The verdict in three sentences
A Geneva commodity trading house does not sell products through its website: the site exists to reassure counterparties, trade finance banks, NGOs, journalists and candidates, who come to check governance, compliance and offices. A Geneva agency typically charges CHF 15,000 to 45,000 for such a site (2026 ballpark), whereas the Kolonell fixed grid is CHF 2,700 (Starter), CHF 4,500 (Growth) and CHF 8,200 (Premium), excluding third-party costs such as photography or translations. The right comparison is made over three years, including maintenance, and leaves to local agencies the projects that require frequent on-site workshops.
What a trading house website really costs in Geneva
The ranges below come from typical agency quotes and public rate pages in Geneva and Lausanne; they are 2026 ballparks, not official rates.
| Option | Build (CHF) | Usual timeline | Usually included | Often missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | 5,000 to 12,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Design, development, simple CMS | Native English copy, migration plan, follow-up |
| Geneva agency | 15,000 to 45,000 | 8 to 14 weeks | Workshops, design, CMS, part of the copy | Translations and photography billed separately |
| High-end agency | 50,000 to 150,000 | 3 to 6 months | Brand strategy, interactive ESG report, illustration | Changes billed hourly |
| Kolonell Starter | 2,700 | 3 to 4 weeks | Focused site, native copywriting, 3 months of support | For a young company or a subsidiary |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | Governance, compliance, offices, careers, news pages | The most common case |
| Kolonell Premium | 8,200 | 4 to 6 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote | Third-party translations if needed |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native French or English copywriting and 3 months of support. Gated areas, counterparty portals and integrations (HR tool, whistleblowing platform) are on quote, as is maintenance after the 3 months. Details are on the international offer page.
The pages a Geneva trader needs
Product marketing matters little in this sector. What matters are the pages a bank, an NGO or a candidate opens first.
- Who we are: business lines (energy, metals, agricultural), group structure, management, with no invented volumes or counterparties.
- Governance: board, committees, ethics policy, downloadable code of conduct.
- Compliance: approach to sanctions and counterparty KYC, anti-corruption, whistleblowing, described in general terms.
- Responsible sourcing and ESG: only reports and commitments actually published, with their date.
- Offices: Geneva and operational offices, with verified addresses.
- Careers: trading, operations, finance and compliance roles, current openings.
- Contact and media: press contacts and stakeholder requests.
On data, the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nLPD/revFADP), in force since 1 September 2023, applies to contact and application forms, under the supervision of the FDPIC; the GDPR also matters if you recruit in the EU. Depending on size and activity, reporting and due diligence obligations under Swiss law may also shape what you publish. This is not legal advice: have your legal team review compliance pages before go-live.
Hidden costs and total cost over three years
The build price is not the whole story. Plan for these items whoever the provider:
- Photography of offices and teams: CHF 1,500 to 4,000 per session in Geneva (2026 ballpark).
- Translations (German, Spanish, Chinese depending on your markets) by a third-party translator: CHF 0.20 to 0.35 per word.
- Legal review of compliance and ESG pages: depending on your counsel's fees.
- Integrations (recruiting tool, whistleblowing platform): on quote.
The table compares three-year cost. Maintenance and hosting amounts are market assumptions, to be replaced by your quotes.
| Option | Build (CHF) | Maintenance over 3 years (CHF) | Hosting over 3 years (CHF) | 3-year total (CHF) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | 9,000 | 7,200 (market assumption: 200 per month × 36) | 900 | 17,100 |
| Geneva agency | 30,000 | 14,400 (market assumption: 400 per month × 36) | 900 | 45,300 |
| High-end agency | 80,000 | 28,800 (market assumption: 800 per month × 36) | 1,800 | 110,600 |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,500 | 9,900 (market assumption: 300 per month × 33, after 3 included months) | 900 | 15,300 |
| Kolonell Premium | 8,200 | 9,900 (market assumption: 300 per month × 33, after 3 included months) | 900 | 19,000 |
When a Geneva agency remains the better choice
A local agency makes sense when management wants frequent in-person workshops, when the site comes with a complete rebrand including photography and film, or when the sustainability report must become an interactive microsite designed with the ESG team over several months. It also makes sense if your legal department requires a provider already approved by procurement. A remote studio fits when content is scoped and reviews happen in writing.
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Questions to ask every provider: who writes in native English, who owns the domain and access, how compliance pages are reviewed and versioned, how fast an urgent change is made (for instance after a sanctions update), and what maintenance costs after the included period.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional firm. "Rhône Bulk Trading SA", a 40-person Geneva trader in agricultural commodities, receives a local quote of CHF 32,000 for a site in French and English.
The CFO compares it with Kolonell Premium at CHF 8,200, a photo session at CHF 2,500 and an English translation of 7,000 words at CHF 0.25 per word (CHF 1,750, market assumption). Total: 8,200 + 2,500 + 1,750 = CHF 12,450, which is CHF 19,550 less than the local quote. She keeps CHF 4,000 for legal review of compliance pages and requests a separate quote for the whistleblowing platform.
FAQ
Should a trading house publish its volumes or counterparties?
No, nothing requires it on a corporate site and most companies refrain. The site describes business lines, governance and compliance; any published figures must come from reports actually released, with their date.
How long does it take to launch the site?
With Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, 4 to 6 weeks for Premium. A Geneva agency often plans 8 to 14 weeks including workshops.
Which tier for a group with several offices?
Growth at CHF 4,500 covers most single-language sites with governance, compliance and careers. As soon as several languages are needed, Premium at CHF 8,200, with languages set in the quote.
Are translations included?
Native copywriting in French or English is included. Other languages go to third-party translators, typically CHF 0.20 to 0.35 per word in Geneva.
What happens after the 3 months of support?
Maintenance is offered on quote depending on update volume. For budgeting, a market assumption of CHF 200 to 400 per month is a prudent benchmark.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your governance and compliance pages, languages and target date, and we will price the right tier at a fixed CHF amount, deliverable in 3 to 6 weeks. 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.
