The verdict in three sentences
For a Singapore marine services company selling to ship owners, managers and charterers, choose your agency with a 100 point scoring grid rather than on price alone. A realistic budget is 15,000 to 60,000 SGD for an English and Mandarin site with service capability pages and a project gallery, delivered in 6 to 14 weeks. The winning agency is the one that can explain your technical services and licensing context clearly to a superintendent in Hamburg or Shanghai, not just make the site look good.
What the site must do for marine buyers
A technical superintendent comparing yards or service providers wants hard facts: dock or berth capability, trades covered, response times, class society approvals, ISO certifications and project references by vessel type. Many Singapore providers also need to explain how they operate within the port, including any MPA licences or approvals relevant to their services, without overstating them. A strong site combines precise service pages, a credible project gallery, and an enquiry form that captures vessel type, location, dates and scope.
Mandarin matters when a meaningful share of clients or principals are Chinese speaking. It should be written by native speakers with maritime vocabulary, not machine translated, and use Simplified Chinese unless your audience says otherwise.
| Project element | 2026 estimate | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Build budget | 15,000 to 60,000 SGD | Languages and gallery drive the spread |
| Timeline | 6 to 14 weeks | Photo and video access on site takes planning |
| Languages | 2 (English, Mandarin), sometimes more | Native maritime translators |
| Project gallery | 50 to 200 optimised images | Page weight, captions per vessel type |
| Enquiry forms | 3 to 5 | Repair, crew, supply, careers |
| Maintenance | 200 to 900 SGD per month | Updates, backups, certification changes |
The 100 point scoring grid
Score each agency after the pitch and proposal. Adjust weights to your priorities, keeping the total at 100.
| Criterion | Points | What earns full marks |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of your services and buyers | 20 | They describe your trades, clients and sales cycle back to you accurately |
| Relevant B2B and multilingual references | 15 | At least two live sites in English and Chinese or another Asian language |
| Proven mobile performance | 15 | A reference gallery page loading under 3 seconds when tested live |
| Proposal quality | 15 | Phased plan, named team, clear acceptance testing |
| Three year total cost | 15 | Build and maintenance itemised, out of scope rates stated |
| Autonomy after launch | 10 | Training included, team can add projects and news unaided |
| Ownership and exit | 10 | Domain, code and accounts in your company's name |
Below 60 points, do not book a second meeting. Between 60 and 75, negotiate scope. Above 75, compare on schedule and maintenance detail.
Red flags in pitch meetings
The agency asks nothing about your vessel types or where clients are based. It shows mockups but never opens a live site on a phone. Mandarin is "included" with no named translator. The quote does not mention image processing or maintenance. The domain will be registered in the agency's name "to keep things simple". Each of these should cost them at least 5 points.
As a benchmark, Kolonell's Premium website at 1,200 to 2,300 EUR, delivered in 21 to 30 days, provides a polished bilingual foundation, with extra languages and large galleries quoted separately, and maintenance at 38 to 115 EUR per month.
Mini case study
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Illustrative example: Wei Ling, commercial director of a 60 person ship repair and marine engineering firm in Tuas, receives three proposals: 52,000 SGD (scored 84), 28,000 SGD (scored 72) and 16,000 SGD (scored 55). She drops the third. Over three years, the first costs 52,000 + 25,200 = 77,200 SGD with 700 SGD monthly maintenance, the second 28,000 + 12,600 = 40,600 SGD with 350 SGD monthly. She asks the second agency to add a vessel type filter to the gallery for 3,500 SGD, raising its score to 77 for 44,100 SGD in total.
FAQ
What does a marine services website cost in Singapore in 2026?
Budget 15,000 to 60,000 SGD depending on languages, gallery size and integrations. A bilingual site with 80 project images typically lands between 22,000 and 35,000 SGD.
Do we need a Mandarin version?
Only if Chinese speaking owners, managers or principals are a real share of your pipeline. Native maritime translation and layout usually add 20 to 30 % to the build cost.
How long does it take?
Six to 14 weeks. Securing photo and video access to vessels and yard areas can add 2 to 3 weeks, so plan it early.
What minimum score should we accept?
Do not go further below 60 out of 100. Above 75, choose on schedule and maintenance terms.
What does maintenance cost?
Typically 200 to 900 SGD per month depending on service level. Kolonell maintenance runs from 38 to 115 EUR per month.
Let's scope your project. Send us your service lines, target languages and gallery size, and we will price a Premium foundation at 1,200 to 2,300 EUR with language and gallery options and a realistic schedule. 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.
