Local agency or remote studio for a wealth management firm or family office website in Cork: how to choose (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

A Cork wealth management firm or family office should pick a local agency when it values workshops across the table and on-site filming, and a remote studio when it wants a fixed price, a short schedule and is comfortable working by video. Cork agencies typically ask €7,000 to €22,000 for this kind of site, while Kolonell charges €2,700, €4,500 or €8,200 depending on scope. The deciding factor is rarely design talent: it is who owns the domain and code, how compliance review fits into the calendar and whether you need someone physically in your office.

Who are you really writing for in Cork?

Cork wealth is distinctive. Many prospects are senior employees of the multinationals around Little Island, Ringaskiddy and Hollyhill, holding share awards they need to plan around. Others are farming and agri-food families from the county thinking about succession, and founders who sold a business and now look for a discretionary manager or a small multi-family office. A good Cork site speaks to each of them without naming a single client:

• Service pages by situation: equity compensation, business exit, intergenerational transfer, pension planning.
• A people page with qualifications such as QFA or CFP and the firm's authorisation status with the Central Bank of Ireland.
• A plain-language fees page that explains how you charge, reviewed by compliance before publication.
• A secure enquiry and meeting request form, with an option to request a call outside office hours for clients working US hours.
• A cookie banner and privacy notice aligned with Irish rules.

How do the three provider types compare on what matters?

The agency and freelance figures are a 2026 ballpark based on public price pages of Irish agencies, minimum budgets on Clutch.co profiles and freelance rates published on Malt and Upwork. Dublin agencies specialised in financial services frequently start above the Cork range.

What will you spend, tier by tier?

For a three-year view, keep identical assumptions for both suppliers. With a mid-range Cork agency at €13,500 and Kolonell Growth at €4,500, plus the same hypothesis of €140 per month maintenance over 36 months (€5,040) and €30 per month hosting (€1,080) on both sides, the totals are €19,620 against €10,620. Full tier details are on the international website offer.

In which cases should you hire the Cork agency?

There are genuine reasons to stay local:

• you plan a video series with your partners, filmed in your office or around the harbour;
• the board wants a supplier it can meet in person every month during the project;
• you also need print annual reviews and event branding from the same team;
• your custodian or platform integration needs hands-on sessions with your IT contractor.

Kolonell does not run on-site meetings or shoots, so in those cases a Cork agency is the right call.

Which Irish rules affect your pages?

Firms authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland must keep advertising clear, fair and not misleading under the Consumer Protection Code, and MiFID rules apply to investment firms. Personal data is governed by the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, supervised by the Data Protection Commission, and cookies need consent under Ireland's ePrivacy regulations. On accessibility, the European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025 to certain consumer services, including banking services, and WCAG 2.1 AA remains the practical target for any wealth site. Have your compliance function approve copy, disclosures and forms before launch. This is not legal advice.

What should you ask before signing?

• Is the domain registered to our company, and do we get registrar access?
• Do we receive the full source code and CMS logins at delivery?
• How many compliance review rounds fit into the timeline?
• How long is support after launch, and what does it cover?
• What does any later change cost, and who decides the rate?
• Can we see a live site you built with a similar structure?

On the last point, Kolonell can show Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), a trilingual FR/EN/AR site for an off-plan real estate advisory in Dubai serving international investors, with project pages and investor guides. Then request a free quote on your exact page list.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Siobhán M. leads a five-adviser investment firm on Cork's South Mall. Her current site is eight years old. A Cork agency proposes €15,800 and 14 weeks; a Dublin specialist €21,000. She chooses Kolonell Growth at €4,500 and books a local photographer for €700, so €5,200 in total. Compared with the Cork quote she keeps €10,600, and the new site launches 10 weeks earlier, in time for the November pension contribution season.

FAQ

Can a remote team understand Cork's client base?

Yes, if the brief is precise. Kolonell starts with a structured questionnaire and a 60-minute video kickoff to map your client situations before writing a single page.

How much time does our compliance officer need?

Plan roughly 2 review rounds of 2 to 3 hours each. Both rounds fit inside the 3 to 4 week delivery window.

Do we own everything at the end?

The contract should say so. With Kolonell the domain, code and accounts are in your company's name once the second 50 % payment is made at delivery.

Is ongoing SEO included?

No. SEO after launch is quoted on request; the 3 months of included support cover corrections and adjustments.

What if we want an Irish-language page?

Translation into languages other than English and French is not included in the €2,700 to €8,200 grid. It can be added on quote.

Let's scope your project. Send us your page list and target tier, and we will confirm a fixed price in euro with launch in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.