The verdict in three sentences
Many Lugano schools hesitate between patching an ageing CMS theme, moving to a school-platform template and a proper redesign, and the cheapest option in year one is rarely the cheapest over three years. On market assumptions, the three-year cost of a Kolonell redesign (Growth at CHF 4,500 or Premium at CHF 8,200, plus hosting and maintenance) sits close to the cost of patching, while local agency redesigns usually land between CHF 23,000 and 51,000 over the same period. The risks that matter are the loss of ranking pages, broken links to the admissions portal and a go-live during the enrolment season.
When does patching stop making sense?
In Lugano, international and private schools serve a mixed audience: Ticinese families, Italian cross-border families and expatriate families linked to the finance sector, spread between Paradiso, Castagnola, Massagno and the Malcantone. The site usually needs Italian first, English for international families and often German. Patching stops making sense when:
- each language version runs on a different plugin and they drift apart;
- a theme update breaks the enquiry form at least once a year;
- the term dates page is updated by hand in three languages, with errors;
- the site fails basic mobile and accessibility checks (contrast, keyboard use, captions);
- the cookie banner no longer matches the analytics and admissions tags actually loaded.
What does each option cost over three years?
All recurring figures below are market assumptions (2026 ballpark from typical agency quotes and public rate pages in Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland), not Kolonell prices. Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote.
| Option | Year 1 build or fix | Hosting and maintenance (market assumption) | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patch the old CMS theme | CHF 3,000 to 6,000 | CHF 150/month x 36 = CHF 5,400 | CHF 8,400 to 11,400 |
| School-platform template site | CHF 2,000 to 5,000 setup | CHF 200 to 400/month x 36 = CHF 7,200 to 14,400 | CHF 9,200 to 19,400 |
| Local agency redesign | CHF 18,000 to 40,000 | CHF 150 to 300/month x 36 = CHF 5,400 to 10,800 | CHF 23,400 to 50,800 |
| Kolonell Growth | CHF 4,500 | CHF 100 to 200/month x 33 = CHF 3,300 to 6,600 | CHF 7,800 to 11,100 |
| Kolonell Premium | CHF 8,200 | CHF 100 to 200/month x 33 = CHF 3,300 to 6,600 | CHF 11,500 to 14,800 |
The Kolonell rows count 33 months because the first 3 months of support are included. Starter at CHF 2,700 exists but rarely fits a multilingual school. In every row, these stay on quote as separate lines: secure admissions portal, fee payment, school management system (SIS/MIS), parent app and calendar feeds. They are kept and linked, never rebuilt inside a fixed-grid site. Tier details are on the international offer page.
How long does it take, and when should you go live?
| Step | Duration | Note |
|---|---|---|
| URL inventory and analytics export | 4 to 6 days | Every URL in IT, EN and DE, with traffic |
| Content freeze and approval by the head | 1 to 2 weeks | Curriculum, admissions, transport, term dates |
| Kolonell design and build | 3 to 4 weeks | Starts once content is ready |
| Translation check by native reviewers | 3 to 5 days | Third-party cost if outside the quote |
| Go-live with 301 map | 1 day | Ideally mid-July or a quiet half-term |
| Search Console monitoring | 6 weeks | 404s, indexing, rankings on admissions pages |
Avoid going live in the weeks before an open day or during the main admissions window. In Ticino, the summer holidays are the usual window.
What are the main risks, and what do you ask a provider?
- Lost rankings on admissions and curriculum pages: each old URL in each language gets a 301 to its new equivalent, never to the home page.
- Language mismatch: hreflang tags link the Italian, English and German versions of the same page.
- Portal links: the admissions portal and parent login are re-linked and tested from every language version.
- Children's data: the open enquiry form collects the minimum (parent contact, child's year of birth, entry year, language); no health, special needs, reports or passport data. Documents go through the secure portal, on quote.
- Claims: an IB Primary Years Programme, accreditations or cantonal authorisation appear only if the school actually holds them. Safeguarding pages remain the school's own approved documents.
- Privacy: the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nLPD/revFADP, in force since 1 September 2023) applies, the FDPIC is the supervisory authority, and the GDPR can matter for families in Italy. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask: who writes and tests the redirect map in each language? Who updates term dates after launch? What does maintenance cost after the support period, in writing?
When is a local agency the better choice?
If you need face-to-face workshops in Italian with the board, a custom admissions portal developed with a Swiss vendor, or a full photo and video production over several days, a Lugano agency is a sound choice. A remote studio fits best when the scope is the public site and the tools stay as they are.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Collina International School, a fictional international primary school of about 180 pupils near Massagno, teaching an IB Primary Years Programme (in this example, the school holds the authorisation). Its bursar, Marco, compares three-year costs.
- Option A, keep patching: CHF 4,000 of fixes + CHF 150/month x 36 (market assumption) = CHF 9,400.
- Option B, Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote): CHF 8,200 + an independent German translator, third-party cost estimated at CHF 1,200 + CHF 150/month x 33 (market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote) = CHF 4,950. Total CHF 14,350.
The gap is CHF 4,950 over three years, about CHF 138 a month, for a site rebuilt in three languages with tested forms and redirects. Marco books go-live for mid-July.
FAQ
Is patching ever the right call?
Yes, if the site is under three years old, works on mobile and only needs content updates. Budget around CHF 1,500 to 3,000 for that kind of refresh with a local freelancer.
Why not a school-platform template?
It can work, but monthly fees of CHF 200 to 400 (market assumption) add up to CHF 7,200 to 14,400 over three years, and design freedom is limited.
Does Kolonell rebuild our admissions portal?
No. The portal, fee payment and SIS are lines on quote; the new site links to them.
How many languages can we have?
Premium at CHF 8,200 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote. Native review of Italian or German may be a third-party cost.
How long do we monitor after launch?
Six weeks in Search Console, checking 404 errors and admissions page rankings at least once a week.
Ready to compare? Request a free quote with your current URL list and tools.
Let's scope your project. Send your page count, languages and tools to keep, and get a fixed budget from CHF 4,500 with a summer go-live plan. 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.
