The verdict in three sentences
A wealth management firm or family office in Amsterdam only gets comparable website quotes when the brief lists pages, languages, integrations, compliance sign-off and acceptance criteria before the first call. In 2026, a vague brief sent to Amsterdam agencies typically comes back anywhere between EUR 12,000 and 45,000 (ballpark from typical agency quotes), while a precise brief narrows the spread to figures you can actually compare. Below is the checklist we would want to receive, a scoring grid for three quotes, and how the Kolonell fixed grid (EUR 2,700, EUR 4,500 or EUR 8,200) maps onto it.
What should the requirements checklist contain?
Copy these eleven blocks into a shared document, fill them in with the partners and the compliance officer, and send the same file to every agency.
- Goals and audiences. Who must find you and what they should do: prospective families, intermediaries such as notaries and tax advisers around Zuidas or Oud-Zuid, candidates, and existing clients who only need the portal login.
- Page list and templates. Home, approach, services (wealth planning, investment management, family governance, as relevant), team, insights, contact. Then the regulatory pages: licence and supervision status, complaints procedure, privacy statement, cookie statement, disclaimers. List templates separately from pages, because templates drive design days.
- Content ownership. Who writes each page, who approves it, and a recorded compliance sign-off on every marketing page before go-live. AFM supervision of investment firms comes with rules on marketing communications (clear, fair, not misleading); state in the brief that the site shows no performance figures, no AUM claims, no client counts and no testimonials.
- Languages. Dutch and English, which one is primary, and who translates. At Kolonell this is Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote).
- Integrations, one line each. Client portal login link, CRM routing for the contact form, meeting booking tool, newsletter platform, any market data feed. Each on its own line so quotes can be compared item by item; a portal built inside the site is always on quote.
- Accessibility target. WCAG 2.2 AA on every template, tested with keyboard and screen reader on the key pages.
- Data protection for forms. GDPR (AVG in Dutch), supervised by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens: minimum fields (name, email, phone, a short message), no portfolio details or identity documents in an open form, consent before analytics cookies, processor agreements, EU hosting stated.
- Hosting and domain ownership. Domain, hosting account, analytics and Search Console registered in the firm's name, with admin access handed over at delivery.
- SEO migration if a site exists: full URL inventory, a 301 redirect map, Search Console checks in the weeks after launch.
- Acceptance criteria. Zero critical accessibility errors on automated checks, every form tested end to end, every old URL redirecting, compliance sign-off filed.
- Timeline and budget range. A target launch month and a budget bracket. Agencies quote more honestly when they know the bracket.
How does a vague brief change Amsterdam quotes?
| Checklist item | Vague brief | Precise brief | Effect on quotes (2026 ballpark) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | a modern site, around 10 pages | 9 pages, 5 templates, list attached | design effort becomes a fixed line |
| Languages | Dutch and English | Dutch primary, full English mirror, translation by the firm | translation priced or excluded explicitly |
| Client portal | a client login | link to the existing portal provider, no build | removes custom build guesses of EUR 10,000 or more |
| Compliance | not mentioned | compliance officer signs off, 2 review rounds | review time appears in the plan |
| Migration | we already have a site | 60 URLs inventoried, 301 map required | migration becomes a fixed line |
| Accessibility | accessible | WCAG 2.2 AA, test report at delivery | testing hours stated |
| Total spread | EUR 12,000 to 45,000 | EUR 15,000 to 28,000 | three quotes you can compare |
How do you score three quotes?
Weight five criteria, score each quote from 1 to 5, multiply and add. Example with three hypothetical Amsterdam quotes:
| Criterion | Weight | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage of the 11 checklist blocks | 30% | 4 (1.20) | 3 (0.90) | 5 (1.50) |
| Compliance workflow and review rounds | 25% | 3 (0.75) | 4 (1.00) | 2 (0.50) |
| Migration and SEO plan | 20% | 3 (0.60) | 4 (0.80) | 3 (0.60) |
| Price against your bracket | 15% | 4 (0.60) | 3 (0.45) | 3 (0.45) |
| Timeline and support terms | 10% | 3 (0.30) | 4 (0.40) | 2 (0.20) |
| Weighted total (out of 5) | 100% | 3.45 | 3.55 | 3.25 |
Quote C covers the most items but scores lowest because its compliance workflow is thin. For a supervised firm, that criterion deserves its weight.
How does the Kolonell fixed grid map to the checklist?
Kolonell works from a public grid: Starter EUR 2,700, Growth EUR 4,500, Premium EUR 8,200. Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, and 3 months of support. A Dutch and English site sits in Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote). Dutch copy is written or reviewed by your own translator or a freelance translator, a third-party cost. Portal builds, custom integrations and search work beyond the migration are on quote; maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote too. For a professional services reference, Kolonell built the site of TR Signing Group, a signing services company in New Jersey. The details are on the international offer page.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Lindegracht Family Office, a fictional single-family office with four staff near the Grachtengordel, wants a Dutch and English site with 9 pages, a portal login link and no performance content.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- Kolonell Premium: EUR 8,200
- Freelance Dutch translator (third-party cost, market assumption): about 4,000 words at EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word, so EUR 480 to 720
- Total: EUR 8,680 to 8,920, against a precise-brief local range of EUR 15,000 to 28,000
- Internal time: about 8 hours of partner and compliance review over 4 weeks
The portal stays with its current provider, so no build line appears in any quote.
FAQ
How long does it take to write this checklist?
Usually 6 to 10 hours of internal work spread over one or two weeks. Most of the time goes into the page list and the compliance workflow.
Should the site show past performance?
The checklist should state zero performance pages. Any later addition goes through your compliance officer with the disclosures your supervisory status requires. This is not legal advice.
How many quotes should we request?
Three is enough when every agency receives the same 11-block document. Score them with the 5-criterion grid above so the comparison holds.
What does Premium at EUR 8,200 include for a Dutch and English site?
Premium is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support. Portal builds and custom integrations are quoted separately.
Who should own the domain and hosting?
The firm, always. Put all 4 accounts (domain, hosting, analytics, Search Console) in the firm's name and ask for admin handover in the acceptance criteria.
Let's scope your project. Send us your checklist, even half filled, and we will return a fixed scope, a price on the EUR grid and a 3 to 4 week 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.