The verdict in three sentences
A fee-only advisory firm in Auckland whose clients are increasingly in their sixties and seventies should treat accessibility to WCAG 2.2 AA as the backbone of its next website redesign, not as a final checklist. Auckland agencies typically quote NZD 20,000 to 100,000 (about USD 12,000 to 60,000) for a wealth site redesign, while Kolonell's fixed grid is USD 2,900 (Starter), USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 8,900 (Premium), delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. Contrast, text size and keyboard navigation are cheap to get right at design stage and expensive to retrofit.
Why does accessibility drive this redesign?
Auckland wealth firms in Britomart, Parnell, Takapuna or Remuera serve business owners preparing an exit, returning expats and migrant families, but the clients who actually sign the engagement letter are often older. Many read with reading glasses, enlarge text in the browser, or navigate with a keyboard after a wrist injury. A site that fails them loses enquiries quietly: nobody calls to complain that the grey text was unreadable.
WCAG 2.2 AA gives a shared, testable standard. The criteria that matter most for an older audience:
| WCAG 2.2 AA point | What an older client notices | How to test it | Where it usually fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text contrast at least 4.5:1 | Pale grey copy is hard to read | Contrast checker on every colour pair | Light grey body text, white on gold buttons |
| Text resizable to 200% | Layout breaks when zooming | Browser zoom to 200% on each template | Fixed-height cards, overlapping menus |
| Keyboard navigation and visible focus | Cannot tell where the cursor is | Tab through every page without a mouse | Mega menus, cookie banners, sliders |
| Target size minimum (new in 2.2) | Small links are hard to tap | Measure buttons and icons on mobile | Footer links, social icons |
| Labels and error messages on forms | Unsure what went wrong | Submit the form empty and with errors | Placeholder-only fields |
| Accessible PDFs | Fee and disclosure documents unreadable by screen readers | Open with a screen reader or checker | Scanned disclosure statements |
Fee-only firms also have a specific reason to care: the fee disclosure page is often the page that wins the client. If it is a scanned PDF with small print, the main argument of a fee-only model is hidden.
What does an Auckland redesign cost in 2026?
The ranges below are a 2026 ballpark from typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages in Auckland, converted approximately from NZD to USD.
| Option | 2026 ballpark | Accessibility work included | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland boutique agency | NZD 20,000 to 50,000 (about USD 12,000 to 30,000) | Varies, audit often extra | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Larger Auckland agency, financial services experience | NZD 45,000 to 100,000 (about USD 27,000 to 60,000) | Usually included | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Freelance developer | NZD 6,000 to 15,000 (about USD 3,500 to 9,000) | Rarely tested | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Kolonell Starter | USD 2,900 | Built to WCAG 2.2 AA targets | 3 weeks |
| Kolonell Growth | USD 4,900 | Built to WCAG 2.2 AA targets | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium | USD 8,900 | Built to WCAG 2.2 AA targets, multilingual tier, languages set in the quote | 4 weeks |
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support, after which support is on quote. A formal audit by an independent accessibility auditor, client portal work, custodian links beyond simple outbound links and CRM integration are on quote or third-party costs. The international website offer lists what each tier covers.
What can go wrong, and how is it handled?
The 3 to 4 weeks run in four steps once content is ready: audit and URL inventory in the first days, design of accessible templates in week 1, build and content migration in weeks 2 and 3, then compliance review, accessibility testing and go-live in weeks 3 and 4.
| Risk | Likelihood on a wealth redesign | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search traffic loss | High without a plan | Full URL export, 301 redirect map, Search Console monitoring for 6 weeks | Provider |
| Disclosure pages lost or outdated | Medium | Inventory of regulatory status, complaints process, fee disclosure and privacy statement before design | Firm and provider |
| Accessibility regressions after launch | Medium | Editor guide on headings, alt text and contrast; check new pages monthly | Firm |
| Marketing copy implying returns | Medium | Written compliance sign-off of every page before go-live | Firm |
| Over-collection in forms | Medium | Name, contact, topic only; never account numbers or asset details | Provider |
| Downtime at switch | Low | DNS time to live lowered 48 hours before, switch outside business hours | Provider |
Financial advice in New Zealand sits under the Financial Markets Authority and the financial advice provider licensing regime, and the Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading claims; keep marketing statements general and let your compliance adviser approve them. The Privacy Act 2020 governs how you collect and hold personal information, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner publishes guidance worth reading before you design forms. This is not legal advice. A few te reo Maori elements, such as a greeting or bilingual section titles, can be added if they reflect how the firm actually works.
When is an Auckland agency the better choice, and what should you ask?
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Choose a local agency if you want in-person co-design sessions with clients, a full rebrand with photography across several offices, or a new secure portal built alongside the site. Whoever you choose, ask: which WCAG version and level will be tested, and with what tools; who fixes accessibility issues found after launch; who owns the domain and hosting; how the redirect map is verified; and what support costs after month 3.
Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* Rachel co-founded a fee-only advisory firm in Takapuna. Her site has 32 pages and 4 disclosure PDFs. A contrast check flags 11 failing colour pairs, the mega menu cannot be used with a keyboard, and the fee schedule is a scanned image.
She chooses Growth at USD 4,900 and hires an independent accessibility auditor for a post-launch review, a third-party cost of about NZD 3,000 (about USD 1,800). Total: about USD 6,700, against a local quote of NZD 35,000 (about USD 20,700), a gap of roughly USD 14,000. The fee schedule becomes an HTML page with a table, readable at 200% zoom, plus an accessible PDF. Her compliance reviewer spends about 8 hours on 32 pages, roughly 15 minutes each.
FAQ
Is WCAG 2.2 AA legally required for our firm?
It depends on your situation, so ask your adviser; many organisations use it as the reference standard anyway. Fixing contrast and keyboard issues at design stage typically adds little to a 3 to 4 week project.
How do we know the site meets WCAG 2.2 AA?
Combine automated checks with manual tests: keyboard-only navigation, 200% zoom and a screen reader on each template. An independent audit gives a written report, usually as a third-party cost.
Can a USD 4,900 site handle our disclosure documents?
Yes, Growth at USD 4,900 covers service, team and disclosure pages, with key documents published as HTML pages. Portals and custodian integrations stay on quote.
Will older clients notice the difference?
They notice larger default text, stronger contrast and buttons that are easy to tap. A body text size of 18 pixels is a sensible starting point for this audience.
Do we lose rankings when we redesign?
Not if every old URL has a 301 redirect and you monitor Search Console for about 6 weeks. Missing redirects are the main cause of traffic loss.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your page count, your disclosure documents and your target date, and we will confirm the tier, from USD 2,900 to USD 8,900, with an accessible design delivered in 3 to 4 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.
