The verdict in three sentences
A commodity trading house website in Zurich is read by counterparties, trade finance banks, NGOs, regulators and recruits, and it must first prove credible governance and compliance. A Zurich agency charges, as a 2026 ballpark, CHF 25,000 to 60,000 for this kind of site, while the fixed Kolonell grid runs from CHF 2,700 (Starter) to CHF 4,500 (Growth) and CHF 8,200 (Premium). The real gap lies in the side costs, German translation, photography and compliance review, which must be priced on both sides.
What the site must prove, page by page
A trader does not sell on its website. It reassures. The useful pages are few but demanding, and none should carry invented volumes, counterparties or flows.
| Page | Main audience | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| About and governance | Banks, counterparties | Ownership in publishable terms, board, management |
| Compliance: sanctions, KYC, anti-bribery | Trade finance banks | That policies and an owner exist, without sensitive detail |
| Responsible sourcing and ESG | NGOs, investors, press | Reports actually published, downloadable and dated |
| Activities by commodity (energy, metals, agri) | Counterparties, recruits | Real scope, regions, logistics in general terms |
| Offices | Everyone | Zurich and other real locations, contacts by function |
| Careers | Trader, analyst and operations candidates | Culture, open roles, recruitment process |
| Legal notice and privacy | Regulators, visitors | Compliance with the revFADP and, where relevant, the GDPR |
The compliance page deserves the most care: banks read it before extending a credit line, and loose wording on sanctions costs more than an entire website.
Real cost: Zurich agencies and a fixed grid
2026 ballpark, based on typical local agency quotes and public agency rate pages; Zurich agencies often list CHF 150 to 220 an hour.
| Provider | Build price | Typical timeline | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich freelancer | CHF 8,000 to 20,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Design and build, copywriting rarely included |
| Local agency | CHF 25,000 to 60,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | Workshops, design, build, project management |
| Premium local agency | CHF 60,000 to 150,000 and more | 4 to 8 months | Brand strategy, content, integrations |
| Kolonell Starter | CHF 2,700 | 3 to 4 weeks | Essential corporate site, native English or French copy, 3 months of support |
| Kolonell Growth | CHF 4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | Broader scope, news and ESG publications area |
| Kolonell Premium | CHF 8,200 | 4 to 6 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (4 to 6 for Premium) and 3 months of support. Gated areas (a document room for counterparties, an extranet), integrations and custom apps are on quote, as is maintenance after the 3 included months. Details are on the international offer.
The hidden costs, and the 3-year total
Four lines come on top whatever the provider: German translation if you publish in German (third party, often CHF 0.25 to 0.40 per word), photography of offices and team, compliance review of the sanctions and ESG pages by your counsel, and hosting and maintenance.
| Line over 3 years | Local agency (mid range) | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Build | CHF 40,000 | CHF 4,500 |
| German translation (third party) | CHF 3,000 | CHF 3,000 |
| Office and team photography | CHF 4,000 | CHF 4,000 |
| Compliance review (your counsel) | CHF 3,000 | CHF 3,000 |
| Maintenance (market assumption: CHF 400 a month) | 36 months, CHF 14,400 | on quote after 3 included months, 33 months, CHF 13,200 |
| Indicative total | CHF 64,400 | CHF 27,700 |
Maintenance is a market assumption applied the same way to both columns for comparison, not a Kolonell rate.
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On regulation, the revised Federal Act on Data Protection has applied since 1 September 2023 under the supervision of the FDPIC, the GDPR comes into play if you target EU residents, and Swiss sanctions measures are implemented by SECO. Any wording published on these topics should be approved by your counsel. This is not legal advice.
When a Zurich agency is still the better choice
To be fair: a local agency makes sense if your management wants weekly in-person workshops in German, if the site must connect to a complex intranet or internal system from day one, if procurement requires a Swiss supplier, or if the website is part of a full rebrand. In other cases, the price gap pays for translation, photography and legal review.
Questions to ask any provider: who writes the compliance pages and who signs them off? Where is the site hosted, and what data do the forms collect? What does adding a language after launch cost? What happens after the support period?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Limmat Resources AG, a 60-person metals trader. It picks Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote: CHF 8,200, plus CHF 4,500 of third-party translation, CHF 3,500 of photography and CHF 2,500 of review by its lawyer, so CHF 18,700. The local agency quote it received came to CHF 55,000 before side costs: the CHF 36,300 gap easily covers several years of maintenance at market rates.
FAQ
What does a commodity trading house website cost in Zurich in 2026? As a ballpark, CHF 25,000 to 60,000 with a local agency and CHF 8,000 to 20,000 with a freelancer. The Kolonell grid is fixed: CHF 2,700, 4,500 or 8,200.
Should we publish in German? For local recruitment and authorities, often yes; for counterparties, English dominates. Premium is the multilingual tier, and the languages are set in the quote.
Can we publish our volumes or counterparties? Only what is already public and approved by management and legal. Most traders stick to scope and regions.
Is a document room for banks included? No, gated areas and integrations are on quote. The public site is delivered in 3 to 4 weeks, 4 to 6 for Premium.
What does support cover? The first 3 months are included; after that, maintenance is on quote. Budget a market assumption of a few hundred CHF a month.
Let's scope your project. Governance and compliance pages, Growth or Premium tier, live in 3 to 6 weeks depending on the tier. 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.
