The verdict in three sentences
In Naples, Florida, many architecture firms live on luxury coastal custom homes and second homes, yet their website tells a public or institutional owner almost nothing. A credentials-led redesign costs a ballpark USD 15,000 to 75,000 at a regional agency, against $4,900 for Growth or $8,900 for Premium at Kolonell, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. The right go-live window is outside the winter high season, when seasonal residents are fewer and the team has time to review.
Why would a residential firm redesign to win public work?
A selection committee at a public body, a private school or a foundation does not read a website the way a homeowner does. It looks, often within minutes, for verifiable facts: scope of services, team and credentials, comparable projects, insurance and capacity. A site built for villa owners, with large galleries and little text, fails on all of these. Hurricane and flood-zone design constraints belong on the site in general terms, never framed as regulatory advice.
Another sensitive point: the title architect is regulated by the state licensing board. The team page gives it only to license holders, and NCARB certification or AIA membership appear only where real. Awards, press and sustainability ratings appear only if supplied and verified by the firm.
Which pages should be added for institutional buyers?
| Page or asset | Role for a selection committee | Content supplied by | Suggested Kolonell tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability statement | Summarize services, codes, contacts | Firm | Growth |
| Team and credentials page | Show who signs and who leads | Firm | Starter or Growth |
| Downloadable credentials PDF | Direct attachment to a submission | Firm, layout scoped in the quote | Growth |
| Projects filtered by type and size | Find a comparable project in 2 clicks | Firm | Growth |
| Process and typical schedule page | Explain the method, in general terms | Firm and Kolonell | Growth |
| Careers (architects, technologists) | Show team capacity | Firm | Starter |
| Tender document room | Exchange files with a buyer | On quote | On quote |
Procurement rules vary by owner: the site prepares the ground, each submission follows the solicitation it answers.
In practice, a procurement-friendly structure means a few simple habits: a stable, short URL for the capability statement (such as /capabilities) that can be pasted into any form, a credentials PDF kept under 5 MB, a visible last-updated date, one page per service with plain headings, and a named contact with a direct line. Project pages should state the building type, the role the firm played and the delivery phase, in factual terms supplied by the firm.
What does the redesign cost, and when should it launch?
| Option | 2026 ballpark | Typical timeline | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional freelancer | $5,000 to 14,000 | 6 to 10 weeks | Rarely writes institutional copy |
| Naples or Fort Myers boutique agency | $15,000 to 40,000 | 8 to 14 weeks | In-person meetings |
| Miami or Tampa agency | $30,000 to 75,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | Full strategy and brand |
| Kolonell Starter | $2,900 | 3 weeks | Fewer than 10 published projects |
| Kolonell Growth | $4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Filterable portfolio, capability pages |
| Kolonell Premium | $8,900 | 4 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
Ranges come from typical agency quotes and public rate pages. On timing, aim for a go-live between May and October: winter concentrates client meetings and site visits. During hurricane season, use hosting outside the region and automatic backups. Full details are on the international websites page.
Which risks, and how are they neutralized?
Ranking loss. House and service pages that already rank need a URL inventory, a page-by-page 301 redirect and 6 weeks of Search Console checks.
Portfolio and rights. Every migrated project keeps its photo credit and the client's written permission; private houses appear without an address, only by neighborhood or town.
Heavy images. Villa galleries often exceed 10 MB per page: WebP or AVIF, lazy loading, responsive sizes.
Integrations. BIM viewers, project extranets, client portals and CRM stay linked or embedded, priced on quote. The form asks only for name, contact details, project type, location area and rough budget; plans go through a separate secure channel, on quote.
Compliance. The firm reviews all marketing content before go-live, accessibility targets WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA (ADA Title III claims against websites are frequent in the US), CAN-SPAM for email.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Technical cutover. TTL lowered 48 hours before, MX records kept so no tender email is lost.
Questions to ask: who lays out the credentials PDF? Can the firm edit the project categories? How many redirects does the quote cover?
A local agency is the better choice if you need full bid support, interview coaching before selection panels or a video shoot on your sites.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Mangrove Line Studio, 4 people in Naples, focused on private houses and second homes, wants to answer requests from private schools and foundations. Today, assembling credentials takes about 12 hours per submission. With a capability statement and an up-to-date PDF, the principal estimates 5 hours. Over 8 submissions a year, the assumed saving is 8 x 7 = 56 hours; valued at $120 an hour, that is $6,720 of principal time a year, an assumption rather than a promise. The Growth redesign costs $4,900.
FAQ
Do we need a separate site for public work?
No, a dedicated section is enough in most cases. It fits within the Growth tier at $4,900.
When should the new site go live?
Ideally between May and October, outside the winter high season, followed by 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring.
Can we show houses without the client's consent?
No: every project needs written permission, a photo credit and no address. This is not legal advice.
Does the credentials PDF update itself?
It can be generated from site pages if the quote includes it; otherwise, plan 1 to 2 hours of updates per quarter.
Which tier for a 4-person firm?
Starter at $2,900 is enough for fewer than 10 projects; once an institutional section and a filterable portfolio are needed, Growth at $4,900 fits better.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects to publish, which buyers you target and your preferred go-live date. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
