The verdict in three sentences
For a Gatineau portfolio manager, the contact form is the riskiest page on the site: every unnecessary field becomes personal information you must protect, retain and then destroy. Kolonell's fixed grid costs USD 4,900 (Growth) in French, or USD 8,900 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) to also serve Ontario clients in English, versus about USD 5,800 to 21,600 at a local agency. The build takes 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, provided the fields and retention period are decided upfront.
Why redesign, and why start with the forms?
In Hull, Aylmer and the neighborhoods near the bridges, wealth firms serve federal public servants, retirees and a bilingual clientele who live and work on both sides of the river. Many sector websites were built in layers: a contact form, then a profile questionnaire, then a newsletter signup, each wired to a different tool. The result: emails containing asset amounts sit in shared inboxes with no retention period.
Other redesign signals: the English version is out of date, disclosure pages (registration status, complaints procedure, fee disclosure) are scattered, the market commentary archive has never been triaged, and the custodian portal link is hidden.
What should a public form collect, or never collect?
| Field | Useful at first contact? | Risk | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| First and last name | yes | low | kept |
| Email and phone | yes | low | kept |
| Preferred language | yes, clients on both sides of the river | low | kept |
| Topic of enquiry (short list) | yes | low | kept |
| Approximate value of assets | no | sensitive financial information | removed, discussed in a meeting |
| Current institution or account number | no | high if there is an incident | removed |
| Social insurance number or date of birth | no | very high | never in a public form |
| Open file upload | no | uncontrolled documents | removed |
Quebec's Law 25 requires, among other things, a privacy policy published in clear terms, a designated person in charge of protecting personal information and, for a technological product offered to the public, the highest privacy settings by default. For people living in Ontario, PIPEDA may also apply depending on the case. Newsletters need consent that meets CASL. This is not legal advice.
| Data | Where it is stored | Retention (example to set in your policy) | Who deletes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry with no follow-up | form tool, then CRM | 12 months | privacy officer |
| Enquiry that became a client | secure client file | per your regulatory obligations | compliance |
| Newsletter subscriber | email tool | until unsubscribe | automatic |
| Server logs | hosting provider | 30 to 90 days | hosting provider |
| Analytics cookies | analytics tool | off by default without consent | configuration |
How much does the redesign cost, and how long does it take?
| Option | 2026 ballpark | Form and retention | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | CAD 3,000 to 9,000 (about USD 2,200 to 6,500) | standard plugin, often no retention policy | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Gatineau or Ottawa agency | CAD 8,000 to 20,000 (about USD 5,800 to 14,400) | depends on the agency | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Established agency, financial sector | CAD 20,000 to 30,000+ (about USD 14,400 to 21,600) | compliance workshop included | 12 to 18 weeks |
| Kolonell Growth | USD 4,900 | minimal form, hosting and retention documented | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium | USD 8,900 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) | same, in French and English | 3 to 4 weeks |
Local ranges reflect typical agency quotes, converted approximately to USD. A very compact site can start from Starter at USD 2,900. The international offer includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native French or English copywriting and 3 months of support. Still on quote: client portal, integrated booking, CRM connection, search optimization work and maintenance beyond 3 months.
Typical calendar: one week of audit and URL inventory, two weeks of design, copywriting and build, one week of compliance review, 301 map and go-live, then 30 days of 404 monitoring in Search Console. On advertising, the AMF and CIRO frame communications in general terms: no promise of returns, caution with performance and testimonials, written sign-off on every page before go-live.
Questions to ask the provider: where are form responses hosted? Are they sent in plain text by email? Who can access them? How are they deleted when the period ends? Are analytics cookies off by default?
When is a local agency the better choice?
If you want an online investor profile questionnaire, a secure client area or an integration with your relationship management system, those modules need custom development and close support. An agency in the National Capital Region with financial sector experience may then be the right choice.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Julien is a partner at a boutique discretionary portfolio manager in Aylmer. The old form has 11 fields, including asset value, current institution and date of birth. The new one has 5.
- assumption: 140 enquiries per year;
- 6 fields removed x 140 enquiries = 840 pieces of personal information no longer collected each year;
- retention of enquiries with no follow-up cut to 12 months;
- budget: Kolonell Premium USD 8,900, versus a local quote of CAD 24,000 (about USD 17,300);
- difference: about USD 8,400.
FAQ
How much does a wealth manager website redesign cost in Gatineau?
At a local agency, about CAD 8,000 to 30,000, or USD 5,800 to 21,600, as a 2026 ballpark. With Kolonell, from USD 2,900 (Starter) to USD 8,900 (Premium).
How many fields should the form have?
Five are usually enough: name, email, phone, preferred language and topic. Everything else is discussed in a meeting.
How long should we keep an enquiry with no follow-up?
You set it in your policy; 12 months is a common example. What matters is writing the period down and actually deleting when it ends.
Do we need an English version in Gatineau?
French must be available; English serves Ontario clients. It falls under the Premium tier at USD 8,900.
Is the client portal included?
No, the site links to the custodian's portal; a custom client area is quoted separately.
Let's scope your project. A sober site with a minimal form and documented retention, USD 4,900 on Growth or USD 8,900 on Premium, 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.
