The verdict in three sentences
For a firm in the CBD, Ponsonby, Takapuna or Newmarket, a redesign costs roughly NZD 20,000 to 60,000 with a local agency in 2026, about USD 11,800 to 35,400. If part of your client base reads Chinese or Hindi, the hard part is not the design but the multilingual structure: one URL per language, hreflang tags and clean redirects, which Kolonell's Premium tier at $8,900 covers (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote). Allow 3 to 4 weeks once content is approved, plus time to review translations.
When should an Auckland firm redesign its website?
Auckland firms often combine commercial law, property, immigration and family trusts. Four situations come up again and again:
- the site was built in English only, then supplemented with Chinese PDFs sent by email, which Google barely indexes;
- the Immigration pages implicitly promise outcomes, which must go: no visa outcome can be guaranteed;
- the contact form asks for a passport number or financial position in the first message, for no reason;
- a merger or partner departures left orphaned profiles and practice areas.
What budget for an Auckland redesign?
A 2026 ballpark based on typical quotes and public agency rate pages, converted approximately (NZD 1 ≈ USD 0.59). Kolonell prices are fixed, in USD.
| Option | Budget | Typical timeline | Multilingual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | NZD 5,000 to 15,000 (≈ USD 2,950 to 8,850) | 6 to 10 weeks | Rarely handled well |
| Mid-size Auckland agency | NZD 20,000 to 60,000 (≈ USD 11,800 to 35,400) | 10 to 16 weeks | Often via an outside translator |
| Large digital agency | NZD 70,000 to 150,000 (≈ USD 41,300 to 88,500) | 16 to 24 weeks | Yes, with content strategy |
| Kolonell Starter | $2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | One language |
| Kolonell Growth | $4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | One language, full structure |
| Kolonell Premium | $8,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. For Chinese or Hindi, a review by an independent translator of your choice is recommended and is a third-party cost. Still on quote: client portal, secure document exchange, connected booking, advanced SEO work. See the international websites offer.
How do you structure a multilingual site without losing traffic?
The principle: one URL per language, declared with hreflang, and every old URL 301-redirected to its exact equivalent.
| Page | English | Simplified Chinese | Hindi | Watch point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | /en/ | /zh/ | /hi/ | Language switcher visible on mobile |
| Commercial property | /en/commercial-property | /zh/commercial-property | /hi/commercial-property | Identical slugs, easier to maintain |
| Immigration | /en/immigration | /zh/immigration | /hi/immigration | No promise of outcome |
| Family trusts | /en/family-trusts | /zh/family-trusts | /hi/family-trusts | Legal vocabulary checked by a native speaker |
| Lawyer profile | /en/team/name | /zh/team/name | /hi/team/name | Languages spoken by the lawyer shown |
| Contact | /en/contact | /zh/contact | /hi/contact | Translated privacy notice |
If a language covers only part of the site, do not create empty pages: 8 complete Chinese pages beat 40 half-translated ones.
Which risks, at which point in the project?
| When | Risk | Owner | Countermeasure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | URLs missed in the inventory | Kolonell | Search Console export and full crawl |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | Loose translations | Firm and third-party translator | Native review before integration |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | Lost insight articles | Kolonell | Migration or 301 to the closest article |
| Weeks 3 to 4 | Non-compliant claims | Supervising partner | Review of practice and profile pages |
| Go-live | Downtime or broken forms | Kolonell | Evening switch, send tests, rollback |
| Months 1 to 3 | Ranking dip | Kolonell | Monitoring of 404s and queries |
On professional conduct, stay general: lawyers are governed by the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 and the associated conduct rules, overseen by the New Zealand Law Society. No 'best firm', no case results, no rankings or testimonials without checking first. The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading claims. The Privacy Act 2020 applies with no turnover threshold: lean forms, stated purpose, defined retention period, with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as the reference authority. The form should state that submitting it does not create a lawyer-client relationship and include conflict-check fields. This is not legal advice.
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Questions to ask, and when a local agency is the better choice
Ask who manages the hreflang tags, who reviews translations, how many revision rounds are planned per language, and whether the domain and hosting stay in your name. An Auckland agency is the better choice if you want a full brand campaign with a video shoot, regular workshops at your offices, or a multilingual client portal connected to your practice management software from launch. For a well-structured redesign at a fixed price, Kolonell's remote model costs far less.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Grace, partner in a 14-lawyer firm in Newmarket (commercial property, immigration, trusts). The site has 210 English URLs and 15 Chinese PDFs. A local multilingual quote reaches NZD 65,000, about USD 38,350. She chooses Premium at $8,900 and hands the Chinese and Hindi review to an independent translator for NZD 2,400 (about USD 1,420, third-party cost). Total: about USD 10,320, roughly USD 28,030 less. The 15 PDFs become 8 indexable Chinese pages, and the 210 English URLs go into the 301 map.
FAQ
How much does a law firm website redesign cost in Auckland?
As a 2026 ballpark, NZD 20,000 to 60,000 with a mid-size agency, about USD 11,800 to 35,400. Kolonell uses a fixed grid: $2,900, $4,900 or $8,900.
Should we translate the whole site into Chinese or Hindi?
No, translate first the 6 to 10 pages that generate enquiries. A partial but complete version beats a machine translation of 40 pages.
Does the Privacy Act 2020 apply to a small firm?
Yes, there is no turnover threshold in New Zealand. A form limited to 5 or 6 useful fields and a defined retention period are good practice.
How long does the project take?
3 to 4 weeks with Kolonell once content is approved, plus your translator's review time. With a local agency, 10 to 16 weeks is common.
What happens after the 3 months of support?
Maintenance and hosting are on quote. The domain and logins stay in your name.
Let's scope your project. A multilingual redesign with a 301 map and hreflang, Premium at $8,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. 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.
