The verdict in three sentences
An Oxford firm focused on private clients, wills and probate, education and charities should redesign its site as soon as price and appointment enquiries come in more by phone than through the web. Expect roughly £8,000 to £30,000 with a local agency as a 2026 ballpark, against a fixed Kolonell grid of £2,300, £3,900 or £6,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. The point to watch is not the purchase price but the three-year cost and protecting the pages that already bring you clients.
How do you know a firm's website needs rebuilding?
In Oxford, between the city centre, Summertown and Oxford Business Park, clients compare several firms online before calling. Four symptoms come up often:
- The price pages required by the SRA Transparency Rules for wills and probate or residential conveyancing are an old PDF that is hard to read on a phone.
- Practice-area pages (probate, family, charities, education, spin-outs) have no dedicated URL.
- The contact form does not state that it creates no lawyer-client relationship and collects sensitive details without need.
- The site does not reach WCAG 2.2 AA, while many older probate clients read on a tablet with large text.
How much does the redesign cost over 3 years?
Build figures are 2026 ballparks based on typical local agency quotes. Maintenance figures are a market assumption, not a Kolonell price.
| Option | Redesign | Monthly maintenance (market assumption) | 36-month total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service Oxford agency | £18,000 to £30,000 | £250 to £400 | £27,000 to £44,400 |
| Small local studio | £8,000 to £16,000 | £120 to £250 | £12,320 to £25,000 |
| Freelancer | £3,000 to £7,000 | £60 to £150 | £5,160 to £12,400 |
| Kolonell Starter | £2,300 | 3 months included, then on quote | £2,300 + maintenance on quote |
| Kolonell Growth | £3,900 | 3 months included, then on quote | £3,900 + maintenance on quote |
| Kolonell Premium | £6,900 | 3 months included, then on quote | £6,900 + maintenance on quote |
Premium is the multilingual tier (languages set in the quote), useful if you advise international families or researchers. These stay on quote: online booking, client portal, secure document exchange and integration with your practice management software. All tiers are described on the international offer page.
Who does what during the 3 to 4 weeks?
The redesign moves as fast as the firm approves its content. Here is the real split of tasks.
| Week | Kolonell | The firm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | URL inventory, 301 redirect map, sitemap | List of practice areas to keep, Search Console and hosting access |
| 2 | Mock-ups, SRA price page template | Mock-up approval, up-to-date price schedules |
| 3 | Build, insights migration, forms | Each lawyer reviews their biography |
| 4 | Testing, accessibility checks, go-live | Compliance review of marketing content by the designated partner |
Kolonell provides a project manager reachable in your time zone and writes in native English; support is included for 3 months after go-live.
Which risks should you watch, and who owns them?
| Risk | Early warning sign | Owner | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO traffic loss | Falling impressions in Search Console | Provider | Exhaustive 301 map, 8 weeks of monitoring |
| Lost articles | Internal links returning 404 | Provider | Migration with URLs kept or redirected |
| Missing SRA price pages | Absent from the test plan | Firm and provider | Transparency Rules checklist and SRA digital badge |
| Non-compliant claims | "Best" or "specialist" in the copy | Firm | Review by the compliance partner |
| Excessive form data | Mandatory "details of your matter" field | Provider | Data minimisation, conflict-check field, no lawyer-client relationship notice |
| Downtime | Silent forms after switchover | Provider | Test submissions on the day, rollback ready |
Applicable framework: UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, PECR for cookies and marketing email, overseen by the ICO; the Equality Act 2010 for accessibility. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask, and when an Oxford agency is better
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Before signing, ask: will the domain and hosting stay in your name? Is the 301 map delivered as a file? How many revision rounds? Who handles the SRA price pages?
A local agency remains preferable if you want a full client portal delivered at the same time, team photo shoots organised on site and monthly in-person marketing support. If what you need is a clear, fast and compliant site, the fixed grid is the more rational choice.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Edward, managing partner of a six-lawyer boutique in Summertown focused on wills, probate and charity work. He receives a local quote of £14,000 and chooses Kolonell Growth at £3,900, a £10,100 difference. The firm gets 25 calls a month asking about prices; with clear price pages he expects to avoid 10, at 15 minutes each, which is 2.5 hours a month. Valued at £180 an hour, that is £450 a month, so about 8.7 months to cover the cost of the redesign.
FAQ
What budget should an Oxford law firm plan for a redesign?
As a 2026 ballpark, £8,000 to £30,000 with a local agency, excluding maintenance. At Kolonell, £2,300, £3,900 or £6,900, with maintenance after 3 months on quote.
How long does the project take?
3 to 4 weeks at Kolonell once content is ready. Biography review by 6 lawyers often takes a week on its own.
Do we have to publish our probate prices?
The SRA Transparency Rules require price and service information for certain services, including probate in many cases. Plan one dedicated page per service concerned, often 2 to 4 pages.
Should our old articles be migrated?
Yes for those still receiving traffic or links. Out of 100 articles, it is common to migrate 60 and redirect the other 40 to a topic page.
Will the site be accessible?
We target WCAG 2.2 AA, with sufficient contrast and keyboard navigation. A full external audit remains a third-party cost if your firm requires one.
For a precise estimate, request a free quote.
Let's scope your project. A redesign with practice-area pages, SRA price pages, a 301 map and compliant forms, between £2,300 and £6,900, live 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.
