The verdict in three sentences
A global mobility consultancy in Washington DC that manages assignments for HR teams, while partner attorneys handle the immigration work, needs a site that wins employer trust and draws a clear line between relocation services and legal advice. A remote studio on a fixed grid (Kolonell Starter USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900, Premium USD 8,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks) covers most firms of this kind, because the work is structure, compliance-aware copy and secure intake, not on-site production. A DC agency is the better pick when you need regular in-person sessions with an HR procurement committee, filmed testimonials from assignees or a custom client portal built with your partner law firm in the room.
What does this kind of firm need from its website?
The business model shapes the site. Your buyers are HR directors and global mobility managers at federal contractors in Northern Virginia, consulting firms on K Street, universities, think tanks and international employers around Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle. They compare vendors on process, reporting and vendor coordination, and they need to see who does what.
Pages that usually matter:
- For employers: assignment management, cost projections, policy benchmarking, vendor coordination (movers, temporary housing, school search, destination services in DC, Bethesda, Arlington and Tysons).
- For assignees and families: what happens before arrival, settling-in, home and school search, with plain-language guides.
- Immigration coordination: a page explaining that immigration legal work is handled by partner attorneys, with US routes described generally and eligibility confirmed by a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
- Intake: a short qualification form for HR contacts, and for assignees a secure document upload (on quote) with data minimization and a written retention policy, since passport and family data are sensitive.
Languages follow your assignees: Spanish, French, Portuguese or Amharic are common in the DC area, and Premium is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote.
Which compliance points must the site respect?
In the United States, only licensed attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives of organizations recognized under the EOIR recognition and accreditation program may give immigration legal advice. A relocation or global mobility firm that is not one of them must say it coordinates with immigration counsel and must not describe eligibility, chances or timelines as its own advice. USCIS and Department of State processes can be explained in general terms only, without promising an outcome or a processing time, since the authorities decide both. Many states also have consumer laws against immigration consultant fraud, so wording matters.
If your partner law firm appears on the site, its attorneys should approve how they are presented, since state bar attorney advertising rules apply to them. There is no single federal privacy law; neighboring Virginia has its own consumer privacy law, with thresholds that many small firms fall below, so check which rules apply to you. Newsletters to HR contacts follow CAN-SPAM. For accessibility, target WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA, as ADA Title III website claims are frequent. This is not legal advice.
Local agency or remote studio: which situation calls for which?
| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Existing brand, clear services, need a credible site before a contract renewal season | Remote studio | Fixed scope and 3 to 4 weeks matter more than meetings |
| HR procurement committee wants 3 to 4 on-site presentations of drafts | DC agency | In-person rhythm is part of the buying process |
| Filmed interviews with relocated families in Arlington and Bethesda | DC agency, or a local video crew hired directly | Multi-day production is easier locally |
| Copy must be reviewed by partner attorneys before launch | Either | The review cycle sets the delay, not the provider's location |
| Custom portal for HR clients with assignment dashboards | DC agency or a quoted custom build | It is a software project, scoped separately |
| Multilingual guides for assignees | Remote studio with native writers | Copy quality matters more than proximity |
With Kolonell, the project manager is reachable during Eastern Time business hours and copy is written by native English writers. Any video crew or translator for extra languages beyond the quote is a third-party cost you contract directly.
What does each path cost over three years?
Ranges are a 2026 ballpark from typical DC area agency quotes and public agency rate pages. Ongoing maintenance figures are market assumptions, not Kolonell prices.
| USD, 2026 ballpark | Year 1 | Years 2 and 3 | Three-year range |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC agency, custom site | 18,000 to 55,000 build + 3,000 to 9,000 upkeep | 6,000 to 18,000 upkeep (market assumption) | 27,000 to 82,000 |
| Freelancer | 5,000 to 12,000 build + 1,000 to 3,000 upkeep | 2,000 to 6,000 upkeep (market assumption) | 8,000 to 21,000 |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,900 build, 3 months support included, then on quote (market assumption 1,350 to 3,600 for months 4 to 12) | On quote (market assumption 3,600 to 9,600) | 9,850 to 18,100 |
| Kolonell Premium | 8,900 build, 3 months support included, then on quote (same market assumption) | On quote (same market assumption) | 13,850 to 22,100 |
The secure upload and any HR client portal are on quote in every case. Compare what each tier includes on the international offer page.
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Short decision checklist
- Do you need more than two in-person workshops? If yes, lean local.
- Is your content mostly ready (services, process, partner attorney pages)? If yes, a remote studio can deliver in 3 to 4 weeks.
- Will the domain, hosting and code be in your company's name? Require it in the contract either way.
- Has your partner law firm approved every sentence about immigration? Plan 1 to 2 weeks for it.
- Is the intake form limited to the data you actually need, with a retention period written down?
- Is the accessibility target written in the contract?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Marcus is managing director of a fictional global mobility consultancy near Dupont Circle, with 9 consultants serving 25 employer clients and around 120 assignments a year. Today, each new assignment starts with about 4 emails to collect basic information, roughly 45 minutes of consultant time.
He chooses Kolonell Premium at USD 8,900 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) with an HR pre-qualification form; the secure assignee upload is quoted separately. If the form cuts those 45 minutes to 15 minutes, he saves 30 minutes on 120 assignments, or 60 hours a year. At USD 90 per hour of consultant time, that is USD 5,400 a year. A DC agency quote of USD 32,000 for the same scope would need about 6 years of those savings to pay back, against under 2 years for the Kolonell build.
FAQ
Can a relocation firm explain visa routes on its site?
Yes, in general terms, as long as the page says eligibility is confirmed by a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative. Allow 1 to 2 weeks for your partner attorneys to review those pages.
How long does the project take with a remote studio?
With Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, plus the attorney review time. DC agencies usually plan 8 to 14 weeks.
Is secure document upload included?
No, it is on quote because it depends on your storage, access rules and retention policy. Most firms keep it to a small set of documents and a retention period of 12 to 24 months, set with counsel.
Which tier suits a mobility consultancy?
Growth at USD 4,900 covers employer, assignee and service pages in English. Premium at USD 8,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote, and adds custom design.
Do we need a DC address on the site?
If you serve local employers, yes: a real office address and a service area covering DC, Maryland and Virginia help trust and local search. Listing 3 to 5 service area pages is usually enough.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your employer services, the partner attorney setup and the languages your assignees use, and we will return a fixed scope from USD 2,900 to 8,900 with a 3 to 4 week plan. 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.