The verdict in three sentences
A Hamilton global mobility firm sells to HR and mobility teams at reinsurers and international businesses, so its website must reassure a buyer in Zurich, London or Toronto that assignments, permit coordination with Bermuda lawyers and relocation are handled with discipline. A Bermuda agency earns its premium when your sales depend on in-person pitches on Front Street, local filming and a vendor that your clients' procurement teams already know. A remote studio on a fixed grid (Kolonell Starter USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900) is the rational choice when the site is mostly clear service pages, an HR resource area and a lean intake form, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks.
How do the decision criteria play out in Hamilton?
Bermuda is one hour ahead of New York all year, which already gives any North American or European studio a workable overlap. The criteria that really separate the two options are elsewhere: how often you need people in the room, who films your team, and how strictly your clients' procurement departments review suppliers. Work permits and residence are administered by the Department of Immigration; your firm coordinates, the authority decides, and the site must say so plainly.
| Criterion | Favours a Bermuda agency when | Favours a remote studio when |
|---|---|---|
| Meetings | You want monthly workshops in Hamilton or Pembroke | Two or three video workshops are enough |
| Working hours | Your team works late with Asia-Pacific clients and needs same-island support | A named project manager in your time zone covers your office hours |
| Copywriting | You want a writer who knows local employer culture by heart | You want native English copy focused on HR buyers abroad |
| Photo and video | You plan regular shoots at your Front Street office and client sites | One half-day with a local photographer (third-party) is enough |
| Supplier due diligence | Clients require an on-island vendor with local insurance | Clients accept a written security and data annex |
| Ownership | Rarely an issue if written down | Rarely an issue if written down: domain, code and copy in your name |
| Price | Budget covers USD 12,000 to 30,000 for the build | You want a fixed grid and a fixed scope |
The local agency is clearly better in two cases worth stating honestly: when your largest clients' procurement policy favours on-island vendors, and when video interviews of your consultants are the heart of your marketing. In both cases the extra cost buys something real.
What does an HR-facing mobility site need?
An HR director comparing mobility providers reads three things before calling: how you run an assignment from offer letter to first month, how you work with Bermuda immigration lawyers on permit files, and how you protect employee data. A solid structure for a Hamilton firm looks like this: a page per service family (assignment management, permit coordination, housing and schools, departure and repatriation), an employer area with downloadable checklists and a description of your reporting, a page stating that immigration legal advice is given by the Bermuda lawyers you work with, and a short enquiry form for HR teams with a separate one for individual assignees.
Never publish permit fees, processing times or eligibility criteria as facts: routes are described generally and eligibility is confirmed by a regulated adviser or lawyer. On data, the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA), fully in force since 1 January 2025, governs how you collect and use personal information, and the Privacy Commissioner oversees it. Ask your provider for a privacy notice, a clear purpose statement on each form, a retention period and, for passport or contract uploads, a secure space (on quote). Set WCAG 2.2 AA as the accessibility target. This is not legal advice; have counsel review the privacy notice before launch.
What will each route cost in years 1, 2 and 3?
Ballpark 2026 figures, based on typical quotes from Bermuda agencies and freelancers for an 8 to 15 page professional services site. Upkeep uses a market assumption of USD 150 to 300 a month, with USD 500 to 1,500 a year of content updates in years 2 and 3; these are not Kolonell prices.
| Period (USD) | Bermuda agency (photo included) | Freelancer | Remote studio, Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 build | 12,000 to 30,000 | 4,000 to 10,000 | 4,900, plus 1,000 to 2,000 local photographer (third-party) |
| Year 1 upkeep | 1,800 to 3,600 | 1,800 to 3,600 | 1,350 to 2,700 (9 months after the 3 included) |
| Year 2 | 2,300 to 5,100 | 2,300 to 5,100 | 2,300 to 5,100 |
| Year 3 | 2,300 to 5,100 | 2,300 to 5,100 | 2,300 to 5,100 |
| Three-year total | 18,400 to 43,800 | 10,400 to 23,800 | 11,850 to 19,800 |
The freelancer looks cheap but carries a continuity risk: if one person leaves the island or changes career, your permit coordination pages and forms have no owner. Ask any provider how the site is documented and handed over. Kolonell includes native English or French copywriting, a project manager reachable in your time zone and 3 months of support; later maintenance is on quote. The details are on the international offer page.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Marcus, founder of a fictional firm called Front Street Mobility in Hamilton, manages about 90 assignments a year for 14 employer clients, mostly in reinsurance. Each assignment currently triggers around 12 status emails from HR, at 5 minutes each, so one hour per assignment. A password-free employer resource page with the standard assignment checklist and a status explanation could halve that: 30 minutes × 90 = 45 hours saved a year. At an internal cost of USD 85 an hour, that is about USD 3,825 a year, which covers the Growth build within roughly 15 months.
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Marcus picks the remote Growth tier, hires a Hamilton photographer for half a day, and writes into the contract that his domain, hosting account and copy stay in the firm's name. His Bermuda lawyers review the permit coordination page before it goes live. You can scope a similar project by requesting a free quote.
Five questions to put to both providers
- Who registers the domain and the hosting account, and in whose name?
- Where are form submissions stored, who can read them, and when are they deleted under our retention policy?
- How do our lawyers review permit-related pages before publication, and how many review rounds are included?
- What is the fixed price of a change request after sign-off?
- If we leave, what do we receive: code, content export, credentials, documentation, and within how many days?
FAQ
Is a remote studio acceptable to reinsurance clients' procurement teams?
Often yes, if you can show a written data annex and a named contact. If a client requires an on-island vendor, that settles it in favour of a Bermuda agency, whose build usually starts around USD 12,000.
Can the site explain Bermuda work permit routes?
In general terms, yes, with a link to the Department of Immigration. Never state fees, thresholds or timeframes as facts; one sentence saying eligibility is confirmed by a lawyer protects both you and the assignee.
Does PIPA change what our forms should ask?
PIPA, fully in force since 1 January 2025, pushes towards collecting only what is needed for a stated purpose. An HR enquiry form with 6 fields instead of 15 is easier to justify and easier to complete.
Do we need more than English?
Most HR buyers read English. If you also serve Portuguese-speaking families or European assignees in their language, Premium at USD 8,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote.
How long does a Growth project take?
Delivery runs 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. A secure document upload space or an integration with your assignment software is on quote and adds time.
Let's scope your project. Share your services, your employer client mix and your launch date, and we will propose a fixed scope on the USD grid with a clear handover clause. 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.