Local agency or remote studio for a yacht and private aviation charter company website in Nassau: how to choose (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a yacht charter broker in Nassau selling Exumas and Out Islands itineraries plus private flights, most of the website work can be done remotely, but the imagery and part of the local knowledge cannot. Hire a local agency if you want one team to handle boat-day shoots, Out Islands logistics and frequent in-person reviews; choose a remote studio with a fixed price (Kolonell Growth at USD 4,900, Starter at USD 2,900) if you can source imagery from operators or a photographer you book yourself. In both cases, write domain, code and copy ownership into the contract before the first invoice.

Which parts of the job really need someone in Nassau?

The Bahamas has a small pool of web agencies, concentrated in Nassau, plus freelancers and a larger choice of agencies in South Florida that already work for Bahamian clients. Nassau shares New York's time zone, so overlap with East Coast teams is total. The real question is task by task.

Two rows of six genuinely need presence. That is why many brokers end up with a hybrid: a remote studio for the site, and a photographer they book directly, a third-party cost they control.

When is a Nassau agency clearly the better choice?

Choose local without hesitation when:

• you plan several shoots a season across islands and want the agency to manage boats, permissions and weather days;
• you need print, signage or event material for boat shows produced by the same team;
• your partners expect to meet the people building the site, in person, more than once;
• you want a provider you can call at 7 pm during peak season and see the next morning.

Be honest about the remote option's limits. A remote studio cannot walk the dock at Nassau Harbour or check a photo spot at Staniel Cay. It can, however, deliver a fast, well-structured site in 3 to 4 weeks with a project manager on your hours.

What do the options cost over three years?

Local figures below are a prudent 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes in Nassau and South Florida, not a survey. Maintenance is a market assumption of USD 100 to 300 a month, the same for every provider; Kolonell includes 3 months of support, then maintenance is on quote.

The freelancer line looks cheapest, but check who holds the hosting account and what happens if that person becomes unavailable mid-season. Our Nassau cost article breaks down prices further; for the full list of what each tier includes, see our international websites page.

What should the site say and collect?

Broker, not operator. You arrange charters with third-party operators. The operator holds the air operator certificate, and a yacht chartered commercially must be registered and certified for that use. Say so plainly, and never imply that you operate a vessel or aircraft. Local rules on charter licensing are worth checking with the operators you work with.

Trip pages first. Sailing and motor-yacht itineraries in the Exumas, weekends in Eleuthera and Harbour Island, private flights from Florida or the US Northeast to Lynden Pindling International or Out Islands airstrips. Empty-leg or availability lists, if you want them, are an on-quote integration.

Minimal inquiry form. Dates, route, departure airport or marina, number of guests. Passport details come later and only if the operator needs them.

Discretion. No client names, no tail numbers, no recognisable guests in photos. Image rights come from operators or from a photographer you contract.

Compliance. The Bahamas has a Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act dating from 2003. Many of your clients are American, so publish a clear privacy notice, limit what you collect and target WCAG 2.2 AA for accessibility. This is not legal advice.

Ask both types of provider: Who registers the domain? Who owns the code, the copy and the design files? What is the response time in January? How do you hand over if we leave?

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Andre is a broker in Nassau selling week-long Exumas charters and private flights from Florida. He wants the new site live by 1 December, before the winter season. He works backwards:

• Content and imagery collection: 3 weeks.
• Build with a remote studio: 4 weeks.
• Buffer for operator photo licences and review: 2 weeks.

That is 9 weeks, so the project must start by 29 September. On cost, a hypothetical Nassau agency quote of USD 16,000 sits against Kolonell Growth at USD 4,900 plus one day with an Exumas photographer at USD 1,800 (third-party cost booked by Andre): USD 6,700. The gap of USD 9,300 is large enough that he goes remote, but he keeps the photographer's contact for future seasons. If he needed three island shoots a year, he would re-run the comparison.

FAQ

Is the agency pool in Nassau small?

Yes, a limited number of studios plus freelancers, and South Florida agencies also compete for Bahamian work. Request a written start date; 4 to 6 weeks of lead time is common before the season.

Can a remote studio write about the Exumas convincingly?

With a 60 minute briefing and your notes on anchorages and routes, a native English copywriter can. Plan one review round per page; most brokers need 2 or 3 rounds on the home page.

Should I build a booking engine?

Usually not at first. A qualified inquiry form with 5 or 6 fields is enough on Growth (USD 4,900); availability feeds or booking tools are an on-quote integration.

Who pays the photographer?

You do, directly, as a third-party cost; a day typically runs USD 1,000 to 2,500 in the 2026 ballpark depending on boat logistics. Make sure the licence covers web use without a time limit.

Request a free quote with your itineraries and target launch date.

Let's scope your project. Share your itineraries, your season dates and your budget, and we will return a fixed-scope proposal from USD 2,900 with a 3 to 4 week build. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.