The verdict in three sentences
For a heritage and conservation practice in St Peter Port, the website rests on demanding content: restoration narratives, historic surveys, before and after photos, material choices such as local granite or lime. A remote studio works if you can supply that archive and put 17 to 38 hours into content, for £2,300 to £6,900. A Guernsey agency is worth its fee if you want it on site, scanning your archives and writing for you.
Who does what: the real decision criterion
Distance matters less than the workload left with the practice. A 20 page heritage site needs a lot of material, and that is where the options really differ.
| Task | Guernsey agency | UK agency | Remote studio (Kolonell) | Practice hours with the remote studio (ballpark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick-off workshop | On site | Visit by plane or ferry | 90 minute video call | 2 to 4 h |
| Digitising archives and surveys | Often offered as an extra | Rarely | You scan, the studio prepares files | 4 to 10 h |
| Writing restoration narratives | Agency copywriter, extra | Agency copywriter | Native English copywriter included, from your notes | 6 to 15 h |
| Before and after photography | Coordinated by the agency | Your responsibility | Your responsibility, local photographer | 3 to 6 h |
| CMS build and optimised gallery | Included | Included | Included | 1 h |
| CMS training | On site | Remote | Remote, 1 h | 1 to 2 h |
| Total for the practice | 12 to 22 h | 16 to 30 h | 17 to 38 h |
A simple rule: if partner time is worth more than £150 an hour and you have no usable site notes, the island agency can cost less than it first appears.
When is a Guernsey agency the better choice?
- Your archives are on paper, tracing film or slides, and nobody at the practice has time to digitise them.
- Your clients (owners of protected houses, trusts, public bodies) want to meet the provider.
- You want a seasonal photo campaign managed end to end on the island.
- The site must launch alongside a local exhibition or publication, with press coordination.
If your files are already digital and a partner can block two half days for copy, a remote studio delivers in 3 to 4 weeks. The grid is on the international offer page: Starter £2,300, Growth £3,900, Premium £6,900, with a project manager reachable on Guernsey time and 3 months of support.
What a heritage practice's site must include
- Long-form project pages: building history, survey, technical choices, outcome, with period drawings and before and after photos.
- Filterable portfolio: town house, farmhouse, church, public building, protected or not.
- Heavy gallery under control: AVIF or WebP, lazy loading, LCP under 2.5 seconds despite 60 archive images.
- Awards, publications and talks: a page that showcases your expertise.
- Qualification form: building type, protection status, budget, timeline.
- Image rights: written licences for photos and drone footage, archive permission for historic documents.
- Legal frame: forms fall under the Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2017, overseen by the Office of the Data Protection Authority. On the title architect, many island practitioners are on the UK ARB register; have your adviser confirm how the title may be used in Guernsey. Aim for WCAG 2.2 AA. This is not legal advice.
What is the total cost over three years?
The Guernsey pound is at par with sterling.
| 3-year cost line (2026 ballpark) | Guernsey agency | UK agency | Remote studio (Growth) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website build | £6,000 to £18,000 | £8,000 to £22,000 | £3,900 |
| Project narrative copywriting | £1,200 to £3,000 | £1,500 to £3,500 | Included |
| Archive digitising | £500 to £1,500 | Not offered | Your cost, £300 to £800 with a local provider |
| Maintenance and hosting | £2,500 to £7,200 | £2,900 to £7,200 | £700 to £1,400 (hosting in your name) |
| Travel | £0 | £600 to £1,800 | 0 to 1 trip on quote |
| Photography of 5 projects | £2,000 to £4,500 | £2,000 to £4,500 | £2,000 to £4,500 |
| Indicative total | £12,200 to £34,200 | £15,000 to £39,000 | £6,900 to £10,600 |
Ranges reflect typical agency quotes and public rate pages, with no claim to be a formal survey.
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Questions to ask before you sign
- Who writes the restoration narratives, and how many review rounds are included?
- Can you embed high-resolution historic drawings without slowing the site?
- Will the .gg or .com domain be in our name?
- How do you handle credits and licences for archive photos?
- What does it cost to exit the maintenance contract?
Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* James runs a four-person practice in St Peter Port restoring protected houses. The island agency quotes £11,000 including copy and digitising, plus £150 a month: £16,400 over 3 years, with around 15 hours of his time. The remote Growth option costs £3,900 plus about £35 a month of hosting, so £5,160, plus £600 of local digitising and around 30 hours of his time. At £140 an hour, the extra 15 hours are worth £2,100. Result: £7,860 for the remote route against £16,400, a gap of £8,540. James already keeps detailed site notes, so he chooses the remote studio. A colleague with archives on tracing film would be better off doing the opposite.
FAQ
Can a remote studio write about heritage restoration?
Yes, from your notes, reports and interviews. Plan a one-hour interview per flagship project and 2 rounds of review.
Should we publish projects on protected buildings?
They are your best proof of expertise, with the owner's written consent. Leave out security details and exact addresses for private homes.
How long does launch take?
Around 3 to 4 weeks with a remote studio if the archives are digitised, compared with 8 to 14 weeks at an agency according to typical quotes.
Is a French version useful in Guernsey?
It helps if at least 10% of your prospects speak French, for example owners from Normandy. Kolonell writes natively in English and French, which avoids a second supplier.
For a figure based on your actual archive, request a free quote.
Let's scope your project. A 15 to 25 page heritage website for a St Peter Port practice, from £2,300 to £6,900, 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.