The verdict in three sentences
A marine surveying firm in London or Singapore wins work from shipowners, hull underwriters and P&I clubs who need to appoint a surveyor within hours, often across time zones. The website must prove three things in under a minute: which survey types you handle, which ports you cover and how fast you can attend. In 2026, expect £8,000 to £20,000 in London or USD 10,000 to 25,000 in Singapore for a serious, credible site, delivered in 5 to 7 weeks.
What an appointing party checks before calling
A claims handler at a P&I club or a hull underwriter does not read your brochure. They check whether you answer 24/7, whether you cover the port where the vessel is lying and whether your surveyors have handled a similar casualty. An effective marine surveyor website is structured around those three questions, with one page per survey type.
| Key page | Expected content | Role in the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Hull and machinery damage | Method, report turnaround, anonymised examples | Reassure the H&M underwriter |
| Cargo survey | Loss, contamination, shortage, containers | Convince the P&I club and cargo interests |
| Condition survey | Checklist, sample photos, report within 48 h | Reassure owners and charterers |
| On-hire / off-hire | Bunker soundings, vessel condition | Target charterers |
| Port coverage | 40 ports, attendance time per zone | Confirm feasibility in 10 seconds |
| Team and credentials | Profiles, languages, IIMS or class affiliations | Remove doubts about competence |
| Emergency contact | 24/7 number, short form, WhatsApp | Trigger the appointment |
Port coverage is the decisive element. A claims handler who sees Southampton, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg on one list, or Singapore, Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas and Jakarta for an Asian firm, with attendance times (under 4 h, under 24 h, on request), knows instantly whether to appoint you. A light filterable list loads faster than a heavy interactive map, which matters for someone checking on a phone.
Languages, references and confidentiality
English is the working language, so the priority is a flawless English site written by someone who knows the vocabulary: general average, without prejudice, joint survey. In Singapore, adding Mandarin or Bahasa pages makes sense only if your regional clients actually brief you in those languages.
References are tricky because survey reports are confidential. Best practice is to publish anonymised cases (vessel type, deadweight, nature of the casualty, attendance time, outcome) and a list of client categories without names. Client logos require written consent.
| Website option | Market budget 2026 (order of magnitude) | Timeline | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer, WordPress theme | £3,000 to £6,000 / USD 4,000 to 8,000 | 3 to 4 weeks | Generic copy, no port coverage tool |
| General London or Singapore agency | £8,000 to £14,000 / USD 10,000 to 18,000 | 5 to 7 weeks | Little maritime knowledge |
| Specialist B2B industrial agency | £14,000 to £20,000 / USD 18,000 to 25,000 | 6 to 9 weeks | Higher cost, usually polished |
| Kolonell vitrine Growth | 1,830 to 3,050 EUR | 5 to 6 weeks | Languages set in the quote, filterable port list |
| Kolonell vitrine Premium | 3,050 to 5,340 EUR | 6 to 7 weeks | Anonymised cases, SEO per survey type |
Kolonell's grid runs from 1,220 to 5,340 EUR depending on tier (Starter, Growth or Premium), invoiced in EUR or FCFA. For a surveying firm, Growth covers survey-type pages and a port list; Premium adds deep SEO and refined animations. Maintenance starts at 35,000 FCFA per month (53 EUR) on the Basic plan.
SEO: target appointment queries, not traffic
Search volumes are small but highly qualified. Useful queries look like "marine surveyor Southampton", "cargo surveyor Singapore", "condition survey Rotterdam" or "P&I surveyor Port Klang". One page per major port with real content (terminals covered, common vessel types, attendance time) captures them. For monthly SEO work, Kolonell's plans range from 100,000 to 350,000 FCFA per month.
Mini case study
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James, partner in a five-surveyor practice in London, handles around 14 appointments a month, mostly through repeat clients. His target is 2 extra appointments a month from the website. An average cargo survey bills about £1,900. Two extra jobs a month equal £3,800 in monthly revenue, or £45,600 a year. With a Kolonell Premium site at 5,340 EUR and Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA per month (114 EUR, so 1,368 EUR a year), first-year cost is 6,708 EUR. The site pays for itself after roughly two extra appointments, within one to two months if the target is met.
FAQ
Do we need one page per port?
Not for all 40 ports. Create full pages for the 6 to 10 ports that generate most of your work and keep the rest in the filterable list.
How long does the project take?
Plan 5 to 7 weeks, including about 2 weeks to gather anonymised cases and validate port coverage. The main bottleneck is surveyors' availability to review technical copy.
Can we publish our survey reports?
No, unless the principal agrees in writing. Publish 5 to 10 anonymised cases with vessel type, tonnage and attendance time instead, which is enough to demonstrate experience.
Should the emergency number appear on every page?
Yes, in the header and footer of every page, with a WhatsApp button. Urgent appointments are often decided in under 2 hours.
What should we budget for maintenance?
Kolonell maintenance ranges from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month (53 to 183 EUR) depending on the plan. It covers updates, backups and small content changes.
Let's scope your project. Survey-type pages, port coverage and a 24/7 contact path, delivered in 5 to 7 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
