The verdict in three sentences
An IB World School in Bellevue sells to families who often discover it from another continent, a few weeks before a relocation to the Eastside tech corridor, so the website does the first campus tour. That makes multilingual clarity, a fast enquiry path and rolling admissions more important than a large creative budget, which favors a remote studio with a project manager working in Pacific Time. A local Seattle-area agency remains the better call if you need frequent on-campus production or a partner who sits on your committees.
What makes a Bellevue IB school website different?
Most of your prospective parents are not comparing you with the school down the road. They are comparing you with the IB school they leave behind in Bangalore, Seoul, Shanghai or Paris, and they read your site at night on a phone. Three consequences for the scope:
- The IB continuum must be legible in two clicks. PYP, MYP and Diploma Programme pages should explain the sequence, assessment and how the Diploma compares with AP for US university admissions.
- Rolling admissions replace a single season. Corporate transfers arrive in January, June and October, so the enquiry form, virtual tour booking and document checklist must work year-round, with an automatic reply that sets expectations on response times.
- Parents read in several languages. Mandarin, Korean, Hindi or Spanish summaries of the admissions path reduce back-and-forth emails. At Kolonell this belongs to the Premium tier (USD 8,900), and the number of languages is set in the quote.
Links to your student information system, admissions software or parent portal are on quote, as is any calendar sync.
Local agency or remote studio: who wins on each criterion?
| Criterion | Local Seattle-area agency | Remote studio | What to verify in writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time zone overlap | Full Pacific Time | Project manager reachable in Pacific Time | Named contact, response time in hours |
| In-person meetings | Easy, campus visits included | Video calls; one on-site day is rare | Number of workshops in the quote |
| Parent languages | Often subcontracted translation | Premium tier, languages set in quote | Who reviews each language before launch |
| Build price (2026 ballpark) | $30,000 to $70,000 | USD 2,900 to 8,900 at Kolonell | What is excluded (integrations, photos) |
| Domain, hosting and code ownership | Varies by contract | Varies by contract | Registered in the school's name from day one |
| On-campus photo and video | Often bundled | Hire a local photographer | Image consent process for pupils |
| Delivery time | 12 to 24 weeks typical | 3 to 4 weeks at Kolonell | Content deadline on the school's side |
Ownership is a contract point for both models, never a given. Ask for the domain registrar account, the hosting account and the code repository to be in the school's name, and for a written handover procedure.
What does each model cost over three years?
2026 ballpark ranges based on typical agency quotes and public rate pages in the Seattle and Eastside market. They are indicative, not survey data. Maintenance figures are market assumptions over the 33 months that follow a 3-month launch period.
| Cost item | Seattle-area agency | Regional freelancer | Remote studio (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and build | $30,000 to $70,000 | $8,000 to $18,000 | $4,900 (Growth) to $8,900 (Premium, multilingual) |
| On-campus photo and video | $2,000 to $5,000 | $1,500 to $3,500 | $1,500 to $3,500 (local photographer) |
| Maintenance, 33 months (market assumption) | $11,550 to $29,700 | $3,300 to $9,900 | On quote after 3 included months; market assumption $3,300 to $9,900 |
| SIS, admissions software, parent portal | On quote | Rarely offered | On quote |
| Indicative 3-year total, excluding integrations | $43,550 to $104,700 | $12,800 to $31,400 | $9,700 to $22,300 |
Kolonell's grid is Starter USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900, Premium USD 8,900, with native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Details on the international offer page.
When should a Bellevue school choose the local agency?
Honest answer: when physical presence is the product. Choose a local agency if you host a large campus event almost every month and want the same team filming it, if your head of school and board expect workshops in the room, or if you are combining the website with a new visual identity and printed admissions pack. Choose a remote studio if your brand guidelines already exist, if your marketing lead can run a one-day shoot, and if your priority is a fast, accessible, multilingual admissions site.
Questions to ask both providers before signing
- Who writes the IB programme pages, and have they written for an IB school before?
- How do you handle translations and native-speaker review for each language?
- Which accessibility target (WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA) and which test report do we receive?
- Where are enquiry and application data stored, and who can access them?
- What exactly do we receive at handover if we leave after year two?
Which rules and references apply?
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Stay factual. COPPA targets online services directed at children under 13; a marketing site aimed at parents is usually outside its core, but a pupil-facing area for PYP students needs a specific review. FERPA applies only to schools receiving US federal education funds, which excludes most private schools. ADA Title III covers many private schools but exempts religious organizations; WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA is the sensible target either way. Only claim IB World School status for the programmes you are authorized to offer, and quote accreditation or state approval exactly as worded by the body concerned. Pupil photos need documented parental consent. This is not legal advice.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Priya Menon is director of admissions at a fictional 520-student IB World School in Bellevue offering PYP, MYP and the Diploma Programme. About a third of enquiries come from families still abroad.
- Seattle agency proposal: $52,000 for a bilingual build, plus $600 per month over 36 months, so $21,600. Three-year total: $73,600.
- Remote studio, Premium tier: $8,900 with the languages set in the quote, plus one day of local photography at $1,800, plus a market assumption of $300 per month for 33 months, so $9,900. Three-year total: $20,600.
The gap is $53,000. Priya also counts staff time: the agency plan includes 6 two-hour workshops, so 12 hours for 4 people, or 48 staff hours; the remote plan needs 5 one-hour video calls with 3 people, so 15 staff hours. She chooses the remote studio and asks two parent volunteers, native Mandarin and Korean speakers, to review the translated admissions pages before launch.
FAQ
Can a remote studio work with our Pacific Time schedule?
Yes, the Kolonell project manager is reachable in your time zone, and most projects need 4 to 6 short video calls. Delivery takes 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready.
Which tier fits an IB school with multilingual parents?
Premium, at USD 8,900, is the multilingual tier, and the number of languages is fixed in the quote. Growth at USD 4,900 suits an English-only site.
Should we publish tuition for relocating families?
Many international schools publish a fee range because relocation packages depend on it. Keep it as a ballpark for the year and link to the full fee schedule or to admissions.
What if our SIS vendor changes in two years?
Keep the enquiry form independent of the SIS where possible, and treat the integration as a separate, quoted module. That way a vendor change affects one connector, not the whole site.
How fast can we be live before the January relocation wave?
Starting in early November with content ready, a 3 to 4 week build can launch before mid-December. Plan 2 extra weeks if translations need parent review.
If you want to test both models on your real scope, request a free quote with your current programme pages.
Let's scope your project. Share your programmes, languages and admissions calendar, and we will return a fixed-price USD scope with a 3 to 4 week timeline. 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.