The verdict in three sentences
In Lucerne, a professional services website for a wealth manager or a family office built by a local or Zurich-area agency usually lands in a 2026 ballpark of 8 000 to 40 000+ CHF, before any ongoing hourly work. Kolonell builds the same kind of discreet, compliance-aware site on a fixed grid of 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF, with a project manager on Google Meet at hours that suit Central Switzerland. The real decision is less about the build price than about what the quote actually includes, who writes the copy, and who owns the domain and the access after launch.
What do Lucerne agencies and freelancers charge for this kind of site?
Lucerne sits between Zurich and Zug, so a firm on the Schwanenplatz or in Kriens often collects quotes from agencies in the city and from Zurich studios at the same time. Swiss pricing is high by European standards, and Lucerne is close to the national level. The ranges below are prudent orders of magnitude, built from the public rate cards of Swiss agencies, freelance platform rates (Malt, Upwork) and the minimum project sizes shown on Clutch.co agency profiles. They are not official figures and they move a lot with scope: a five-page site with supplied copy and a bespoke brand platform with photography are not the same project.
| Option | Build price (2026 ballpark) | Usual timing | Copywriting | After launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne or Zurich full-service agency | 8 000 to 40 000+ CHF | several weeks to a few months, by scope | often billed separately or left to the client | maintenance contract or hourly work, often 120 to 200 CHF/h |
| Swiss freelancer | 3 000 to 10 000 CHF | variable, depends on availability | rarely included | case by case |
| Kolonell Starter | 2 700 CHF | 3 to 4 weeks | native English or French included | 3 months of support included |
| Kolonell Growth | 4 500 CHF | 3 to 4 weeks | native English or French included | 3 months of support included |
| Kolonell Premium | 8 200 CHF | usually 4 to 6 weeks, written schedule at kickoff | included, bilingual FR/EN site available | 3 months of support included |
The Kolonell prices are the whole build price for the tier. Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % to start and 50 % at delivery. You can see the scope of each tier on our international website offer.
What does a Lucerne wealth or family office site actually need?
A website for an asset manager, a multi-family office or a single family office in Lucerne is a trust document before it is a marketing tool. A few points come up in almost every brief.
Discretion first. No client names, no performance figures and no assets under management unless the firm already publishes them. The site presents a philosophy, a way of working and the people, not results. There is no investment advice and no return figure anywhere on the pages.
Languages of the city. German is the working language in Lucerne, and many firms here also look after international families who read English. Kolonell writes natively in English and French only. German pages are supplied by your team or your translator, or quoted separately, and we integrate them cleanly.
Content that reassures. A clear services structure (wealth planning, investment advisory, succession, philanthropy), team and governance pages with short partner bios, a secure contact form, legal notices and the regulatory disclosures your firm has to show.
Compliance, stated factually. The Swiss nLPD/revFADP has been in force since 1 September 2023 and applies to the contact form, cookies and analytics. Depending on the firm's licence, FinSA/FIDLEG rules on financial services may apply, and asset managers are supervised by FINMA through a supervisory organisation. Whatever the case, your compliance officer must validate the content before it goes live. A single family office that does not take outside clients may still want a short, discreet site with governance and contact details only: that is a perfectly valid brief. This section is not legal advice.
Client or investor login. A portal with documents or reporting is a custom application, quoted on request, and never part of the grid.
| Need of a Lucerne firm | Starter 2 700 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core pages: home, philosophy, services, contact, legal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Detailed service pages (planning, succession, philanthropy) | Grouped on one page | One page per service | One page per service, richer layouts |
| Team and governance pages with bios | Short team section | Full team page | Full team and governance pages |
| Secure contact form with consent wording | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Native English or French copywriting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bilingual FR/EN site | No | No | Yes |
| German pages | Supplied by client or quoted | Supplied by client or quoted | Supplied by client or quoted |
| Client or investor portal | Quoted on request | Quoted on request | Quoted on request |
How do you compare quotes over three years?
Two quotes for a Lucerne firm can differ by a factor of five and still describe a similar site. The only way to compare them is line by line, over the life of the site rather than at launch.
| Cost line | Typical Lucerne or Zurich agency | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Design and build | 8 000 to 40 000+ CHF | 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF |
| English copywriting | often extra or client-supplied | included, native |
| German translation | depends on the agency | client-supplied or quoted separately |
| First 3 months of support | sometimes included, often under a contract | included |
| Maintenance after that | monthly retainer or 120 to 200 CHF/h | quoted |
| Domain and access | sometimes registered by the agency | domain in your name, all access handed over |
| Payment terms | varies | 50 % to start, 50 % at delivery |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
A few red flags deserve a direct question before you sign: a domain registered in the agency's name, a scope with no page list, copy that is "to be supplied" without a budget, a vague monthly "SEO package" with no deliverables, admin access kept by the provider, and analytics installed without any consent setup under the nLPD. At Kolonell, ongoing search work is quoted on request, never sold as a hidden monthly line.
As proof of delivery for clients abroad, two real projects: TR Signing Group (trsigninggroup.com), notary and apostille services in New Jersey, with a bilingual EN/FR site, quote requests with per-file verification, a booking calendar, live chat and a back office; and Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), off-plan real-estate advisory in Dubai, with a trilingual FR/EN/AR site, project pages and investor guides.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional persona. Andrea is the COO of a single family office in Lucerne with two external advisers. She receives a local agency quote of 22 000 CHF for design and build, with English copy estimated at 3 000 CHF on top, so 25 000 CHF at launch. She compares it with Kolonell Growth at 4 500 CHF, English copy included, and budgets 1 500 CHF for a German translation by her usual translator. Her launch total is 6 000 CHF, a gap of 19 000 CHF. She pays 2 250 CHF at kickoff and 2 250 CHF at delivery. Maintenance after the third month is quoted on both sides, so she asks each provider for a written monthly figure and adds it over 36 months before deciding.
FAQ
Can a Lucerne firm work comfortably with a team outside Switzerland?
Yes. The Kolonell team is based in Senegal (GMT), which is 1 hour behind Lucerne in winter and 2 hours in summer, so calls on Google Meet fit easily into a Swiss working day. You also get a written update every week.
Is the German version included in the price?
No. Kolonell writes natively in English and French; German pages are supplied by your team or quoted separately. On a Growth site at 4 500 CHF, the German text is simply integrated once you send it.
How long does it take?
Starter and Growth are delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Premium at 8 200 CHF comes with a written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks, which leaves time for your compliance officer's review.
Can you add a secure client portal?
Yes, but it is a custom application, quoted on request, on top of the 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF grid. Most firms launch the public site first and scope the portal afterwards.
What do we pay before work starts?
50 % of the tier: 1 350 CHF for Starter, 2 250 CHF for Growth or 4 100 CHF for Premium, by bank transfer or Wise. The balance is due at delivery. You can request a quote with your page list.
Let's scope your project. Send us your page list, languages and preferred tier (2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF), and we will confirm scope and a 3 to 6 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.