The verdict in three sentences
A wealth management firm or family office in Singapore that sends a loose brief will usually see quotes between USD 3,000 and USD 45,000, with no way to tell which supplier understood the compliance workload. A checklist that fixes the audiences, the disclosure and regulatory pages, the compliance sign-off path, PDPA-minded forms, the client portal as a separate line and the migration plan gives you three quotes you can score. Expect 2 to 3 working days of internal effort, mostly from your compliance officer.
What goes into the checklist?
Group the requirements in three blocks and give each line an owner.
A. Strategy and audiences
- Who the site is for: referral partners, prospective clients with assets to place, existing clients looking for the portal link, candidates. A family office may want a minimal, low-profile site with a contact page only; say so.
- One measurable goal, for example qualified introduction requests per quarter.
- Location context if useful: Raffles Place, Marina Bay or Orchard office, meeting by appointment.
B. Content and compliance
- Page list with templates: home, approach, services, team profile (template), insights article (template), contact, careers, and the regulatory set: important information, terms of use, privacy policy, licence or exemption status as confirmed by your compliance officer, complaints handling.
- No performance figures, no assets under management, client counts, awards or testimonials unless your compliance officer approves them and they can be documented.
- Who writes, who reviews against MAS guidelines on advertising and on financial product information, who signs off. Single family office structures and tax incentive schemes are described generally, if at all, in wording approved by your advisers.
- Languages: English primary; Chinese optional, page by page, with a named reviewer.
C. Technical and data
- Integrations, one line each: client portal link, CRM routing for contact forms, newsletter tool, event registration, document library behind a login (on quote).
- Accessibility target: WCAG 2.2 AA.
- Forms: minimum fields, no financial details or identity documents in an open form, retention period, consent wording aligned with the PDPA and PDPC guidance.
- Hosting, domain and analytics in the firm's name; security headers and two-factor login for the CMS.
- If a site exists: URL inventory, 301 map, Search Console access.
- Acceptance criteria, target launch date and budget band.
This is not legal advice: your compliance officer and legal advisers decide what the site may say.
How much does precision change the quotes?
Ranges are a 2026 ballpark from typical Singapore agency quotes and public rate pages, converted at roughly SGD 1.35 to USD 1. Not a survey.
| Topic | Vague brief | Precise brief | Effect on quotes (USD, 2026 ballpark) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | 'Elegant corporate site' | 18 pages, 5 templates | Spread narrows from 3,000 to 45,000 to about 7,000 to 30,000 |
| Regulatory pages | Not mentioned | 5 pages, text supplied by compliance | Suppliers stop guessing legal copy |
| Client portal | 'Client login' | Link to custodian or portal vendor | Removes a 10,000 to 40,000 build |
| Insights | 'Blog' | 1 template, 2 articles per month by the firm | Content production priced or excluded clearly |
| Chinese | 'Maybe Chinese' | 8 pages in Chinese, external translator | Language scope fixed |
| Forms | 'Contact us' | 1 form, 5 fields, PDPA consent text | Data protection work visible |
| Approval rounds | Not mentioned | 2 rounds, 5 working days each | Timeline realistic for compliance review |
How do you score three quotes?
Weights are set before the quotes arrive. Score each criterion 1 to 5; weighted points equal weight multiplied by score divided by 5.
| Criterion (weight) | A: Singapore agency, USD 30,000 | B: freelancer, USD 6,000 | C: remote studio fixed grid, USD 8,900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance workflow (25) | 5 → 25 | 2 → 10 | 4 → 20 |
| Scope coverage (20) | 5 → 20 | 3 → 12 | 4 → 16 |
| Security and forms (20) | 4 → 16 | 2 → 8 | 4 → 16 |
| Migration plan (10) | 4 → 8 | 2 → 4 | 4 → 8 |
| Price clarity (15) | 3 → 9 | 4 → 12 | 5 → 15 |
| Ownership and support (10) | 4 → 8 | 2 → 4 | 4 → 8 |
| Total (100) | 86 | 50 | 83 |
Scores are illustrative. A 3-point lead for USD 21,100 more is reasonable to pay if you want an agency team in your Marina Bay office for every review meeting.
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How does the Kolonell fixed grid map to the checklist?
Kolonell's international grid is Starter USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900 and Premium USD 8,900, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote. Each includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is approved, and 3 months of support; maintenance afterwards is on quote.
Blocks A and C, the page templates and the English copy fit inside the tier. Regulatory text comes from your compliance team. A client portal, document library behind a login or CRM integration are each quoted separately. For a reference in professional services, Kolonell built the website of TR Signing Group (trsigninggroup.com), a signing services company in New Jersey. Tier details are on the international websites page.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional firm. Halcyon Bay Partners is a wealth management boutique near Raffles Place with a 40-URL English site and Chinese-speaking clients.
- Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote): USD 8,900.
- Client portal link: included; document library behind a login: on quote.
- Third-party costs: a freelance Chinese translator, 8 pages at USD 60 per page (market assumption) = USD 480; external legal review, 6 hours at USD 400 (market assumption) = USD 2,400.
- Total before on-quote lines: 8,900 + 480 + 2,400 = USD 11,780, compared with USD 30,000 from a Singapore agency on the same checklist.
Monthly care: market assumption of USD 120 per month for comparison only; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote.
FAQ
Should a single family office have a website at all?
Many keep a minimal site of 3 to 5 pages so that partners can verify the entity. The checklist should say this explicitly so suppliers do not quote a 30-page site.
Can we publish performance or AUM?
Only if your compliance officer approves it under the applicable rules. Most firms in this brief publish none, which removes 1 approval round.
How long does compliance review add?
Typically 1 to 3 weeks, depending on page count. Plan 2 rounds of 5 working days for an 18-page site.
Is Chinese worth it at launch?
If more than 20 % of enquiries come from Chinese-speaking clients, translating 6 to 10 key pages is a sensible start.
Let's scope your project. Send us your checklist, your regulatory page list and any portal requirements, and we will map them to a tier, list what stays on quote and give a launch date. 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.
