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Summary
The global web development market has experienced dynamic growth, with the number of websites accelerating. By 2023, internet penetration will reach 64.4%, with 5.16 billion internet users and 4.76 billion people on social networks, reflecting a flourishing digital ecosystem. The French web development market has recorded robust growth, with a 175% increase in sales between 2012 and 2022, according to NAF code 6201Z. Online presence has become essential for businesses, with 69% of them deeming it indispensable. The majority of developers are men (76%), and most are under the age of 34, underlining the youthfulness of the sector. Despite this, there is a worldwide shortage of developers, making recruitment difficult. The market is highly fragmented, with numerous web development agencies and service providers in France, with the Île-de-France region leading the way with 4,499 establishments. Agencies tend to focus on local markets due to customer proximity and market saturation.
The main competitive strategy is to set up showcase projects or expand the service offering to include comprehensive digital services, as the quality of the customer relationship is essential. Web development costs vary considerably, from a few euros a month for a subscription to basic online software to tens of thousands of euros for custom development, reflecting the diversity and complexity of the market.
Trends and dynamics in the French web development market
The French web development market has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, reflecting the global trend of Internet penetration and the rise of e-commerce. By 2022, the sector had increased its sales almost threefold (around 175%), reflecting a robust and dynamic industry that has capitalized on the proliferation of digital connectivity and mobile web browsing. The market's growth is further underlined by the increasing indispensability of an online presence for businesses, as evidenced by thesurveys show that between 60% and 70% of companies consider an online presence to be essential, and a further 30% recognize its usefulness.
The quest for visibility is primarily driven by the desire to showcase activities, to be easily found and to engage in dialogue with customers and prospects. Indeed, over three-quarters of the French population use the Internet on their cell phone, which translates into a staggering figure of over 60 million active Internet users in the country. The expectation of digital accessibility has pushed businesses towards web development initiatives, with micro and small businesses moving more towards social networking, while medium-sized companies are more inclined to create dedicated websites.
This trend seems to grow with company size. Yet, despite the recognition of the value of an online presence, SME investments are generally modest. The vast majority spend less than 1,000 euros a year, due to the difficulty of quantifying return on investment. It's also worth noting that more than half the companies surveyed either don't track Internet sales, or only report them marginally.
The French web development market is characterized by an abundance of web agencies and web service providers with diverse specializations. By 2021 alone, it is estimated that there will be over 11,000 establishments - a significant jump of around 119% - employing almost 100,000 people, a figure that has more than doubled over the same period. The Île-de-France region remains dominant, hosting the largest share of establishments, followed by regions such as Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. What's more, the robust market is fueled by the essential and much-demanded skills of web developers. With a 15% increase in job vacancies between two consecutive quarters in 2021, developers are predominantly young male professionals, with the largest group aged between 25 and 25
Key players in French web development
In France's web development industry, a mosaic of agencies navigate the digital space offering a range of specialized services. Here we highlight a selection of these renowned players, highlighting their unique qualities and the wealth of expertise they bring to the French web development arena.
- NewQuest: A touch of global elegance With an international presence in locations ranging from Chambéry in France to the USA, Australia and Hong Kong, NewQuest stands out as a versatile player in the digital arena. Its portfolio demonstrates competence in a variety of areas, including Wordpress website development, e-commerce solutions, digital art direction and the development of strategies that enhance the digital footprints of clients such as Eyeshop and Stade Toulousain.
- Colors: Creating vibrant digital experiences Colors, an agency firmly rooted in Paris, combines its national presence with multidisciplinary expertise. Its offering includes the design of Wordpress sites, both to showcase businesses and to enable e-commerce, as well as the development of web platforms and SEO strategies. Their colorful work includes sites for renowned brands such as Lanvin and Franck Provost.
- Agence Zee: Your digital alchemist From its Paris base, Zee Agency combines the creation of websites and e-commerce platforms with digital strategy consulting services. It deploys a palette of services encompassing SEO and webmarketing, complemented by aesthetic finesse in logo design. The agency's portfolio is enriched by projects for Dealissime and Reflets de France, illustrating their prowess in the digital arts.
- USTS (Un Site Tout de Suite): Web magic in the blink of an eye ASTS stands out for its operations in Paris and La Réunion, focusing on the fast, efficient delivery of showcase and e-commerce sites. It offers comprehensive maintenance and security services, optimizing online spaces such as Maillots caramel and the eco-conscious Paris durable initiative.
- Webeego: A beacon of online creativity Based in the Paris region, Webeego is a multi-faceted developer of websites and e-commerce platforms. Maintenance and SEO are among its main services, and it has created online presences for a wide range of clients, including hotels and community organizations such as the Cafés Filous association.
