The verdict in three sentences
For a Greenwich international school, the riskiest redesign is the one that breaks the URLs of admissions, curriculum, tuition and open house pages right before application season. A local agency often quotes $30,000 to $70,000; Kolonell's fixed grid is $4,900 (Growth) or $8,900 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote), delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, with the redirect map for migrated pages. Since applications come in over the winter and decisions go out in March, go-live belongs in summer, followed by 6 weeks of checks.
Why does the SEO migration deserve its own line?
In Back Country, Old Greenwich or Riverside, many families work in finance in New York and some arrive from abroad: they search Google for specific queries about admission, curriculum or open house dates. If those pages return a 404 after the redesign, the inquiry never arrives. Sample inventory, by page group:
| Page group | Typical old URL | New URL | Rule | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions | /page.cfm?p=212 | /admissions | One-to-one 301 | High |
| Tuition (if published) | /tuition-2025-26.pdf | /admissions/tuition | One-to-one 301 | High |
| Curriculum by division | /lower-school/curriculum | /curriculum/lower-school | One-to-one 301 | High |
| Open house | /events/open-house-oct | /admissions/visit | One-to-one 301 | High |
| News | /news/2023/... | /news/... | Pattern 301 | Medium |
| Calendar and transportation | /calendar, /bus-routes | /school-life/... | One-to-one 301 | Medium |
| Obsolete pages | /summer-camp-2021 | Closest parent page | 301 to parent | Low |
What should you check in Search Console for 6 weeks?
| Week | Check | Action threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sitemap submitted, 20 key URLs tested | Any error on an admissions page |
| Week 1 | Not found (404) report | More than 10 new 404s |
| Week 2 | Indexed pages against the inventory | Gap above 10% |
| Weeks 3 and 4 | Clicks on admissions pages against the same period | Sustained drop over 2 weeks |
| Week 5 | Internal links to the admissions portal | Any broken link |
| Week 6 | Review and fix redirect chains | Any chain longer than one hop |
Broader SEO work (full audit, content, monthly monitoring) stays on quote.
What budget in Greenwich, and what schedule?
2026 ballpark figures from typical agency quotes and public rate pages in Fairfield County and New York, not a survey:
| Provider | Redesign | SEO migration | Stated timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | $6,000 to $15,000 | Often missing | 2 to 3 months |
| Connecticut or New York agency | $30,000 to $70,000 | $3,000 to $10,000 on top | 4 to 6 months |
| Kolonell Growth | $4,900 | Redirects for migrated pages included | 3 to 4 weeks after content |
| Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) | $8,900 | Redirects for migrated pages included | 3 to 4 weeks after content |
Kolonell's price includes a project manager reachable in Eastern Time, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support. See the international offer page. Always on quote, as separate lines: admissions portal, tuition payment, SIS, parent app, calendar feeds, all kept and linked.
A realistic schedule: URL inventory in May, after March decisions; content gathering and approval in June; a 3 to 4 week build; go-live in mid-July; 6 weeks of monitoring that end before fall open houses.
The other risks to frame
- Claims: NEASC or CAIS accreditation, the IB or any other curriculum mentioned only if the school holds it.
- Children's data: the form is limited to the parent's contact details, grade and entry date; no medical records, report cards or passports outside the secure portal. The Connecticut Data Privacy Act applies according to thresholds and exemptions to confirm with counsel.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA target; in the US, ADA Title III website accessibility suits are frequent.
- Photos: documented parental consent and removal on request; safeguarding content published as the school approved it.
This is not legal advice.
When is a local agency the better fit? For a custom admissions portal, a complex SIS integration or weekly in-person workshops. Questions to ask: Who delivers the redirect file? Who monitors Search Console, and for how long?
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Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional school: Byram Shore International School, about 600 students from early years to grade 12, with a large expatriate community. Claire, the communications director, exports 1,240 indexed URLs: 310 received at least one organic click in 12 months.
- Redirects: 310 one-to-one, the other 930 through 12 pattern rules.
- Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote): $8,900.
- Translation of 12 admissions pages into 2 languages by independent translators: 24 x $60 = $1,440 (third-party cost).
Total: $10,340, against $30,000 to $70,000 with a local agency, with go-live on July 15 and monitoring through late August.
FAQ
How much does an international school website redesign cost in Greenwich?
Local agencies quote $30,000 to $70,000 in 2026, often with $3,000 to $10,000 of SEO migration on top. Kolonell is $4,900 or $8,900.
When should we go live?
Mid-July is ideal: after March decisions and before fall open houses, with 6 weeks of monitoring.
How many URLs need redirects?
Every URL with traffic or links, one-to-one; the rest through pattern rules. In our example, 310 one-to-one and 930 through 12 rules.
Does the admissions portal change?
No, it is kept and linked; only the links are updated. Any change is on quote.
What if clicks drop after launch?
Check 404s and redirect chains in Search Console first. A drop lasting more than 2 weeks on admissions pages calls for an immediate fix.
Let's scope your project. A redesign with a controlled migration of your admissions pages, from $4,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. 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.
