The verdict in three sentences
For a Chicago company that services standby generators and commercial solar arrays, a new website only pays off if it wins preventive maintenance agreements with hospitals, data centers and manufacturers, and routes emergency service requests fast. The 15 questions below, in four blocks, let you check in one meeting whether an agency understands your buyers, your emergencies and your technical constraints. With a 2026 market ballpark of $8,000 to $40,000 and 6 to 10 weeks, two weak answers in the first block are enough to walk away.
Blocks 1 and 2: winning contracts and industry content
| No. | Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How will the site win maintenance agreements, not just contacts? | A page per plan (preventive, full service, load bank testing), a site assessment request form, a monthly target for requests | A beautiful site attracts clients on its own |
| 2 | What does the emergency service form ask for? | Generator make and kW rating, transfer switch type, solar array size in kW, address, urgency, nameplate photo | Name, email, message |
| 3 | How are urgent requests routed? | Text and call alert to the on call technician, tap to call emergency number on every mobile page | They land in a shared inbox |
| 4 | How will you measure results? | Form, call and click tracking by source, monthly figures reviewed together | You will see visitor numbers |
| 5 | Will there be industry pages? | Pages for hospitals, data centers, manufacturing and commercial real estate, each with its own stakes | One generic services page |
| 6 | How do we show references without exposing clients? | Anonymised or written approved case studies with uptime and response time figures | Client logos used without permission |
| 7 | Who writes the technical content? | Copy written after interviewing your service manager, reviewed by you, referencing NFPA 110 where relevant | You send us the text |
| 8 | Do we need Spanish pages? | Yes for key pages if your facilities contacts or small business clients prefer Spanish | Machine translation is fine |
Question 2 tells you the most: a form that captures make and kW rating lets your technician roll out with the right parts and bill on the first visit.
Blocks 3 and 4: technical, contract and budget
| No. | Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | How fast will pages load on a phone in a basement mechanical room? | Pages under 1.5 MB, tested on weak mobile signal | No measurement planned |
| 10 | Will the site meet accessibility expectations? | Built to WCAG 2.1 AA, given ADA litigation risk for business websites | We have never had a complaint |
| 11 | Can clients log in to see their service history? | Priced option: visit reports and maintenance schedule online | Promised without a price |
| 12 | Who owns the domain, hosting and code? | Your company, admin access handed over at launch | The agency keeps access |
| 13 | What is your response time if the site goes down? | Written commitment, 24 to 48 business hours | We do our best |
| 14 | How is payment staged? | 30 to 50 % upfront, balance on approved launch | 100 % before work starts |
| 15 | What does monthly maintenance cover? | Written list: updates, backups, hours of changes included | A flat fee with no scope |
| Item | 2026 market ballpark | Kolonell's prices | |
| B2B site with 10 to 15 pages | $8,000 to $20,000 | Growth site EUR 1,830 to 3,050, 8 to 12 pages, built in blog | |
| Site with client portal | $20,000 to $40,000 | Customer area option: EUR 230 | |
| Extra industry pages | $300 to $900 per page | EUR 40 per page | |
| Spanish version | $1,500 to $4,000 | EUR 110 per language | |
| Timeline | 6 to 10 weeks | 14 to 21 business days for a Growth site | |
| Maintenance | $150 to $600 per month | EUR 53, 114 or 183 per month |
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Denise runs a 40 technician generator and solar service company in Chicago with 120 maintenance agreements averaging $9,000 a year. Her current site brings about 3 requests a month. With industry pages and an assessment form she targets 12 a month and a 5 % close rate, about 7 new agreements a year. At $9,000 each and a 30 % margin, that is $18,900 of margin a year. A $16,000 local agency rebuild plus $300 a month of maintenance costs $19,600 in year one, so it breaks even in about a year, and the nearshore Growth option at roughly EUR 3,400 with extras pays back within a quarter.
FAQ
What should a Chicago generator service company budget for a new website?
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The 2026 market ballpark is $8,000 to $40,000, depending on page count and whether you add a client portal. A well built 10 to 15 page site covers most mid sized service firms.
How long does a rebuild take?
Plan 6 to 10 weeks with most agencies, including 2 weeks of technical copywriting. Gathering job photos and approved references usually sets the pace.
Should we publish maintenance plan prices?
Show starting prices by generator size band, for example under 150 kW and above, and offer a site assessment. Hospital and data center buyers usually compare 2 or 3 providers.
Is a client portal worth it from day one?
It pays off above about 50 active agreements, when emailing visit reports takes hours each week. Kolonell prices the customer area option at EUR 230.
How should we handle after hours emergencies?
Put a tap to call on call number on every mobile page and route the urgent form to text alerts. A stated call back time, such as 30 minutes, builds more trust than a vague promise.
Let's scope your project. Send us your maintenance plans, target industries and page count, and we will price a site that brings in service calls and assessment requests, with a precise budget and timeline. 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.
