Website redesign for an art gallery and art advisory in London: budget, risks and credibility (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a London gallery or art advisory, the website is often a collector's or advisor's first filter before a Mayfair appointment or a visit to a fair stand. A redesign usually costs between GBP 15,000 and 60,000 with a London agency, while the Kolonell fixed grid starts at GBP 2,300 (Starter) and goes up to GBP 6,900 (Premium). The real risk is not price: it is losing the exhibition archive, search visibility on artist names and control of image rights during the migration.

Which signals show the current site is hurting the gallery?

Collectors search for an artist's name, an exhibition, a fair or an advisory service. They judge the rigour of the house within seconds. The signals that come up most often:

• artist pages with no current CV, no exhibition list and no critical text;
• low-resolution images, or crops that do not respect the work;
• a broken or hidden exhibition archive, when it is what proves the length of representation;
• “price on request” with no clear form and no fast reply;
• a site that is slow on mobile, opened in the aisles of a fair in October;
• artists still shown after representation has ended.

That last point is sensitive: a gallery only presents the artists and works it is actually authorised to show, with the artist's consent and the matching image rights.

What budget should you plan for in London in 2026?

Agency ranges reflect typical London agency quotes. Gated areas (private viewing rooms, collector portal), a connection to gallery inventory software or an online sales module are on quote. Tier details are on the Kolonell international offer.

How long does a redesign take, phase by phase?

These 3 to 4 week timelines (4 to 6 for Premium) assume texts, images and image permissions are ready. A project manager reachable on London hours and native English copywriting are included.

Which risks, and how do you manage them?

Search visibility loss. Older artist and exhibition pages often bring most of the organic traffic. You need a full URL inventory, a page-by-page 301 redirect map and Search Console monitoring in the weeks after go-live.

Content migration. Fifteen years of exhibitions rarely migrate in one click. Plan a triage: what stays, what is merged, what is removed with the agreement of the artists concerned.

Rights and compliance. Reproduction rights for works, artist consent and third-party texts must be checked before go-live. Art market participants in the UK are subject to anti-money-laundering obligations for high-value transactions: the site does not replace those procedures, but sales and advisory pages must not contradict them. On data, UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and PECR (cookies, marketing email) apply, overseen by the ICO; targeting WCAG 2.2 AA helps meet Equality Act 2010 expectations. This is not legal advice.

Downtime. A planned switch outside fair periods, with a rollback ready, keeps the risk to a few minutes.

Questions to ask any provider: who writes the redirect map? How are high-definition images handled without slowing mobile? Who owns the code and the CMS at the end? What does one more language really cost?

When a local agency is the better choice. If you need in-gallery shoots every month, a physical presence during Frieze London or a heavy integration with your inventory and accounting, a London team on site is justified, despite a budget three to ten times higher.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Marlowe Projects, a Mayfair gallery representing 14 artists, with an advisory practice for private collectors. It chooses Kolonell Premium, the multilingual tier, in English and French, at GBP 6,900. On top of that come photography of 120 works at GBP 25 each, so GBP 3,000 (market assumption), and translation of critical texts for GBP 1,800 (market assumption). Total: 6,900 + 3,000 + 1,800 = GBP 11,700. The quote from a specialised local agency for the same scope was GBP 28,000: the gap is GBP 16,300, which could fund an exhibition catalogue, for instance.

FAQ

Should we show artwork prices?

Many London galleries keep “price on request”. What matters is a clear form and a reply within 24 to 48 hours, because a collector who waits more than 2 days often contacts another gallery.

Will the redesign make our traffic drop?

A temporary dip of a few weeks is common. With a 301 map covering 100% of useful URLs and Search Console monitoring, it usually stays limited.

Can we keep our full exhibition archive?

Yes, and it is often desirable because it proves the length of representation. For an archive of more than 200 exhibitions, automated migration is on quote.

Which tier for a gallery with an international audience?

Premium, the multilingual tier at GBP 6,900, with languages set in the quote. Growth at GBP 3,900 suits an English-only site.

What does maintenance cost afterwards?

The first 3 months of support are included. After that, maintenance is on quote; in the London market, allow GBP 150 to 600 per month (market assumption).

Let's scope your project. A Growth or Premium redesign delivered in 3 to 6 weeks, with a redirect plan and reworked artist pages. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.