The verdict in three sentences
For a wealth management firm or family office in Zurich, a redesign costs a 2026 ballpark of CHF 25,000 to 80,000 at a Zurich agency, against CHF 2,700 to 8,200 on the Kolonell fixed grid, excluding client portals and integrations. The real risk is not the budget but organic traffic loss, broken client login links and pages published without a compliance review. A sound redesign starts with a URL inventory, a 301 redirect map and sign-off of every page by your compliance officer before go-live.
Which signals show a redesign is due?
- The site still shows a team, an address on Paradeplatz or in Enge, or an offering that no longer matches reality.
- The English version is a literal translation, and the French version promised to French-speaking clients does not exist.
- Market commentaries are orphan PDFs, with no date or visible disclaimer.
- The link to the custodian's client portal is buried in the footer and clients call to find it.
- The site has not been reviewed since the FinSA client information rules or the revised FADP (nLPD) came into force.
What budget should you plan in Zurich?
The ranges below are a 2026 ballpark from typical Zurich agency quotes and public freelance rates. They cover the public website redesign, not a custom client portal.
| Option | Redesign budget | Typical timeline | Often excluded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich freelancer | CHF 8,000 to 25,000 | 6 to 10 weeks | Copywriting, translation, redirect map |
| Mid-size Zurich agency | CHF 25,000 to 80,000 | 12 to 20 weeks | Photography, legal review |
| High-end brand agency | CHF 80,000 to 200,000 | 16 to 30 weeks | Portal development |
| Kolonell Starter | CHF 2,700 | 3 to 4 weeks | Portal, integrations (on quote) |
| Kolonell Growth | CHF 4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | Portal, integrations (on quote) |
| Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) | CHF 8,200 | 3 to 4 weeks | Portal, integrations (on quote) |
All three Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support. Details are on the international website offer page.
How long does a redesign take, phase by phase?
| Phase | Kolonell | Typical Zurich agency |
|---|---|---|
| Audit, URL inventory, Search Console export | Week 1 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Copywriting and compliance review of content (client side) | Before kickoff, 2 to 4 weeks | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Design and approval | Weeks 1 to 2 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Build and content migration | Weeks 2 to 3 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| QA, 301 redirects, page-by-page compliance sign-off | Week 4 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Go-live and monitoring | End of week 4, then 3 months of support | 1 to 2 weeks |
Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. The real schedule depends mostly on your own approval chain: at a wealth manager, compliance review often takes longer than the build.
Which risks, and how do you control them?
| Risk | What happens | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Organic traffic loss | Pages ranking for Vermögensverwaltung Zürich lose position | Inventory of every URL, 301 redirect map, Search Console monitoring for 8 weeks |
| Broken client login links | Clients can no longer find their portal | List every link to the custodian or platform, test before and after the switch |
| Research archive | Old market commentaries return a 404 | Migrate or redirect, keep dates and disclaimers |
| Marketing claims | Performance wording that is not compliant | Compliance officer signs off every page before go-live |
| Downtime | Outage during the DNS switch | Switch outside office hours, TTL lowered 48 hours before |
| Language versions out of sync | German, English and French pages contradict each other | One source content sheet, approved once |
The framework in brief: portfolio managers are authorised by FINMA under FinIA and supervised by a supervisory organisation; FinSA sets client information rules. The site must never promise returns. The revised FADP (nLPD) applies, overseen by the FDPIC: updated privacy notice, cookie consent, contact forms limited to what is necessary. This is not legal advice.
What stays on quote, and when is a local agency better?
On quote: a custom client portal, an integration with a portfolio management system, a secure document area per client. A Zurich agency is clearly the better choice if the redesign includes a new brand identity, if your board wants in-person workshops at every step, or if the site must be written German-first in Swiss Standard German (no ß) by a writer who knows your clients in Küsnacht or Seefeld. Kolonell writes natively in English and French; German goes through Premium, languages set in the quote.
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Questions to ask: who delivers the redirect map? Who tests the portal links? How many compliance review rounds are planned? Does the domain stay in your name?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Matthias, COO of a fictional 12-person independent asset manager in Enge, must redesign a 40-page German and English site with 120 archived market commentaries, and add a French version. An agency quotes CHF 65,000 over 16 weeks. The alternative: Kolonell Premium at CHF 8,200 (the multilingual tier, German, English and French set in the quote), a local portrait photographer at about CHF 1,800 (third-party cost) and an external legal review of the copy at about CHF 3,000 (third-party cost, market assumption). Total: CHF 13,000, a CHF 52,000 gap, with the 301 map delivered in week 1.
FAQ
Does a redesign always lose traffic?
No, if every old URL is 301-redirected to its equivalent. A temporary dip of 10 to 20% for a few weeks is still possible and is tracked in Search Console.
Is the client portal included in the tiers?
No, the tiers from CHF 2,700 to 8,200 cover the public website. A portal or an integration with your portfolio system is on quote.
How long does the compliance review take?
Usually 2 to 4 weeks for a 30 to 50 page site, depending on your compliance officer's availability. Kolonell starts building in parallel on the approved designs.
Do we need three languages in Zurich?
German and English are the base; French serves your French-speaking clients. At Kolonell that is Premium at CHF 8,200, languages set in the quote.
What happens after go-live?
Three months of support are included, covering redirect monitoring and fixes. After that, maintenance is on quote.
Let's scope your project. A wealth management website redesign with a redirect plan and compliance sign-off, CHF 4,500 to 8,200, 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.
