The verdict in three sentences
For a Montreux firm advising international clients in English and French, a fixed-price remote studio (bilingual FR/EN Premium at 8 200 CHF at Kolonell) delivers the essentials for a fraction of the 25 000 to 45 000 CHF a Riviera agency asks for an equivalent scope. The Vaud agency keeps the edge if you want meetings at your office, portraits shot on site and a partner on hand day to day for several years. The right choice depends less on the headline price than on your real need for physical presence and on how clearly the contract settles site ownership.
Which criteria separate a Riviera agency from a remote studio?
In Montreux, a firm's clientele is often mixed: foreign residents settled between Vevey and Villars, British or North American families, second-home owners, local entrepreneurs. The site therefore needs flawless legal French and natural English. Agencies in Lausanne, Vevey and Montreux handle the former well, the latter less often without a translator.
| Criterion | Lausanne / Riviera agency | Romandy freelancer | Kolonell (remote studio) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time zone | CET, same zone | CET, same zone | Team based in Dakar (GMT), 1 to 2 h difference by season, project manager reachable in your hours |
| Meetings | At your office, in-person workshops | Depends on the freelancer | Video calls only |
| Languages | Native French, variable English | Native French | Native English or French copywriting |
| Entry price | 8 000 to 15 000 CHF | 3 500 to 6 000 CHF | 2 700 CHF (Starter) |
| Domain and code ownership | Check it, proprietary CMS possible | Check it | Demand it in writing, as with any provider |
| Photo and video at the office | Often offered | Rarely | Not offered |
| Continuity | Stable team, multi-year contract | Depends on one person | Dedicated project manager, 3 months of support included |
How much does each scenario cost for a Montreux firm?
The ranges below are a 2026 ballpark built from public price pages of French-speaking Swiss agencies, minimum budgets listed on Clutch.co profiles and hourly rates published by freelancers on Malt (about 90 to 140 CHF an hour in Romandy). They are not quotes.
| Firm's need | Lausanne / Riviera agency | Romandy freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact site of a few pages, one language | 8 000 to 15 000 CHF | 3 500 to 6 000 CHF | Starter 2 700 CHF |
| Full site, one page per practice area, qualified forms | 15 000 to 30 000 CHF | 6 000 to 12 000 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF |
| Bilingual FR/EN site with a rich structure | 25 000 to 45 000 CHF | 10 000 to 16 000 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
| Partner portraits | Often included | 1 000 to 2 000 CHF (photographer) | 1 000 to 2 000 CHF (local photographer) |
| Support after launch | Maintenance often 100 to 300 CHF/month | Case by case | 3 months included, then quoted |
| Time to go live | 8 to 14 weeks | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
Over 3 years, with the same hosting and maintenance hypothesis of 1 800 CHF a year on both sides, the bilingual scenario comes to about 40 400 CHF with a 35 000 CHF agency, against 15 100 CHF with Kolonell Premium (8 200 CHF, plus 1 500 CHF of portraits and the 5 400 CHF maintenance hypothesis). Kolonell is paid by bank transfer, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. The exact tier contents are on the international website offer.
When does a Vaud agency remain the better option?
It would be dishonest to claim the remote studio always wins. Prefer a local agency if:
- you want to meet the team at your office at every stage, or a partner refuses to approve anything over video;
- you need photos and a presentation video shot in your premises or along the lakeside: Kolonell does no photo or video shoots;
- you are also launching a full visual identity (logo, stationery, signage) with a single contact;
- your site must also exist in German for Swiss German clients, a language Kolonell does not write;
- you want a client portal or an integration with your practice software and prefer a provider within walking distance: at Kolonell, such development is quoted on request.
What should a Montreux firm site contain, and what is the framework?
A Riviera firm needs pages per practice area (real estate, international succession, personal tax, family law), lawyer profiles with languages spoken and admission to the Vaud cantonal register, a 'First meeting' page explaining the fee principles, and a form that collects a summary without confidential documents.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
The revised Swiss data protection act (nFADP) has been in force since 1 September 2023: privacy notice, information at collection, a contract with the host and transparency on measurement tools. The GDPR may come on top if you target EU residents. Lawyer advertising falls under article 12 of the federal Lawyers Act (BGFA), which allows it as long as it is objective and meets the public's need for information, and the Vaud Bar Association reminds members of the professional rules. Aim for WCAG 2.2 AA on accessibility. This is not legal advice.
Which questions should you ask before signing?
- To the agency: how many workshop hours are included, and is the English version written by a native speaker or translated?
- To the remote studio: who is my project manager, and during which hours do they answer?
- To both: will the domain be in the firm's name, will I receive the code and access, what does a change cost after the first months?
- To both: where is form data hosted, and is there a processing agreement compliant with the nFADP?
To get our written answers for your scope, request a free quote.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Sophie R. runs a three-lawyer firm in Montreux specialising in real estate and the estates of foreign residents. A Lausanne agency quotes 22 000 CHF for a bilingual site. She picks Kolonell Premium at 8 200 CHF and hires a Vevey photographer for portraits at 1 200 CHF, for 9 400 CHF in total. The gap is 12 600 CHF. At an hourly rate of 350 CHF, that represents 36 billable hours, roughly one week of a partner's work.
Kolonell has already built a bilingual FR/EN site for a legal service: TR Signing Group (trsigninggroup.com), a notary and apostille service in New Jersey, with verified quote requests per file and an appointment calendar.
FAQ
Is legal English handled well remotely? Yes, English copywriting is native at Kolonell, as is French. The firm reviews and approves every page before launch, planned 3 to 4 weeks after kickoff.
Can we move from Starter to Premium later? Yes. Starting on Starter at 2 700 CHF and upgrading is possible, but if you already know both languages are essential, Premium at 8 200 CHF avoids rebuilding the structure.
What happens after the 3 months of support? Maintenance beyond the 3 included months is quoted on request. Compare it with the 100 to 300 CHF a month local agencies often charge.
Is local SEO included? The site is delivered clean and well structured, but ongoing SEO work is quoted on request. No monthly package is included in the 2 700 to 8 200 CHF grid.
Does the nFADP require a cookie banner? The nFADP, in force since September 2023, mainly requires transparency about processing. If you also target EU residents, the GDPR and European cookie rules may require consent.
Let's scope your project. A firm website in English and French or a single language, Starter, Growth or Premium tier in CHF, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.