- 148: Orchestrating digital symphonies 148, another Paris-based connoisseur of digital services, weaves a rich tapestry of website creation tools with an emphasis on we platforms.
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Detailed content
Inforamtion
- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 03/04/2023
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
The web development market encompasses services for creating and enhancing websites. This includes a wide range of professions, from web development proper to graphic identity design, user experience enhancement in general, or database security.
In France, there are two main types of service provider active in the web development market:
- Web hosts, who offer a variety of options ranging from shared or mutualized hosting (inexpensive) to "turnkey" hosting, enabling a company to retain control over the content of its website;
- Web agencies, either part of a communications group or independent. They cater to customers in all sectors, offering a variety of services tailored to the size and needs of each company. They focus primarily on their expertise in digital communications and marketing.
Despite the poor figures for the media sector, the growth in the number of websites continues to accelerate. We'll be focusing here on the development of website creation by businesses, which is mainly driven by the success of e-commerce and the development of the Internet on cell phones. The size of the French website development market has in fact been growing steadily since 2012, for a total increase in sales of +175% from 2012 to 2022.
The market does, however, face threats, such as the democratization (or even trivialization) of technological expertise linked to website creation, which is increasingly being observed. Faced with these developments, service providers need to develop their expertise in marketing strategy and digital communications. They must also adapt their content to the advent of the mobile as a web browsing tool.
1.2 A dynamic global market
The number of Internet users continues to grow
The success of the web development market depends directly on the ever-increasing number of Internet users worldwide: in ****, there will be around *.** billion Internet users, or **.*% of the world's population connected to the Web, compared with *.* billion in **** (***). Even more striking: in April ...
1.3 Strong growth in the French market
Website development is partly registered in the Insee nomenclature under NAF code: ****Z - Computer programming. This code includes the design of structure and content, and the writing of computer programs required for the creation and implementation of :
system and network software software applications databases web pages software adaptation, i.e. ...
1.4 The Covid-19 effect
The Covid-** epidemic has had a positive effect on the web development market. Indeed, one of the main reasons is the tenfold increase in the need for companies to develop their digital presence during the confinements. As a result, many websites have been created or enhanced to compensate for the physical ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Internet presence has become a must for companies
Online presence considered essential
According to a study conducted by the Association française pour le nommage Internet en coopération (***) in ****-****, companies have understood the necessity of their online presence: the results of the study show that **% of companies surveyed consider their online presence indispensable and **% consider it useful ...
2.2 Equipment rates vary widely by sector
The percentage of companies equipped with a website varies widely by sector: the best-equipped sector includes companies in manufacturing, energy, water, waste management and depollution (***).
Companies equipped with a website, by sector France, ****, number of companies Source: ****
Transport and warehousing Information and communication; repair of computers and communication equipment Retail trade Administrative ...
2.3 Most demand for external service providers
Potential customers of web development companies have several options open to them: they can either use an external web development solution, or an in-house solution.
External web development solution
Calling on a company or freelance web development professional is commonplace. According to Insee figures, in **** over ***,*** companies would have used an ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Developer profile
The profile of developers
Web developers are the most in-demand professions on job boards: between Q* and Q* ****, an increase of +**% in additional job offers was recorded. [***]
When it comes to the profile of developers in France, these include a large majority of men: **% of developers are men, and only **% are ...
3.2 A highly fragmented market
It's very difficult to establish the exact number of players in the web development sector, such as the number of web agencies or web service providers in France. This is because there is a multitude of APE (***).
Urssaf provides data on the number of establishments and the number of employees in ...
3.3 Competitive market overview
The aim of this part of the study is to provide a structured listing of the main players in website development. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the main players on the market:
NewQuest: Website: https://www.newquest-group.com/ ; Profile : International multi-expertise player; Location: Present in France (***), the USA, Australia and ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Comparison of the 4 families of Web development solutions
Overview of web development solutions
Focus on these turnkey web development solutions
Open-source CMS deployment
This solution is aimed at web users with basic knowledge of HTML/CSS and FTP, who want to spend as little as possible on site creation, and are willing to invest their time. It involves using ...
4.2 Examples of Web solutions
Example of the web solution offered by Pages Jaunes
Known for its printed directories, the Pages Jaunes brand seems to have put its paper business on the wane, and is now refocusing on digital services. In this difficult economic climate, the group, renamed "Solocal", can pride itself on having become France's ...
4.3 Website development costs
Due to the fragmentation of the web development market, the absence of industry-level figures and the extreme diversity of web development projects, there are no figures for payroll, services or infrastructure costs. While it's generally accepted (***) that a domain name for a classic site costs an average of around ten euros ...
