equipment supplier in Lyon, sells 3.5 M EUR online at 0.9% conversion with a 30% gross margin. He chooses the intermediate tier at 75,000 EUR excl. VAT.
Cautious scenario: conversion rises to 1.2%. At constant traffic, online sales reach 4.67 M EUR, so 1.17 M EUR more and about 350,000 EUR of extra gross margin a year. Target scenario: 1.4%, meaning 5.44 M EUR in sales and 580,000 EUR more margin. Even in the cautious scenario, the redesign pays back in under 3 months of operation, once the 2 to 3 month ramp-up is over.
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FAQ
Should we display prices for large equipment?
Yes, at least a starting price excl. VAT. Product pages with a displayed price and a quote button usually convert 1.5 to 2 times better than « price on request » pages.
Does leasing really increase sales?
Showing a monthly payment, for example 290 EUR a month over 48 months for a 12,000 EUR oven, lowers the decision barrier. Suppliers who did it often see a 10 to 20% rise in requests on the products concerned.
Can we keep our current platform?
If it is recent (Shopify Plus, Magento 2, Sylius), a front-end and journey redesign is enough and costs 30 to 40% less. A platform older than 7 years often justifies a full rebuild.
What timeline should we plan?
Allow 4 to 5 months: 6 weeks of design, 10 to 12 weeks of development and 3 weeks of acceptance testing. Avoid a September launch, a peak period before the season.
How do we measure ROI?
Track conversion rate by product family, the number of online quotes and their close rate, and the share of sales financed through leasing, over a rolling 6 months.
Let's scope your project. Send us your online revenue, conversion rate and current platform: we will price a redesign between 45,000 and 100,000 EUR excl. VAT, delivered in 4 to 5 months, with a measurable conversion target. 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.
