The verdict in three sentences
A Cambridge global mobility firm that serves HR teams sells trust before it sells services, so the website has to show how assignments, relocation and permit coordination actually run, and who is regulated to do what. A local agency is worth it if your directors want frequent workshops in town and filmed interviews with HR clients; a remote studio is enough when the brief is a clear employer-facing site with secure intake, built at a fixed price such as Growth at £3,900 or Premium at £6,900. The deciding factor is rarely the build fee: it is who will write compliant copy about immigration without crossing into advice.
Which criteria should a Cambridge mobility firm weigh?
A global mobility firm in Cambridge typically works for life sciences companies around the Biomedical Campus, tech firms on the Science Park and in the city centre, and university departments hiring researchers. Its buyers are HR and reward teams, often in other time zones, and its end users are assignees and their families. The table below scores both provider types on a 1 to 5 scale, with weights a typical firm of this kind might choose.
| Criterion | Weight | Local agency | Remote studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-zone overlap with your team | 15 % | 5 | 4 |
| Meetings and on-site workshops | 15 % | 5 | 2 |
| Native copywriting and languages | 20 % | 4 | 4 |
| Secure intake and data handling | 20 % | 4 | 4 |
| Cost over three years | 20 % | 2 | 5 |
| On-site photo and video | 10 % | 5 | 3 |
| Weighted score | 100 % | 4.00 | 3.80 |
The gap is narrow. Move 10 points of weight from meetings to cost (meetings 5 %, cost 30 %) and the order flips: 3.70 for the local agency, 4.10 for the remote studio. Write your own weights before you request quotes, because they tell you which provider type to shortlist.
What must the site say, and not say, about immigration?
In the UK it is a criminal offence to provide immigration advice or services unless you are qualified. Advisers must be regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, the body formerly called OISC, renamed in January 2025) or by a designated professional body, such as the SRA for solicitors, or the bodies covering barristers and chartered legal executives. A relocation company that is not regulated must not give immigration advice, and its website must not drift into it either.
In practice, the copy should:
- describe route families in general terms only, with a line such as "routes described generally, eligibility confirmed by a regulated adviser or lawyer";
- explain how permits are coordinated with regulated advisers, and name the regulatory status of whoever gives the advice, in the footer or on a dedicated page where the rules require it (check the exact display rules with the IAA or the relevant body);
- never promise an outcome, a success rate or a processing time, since the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) decide;
- present sponsor licence support for employers in general terms, as a service you coordinate.
Data protection matters just as much. Passport, family and employment details are sensitive. The first contact form should ask only for what is needed to qualify a request; document upload belongs in a secure space (on quote), with a published retention policy. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply, the ICO supervises, and PECR governs cookies and marketing email. Under the Equality Act 2010, targeting WCAG 2.2 AA is the sensible baseline. This is not legal advice.
What do local agencies and remote studios charge in 2026?
These ranges are a 2026 ballpark drawn from public agency rate pages and typical agency quotes in Cambridge and the wider East of England, for a site of 10 to 20 pages with forms. Treat them as orders of magnitude.
| Option | Typical build | Usual timeline | Included after launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge freelancer | £3,500 to £9,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Varies |
| Cambridge boutique studio | £9,000 to £22,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Retainer usually extra |
| London agency serving Cambridge | £25,000 to £60,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | Retainer usually extra |
| Kolonell Starter | £2,300 | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 months of support |
| Kolonell Growth | £3,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 months of support |
| Kolonell Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote | £6,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 months of support |
Kolonell's grid includes a project manager reachable in your time zone and native English or French copywriting; support after the 3 included months, secure document upload and HR portals are on quote. See the international offer for tier contents.
When should you pick the Cambridge agency?
A local agency is clearly the better choice in three situations. First, if your sales motion relies on filmed client stories with HR directors and assignees, shot on campus or in client offices. Second, if you are rebranding the whole firm, with events, print and signage alongside the website. Third, if your partners will only commit time in person and would let a remote project stall. If none of these apply, the remote route usually delivers the same site for a fraction of the cost.
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What should you ask before signing, whoever you choose?
- Who drafts copy about routes, and who checks that it stays general? (Your regulated adviser should review it.)
- Where is form data stored, for how long, and who can access it?
- Will the domain, hosting account and code be registered to us?
- How will accessibility be tested against WCAG 2.2 AA?
- Which languages will be native-written, and who reviews them?
- What is the exit process if we change provider?
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Priya runs client services at a fictional 12-person global mobility firm near Cambridge station. Her team handles about 40 new assignee enquiries a month, and each one costs roughly 25 minutes of emails to collect basic details.
A structured intake page with conditional questions, built in Growth at £3,900, brings that down to about 10 minutes. Saving: 15 minutes × 40 = 600 minutes, so 10 hours a month. At an internal cost of £35 an hour, that is £350 a month, or £4,200 a year: the build pays for itself in about 11 months. Priya keeps Premium at £6,900 in reserve for when two corporate clients ask for assignee pages in other languages.
FAQ
Can a remote studio write our immigration pages?
It can draft clear, general copy, but a regulated adviser or solicitor should review anything touching routes. Allow one review round of 2 to 3 working days per batch of pages.
Do we need a secure upload portal at launch?
Not always. Many firms start with a minimal contact form and send a secure link only after qualification, which keeps the first build at £3,900 and puts the portal on quote later.
How many languages should a Cambridge mobility site offer?
Start with English and add languages your HR clients actually request. Premium at £6,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote.
How quickly can the site go live?
About 3 to 4 weeks once content and regulatory wording are approved, against 6 to 16 weeks at most local or London agencies.
What should the footer show?
Company details and, where the rules require it, the regulatory status of whoever provides immigration advice. Confirm the exact wording with the IAA or the relevant professional body, then request a free quote that includes it.
Let's scope your project. An HR-facing mobility site with compliant copy and minimal intake, from £2,300 to £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.