4.4 New products competing with the web
The rise of e-commerce
The growth of the web development market also lies in the new services offered by websites. First and foremost, the e-commerce market is taking off. After gaining ground in the United States, e-commerce has seen very strong growth in France in recent years. The e-commerce market generated ...
5 Regulations
5.1 NAF codes
The sector's players are registered in the Insee nomenclature under several different NAF codes, the main ones being as follows.
**.**Z - Computer programming [***]
This subclass includes:
Designing the structure and content and writing the computer programs needed to create and implement: systems and network software, software applications, databases, web ...
5.2 Current regulations and compliance with the RGPD
Current regulations
When developing and creating a website, there are several legal obligations:
Legal notices, i.e. the information that must appear on the site, such as the identity of the legal representative, if the company is a commercial site, the important information about it (***). Cookie prevention: as privacy protection is ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation :
We use the following segmentation of web development players:
List of charts
- Penetration rate of Internet and social network users
- Growth in the size of the website development market
- Computer programming sales index (code 62.01Z)
- Number of active Internet users
- Breakdown of financial resources devoted by SMEs to their online presence per year
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Latest news
Publicis launches major artificial intelligence plan - 25/01/2024
- Publicis has a market capitalization of 22.5 billion euros.
- Publicis has around 100,000 employees.
- Publicis has 45,000 engineers, IT consultants and data experts.
- The group unveils CoreAI, an internal platform to be used by all employees.
- Publicis bought Sapient for $3.7 billion in 2014.
- Publicis also bought Epsilon for $4.4 billion in 2019.
- Publicis has data from 2.3 billion profiles worldwide and trillions of data points analyzing the commercial performance of campaigns.
Consultants' rush to independence destabilizes consulting firms - 17/10/2023
- Malt, a European leader in freelancing, boasts a platform of 340,000 freelancers
- They are able to offer 15,000 consultants, including 5,000 in France
- Half of these consultants come from large consulting firms or the Big Four, the others are interim managers.
- Two-thirds of our consultants are called on directly by companies, while the remaining third are called on by the big consultancies to provide back-up
- Clients can obtain consulting services at three to four times lower cost thanks to Malt
- At Mazars, the number of consultants opting to leave the company and go independent has been rising steadily over the last ten years
- Independent consultants account for approximately 5% of the Mazars workforce
- EY Consulting has 1,500 consultants in France.
Despite a difficult advertising market, Publicis on cloud nine - 12/10/2023
- Publicis has raised its guidance for the full 2023 financial year, now forecasting organic growth of between 5.5% and 6%
- Publicis has passed the symbolic threshold of 100,000 employees worldwide.
- Publicis plans to massively deploy artificial intelligence features internally to improve staff productivity.
Malt: 80 million euros for its freelance platform - 30/09/2023
- The freelance market is worth 42 billion euros in France, 355 billion in Europe and 654 billion in the United States.
- Malt has raised 80 million euros in capital.
- The Malt platform works with 85% of CAC40 groups.
- Malt has a community of 250,000 freelancers.
- Malt plans to expand into the Netherlands and Italy in the coming months.
- Malt's CEO has set 2024 sales targets of one billion euros (200 million in 2020).
SRA expands into webmarketing and webdesign - 05/09/2023
- SRA has made three acquisitions in less than a year.
- The Lyon-based family group (SRA) has taken a 75% stake in the Pilot'in agency.
- Pilot'in is a twenty-strong team based in Lyon, founded in 2013.
- SRA had already acquired WebMedia RM last year.
- SRA has 250 employees in some fifteen agencies in mainland France and the French West Indies, North Africa and Madagascar.
- Acquisition of Ivelem, another Sage integrator based in Bordeaux, Angoulême and Paris, employing around 40 people.
- Sales in 2022 were €35 million. They forecast sales of 43 million euros in 2023.
In 2023, the communications market will return to pre-Covid levels - 16/03/2023
- - The overall French communications and advertising market 33.8 billion euros in net advertising expenditure
- - Traditional media (radio, print, television, outdoor advertising and cinema) stable
- - Digital (display, search, social) and other media (directories, sponsorship, fairs, etc.) are expected to grow by 6% and 4% respectively
- - Television: 3.49 billion
- - Radio: 700 million
- - Press: 1.82 billion
- - Outdoor advertising: 1.22 billion
- - Digital accelerated by 9.7% year-on-year to 9 billion
- - other media (directories, sponsorship, fairs, etc.) grew by 5.1%, to 15.6 billion.
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the website development market | France
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