The verdict in three sentences
When three agencies answer 4,000, 12,000 and 30,000 EUR to the same brief, the brief lets each one imagine a different project. A 12-section website brief, written in 2 to 5 days, makes quotes comparable and narrows the gap between offers to 20 or 30%. The options that blow up the budget are almost always the same: multilingual, client portal, content migration and integrations, to be decided with full knowledge of their cost.
The 12 sections of a useful brief
A good brief runs 8 to 15 pages. It does not describe the technology for the agency: it describes the business, the goals and the constraints.
| Section | What to write | Writing time | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Company overview | Activity, revenue, target clients | 1 h | Generic messaging |
| 2. Measurable goals | E.g. 30 quote requests per month | 2 h | No way to judge results |
| 3. Audiences and journeys | 2 to 4 profiles, their questions | 3 h | Useless pages |
| 4. Site structure | List of pages and sections | 3 h | Quotes not comparable |
| 5. Content | Who writes, volume, photos | 2 h | 4 to 8 week delay |
| 6. Features | Forms, booking, blog | 2 h | Mid-project extra costs |
| 7. Integrations | CRM, ERP, email tool | 1 h | Manual lead re-entry |
| 8. Brand and design | Logo, colours, reference sites | 1 h | Mockup back-and-forth |
| 9. SEO and migration | Existing pages, traffic, redirects | 2 h | 20 to 50% traffic loss |
| 10. Legal constraints | GDPR, accessibility, legal notices | 1 h | Late compliance work |
| 11. Budget and timeline | Range, launch date | 1 h | Off-target offers |
| 12. Maintenance and hosting | Who updates, support level | 1 h | Hidden costs after delivery |
Stating a budget range does not weaken your negotiation: it lets agencies propose the best scope for your envelope instead of guessing.
How much does each option cost in 2026?
Baseline: a custom 10 to 15 page SMB brochure site, priced around 6,000 to 9,000 EUR excluding VAT in France. Here is the extra cost of the most requested options.
| Option | 2026 extra cost excl. VAT | Real value for a B2B SMB |
|---|---|---|
| Multilingual version | +20 to 30% of the project | High if over 15% of revenue is export |
| Secure client portal | +5,000 to 15,000 EUR | High for documents or repeat orders |
| Blog with categories | +1,500 EUR | High for SEO at 12 months |
| Content migration | +1,000 to 4,000 EUR | Essential beyond 50 existing pages |
| CRM connection (HubSpot, Pipedrive) | +1,500 to 4,000 EUR | High from 20 leads per month |
| Online booking | +500 to 1,500 EUR | Medium, depends on sales cycle |
| Advanced animations | +2,000 to 6,000 EUR | Low in B2B, except creative sectors |
| Configurator or price simulator | +4,000 to 12,000 EUR | High if quotes can be standardised |
The maths is simple: an 8,000 EUR site that adds multilingual (+25%), a client portal (10,000 EUR), migration (2,500 EUR) and CRM (2,500 EUR) becomes a 25,000 EUR project. The gap comes from the requested scope, not from the agency's rates.
The mistakes that blow up the quote
First mistake: writing modern responsive website without a site structure, forcing each agency to invent the scope. Second mistake: forgetting who writes the copy, while copywriting is 15 to 25% of the budget when the agency handles it. Third mistake: adding features mid-project, billed 20 to 40% more than in the initial quote. Fourth mistake: ignoring SEO migration, which can cost months of traffic.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Francois, managing director of a 35-employee industrial maintenance SMB in Nantes, receives three quotes of 4,500, 14,000 and 28,000 EUR to redo the website. He writes an 11-page brief in 3 days: 14 pages, English version for 18% export revenue, HubSpot connection, migration of 60 pages, no client portal. The new quotes land between 11,500 and 14,500 EUR excluding VAT. By dropping the unnecessary client portal he avoids about 10,000 EUR of spend and picks the 12,800 EUR offer with a 9-week timeline.
FAQ
How long does it take to write a brief?
Plan 2 to 5 days depending on project size. A consultant can write it for 1,500 to 3,500 EUR excluding VAT if you lack time.
Should you tell agencies your budget?
Yes, a range with a 30% spread is enough, for example 10,000 to 13,000 EUR. Without a budget, quote gaps often exceed a factor of 5.
How many agencies should you consult?
Three to four agencies are enough. Beyond that, analysis time exceeds 2 days for a marginal price gain.
What if one quote is far below the others?
Check whether it includes copywriting, migration, testing and maintenance. A gap of more than 50% almost always hides a missing service.
Is the brief legally binding?
Once attached to the contract, it becomes the reference in a scope dispute. It protects both parties.
Let's scope your project. Send us your brief, even incomplete, with your budget range, and we will return a scope priced option by option with a realistic 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.
