Website redesign for an executive search firm in Frankfurt: budget, risks and credibility (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

An executive search firm in Frankfurt serves two audiences on one site: boards, CEOs and HR heads who check practice areas, partner seniority and discretion, and senior candidates who want to see mandates and send a CV safely. Frankfurt agencies typically quote 20,000 to 120,000 EUR for a redesign of this kind in 2026, while Kolonell works on a fixed grid of 2,700 EUR (Starter), 4,500 EUR (Growth) and 8,200 EUR (Premium). Most of the risk sits in candidate data handling, the German legal pages and the search visibility of your mandate listings.

Two audiences, two sets of questions

A client and a candidate land on the same homepage, then split. If the site serves only one of them, the other leaves.

Frankfurt has a dense financial sector, so many mandates involve roles that BaFin scrutinises for fit and proper criteria. Your site can describe experience with such roles in general terms, without naming clients or placements. Never publish placements or client names unless the client has agreed in writing.

Budget for a Frankfurt redesign in 2026

Local figures are a 2026 ballpark taken from typical agency quotes and public rate pages; Kolonell figures are its fixed grid.

Each Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable during Frankfurt business hours, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (4 to 6 for Premium) once content is ready, and 3 months of support. A candidate portal, an integration with your search software or an ATS, and gated client areas are on quote, as is maintenance after the included three months. See the international offer for the full scope.

From kickoff to launch

Week one covers scoping, the inventory of current URLs (including old mandate pages that still attract search traffic) and the sitemap. Weeks one and two are for partner interviews and copywriting. Weeks two and three cover design and build. The last week handles the legal pages review, redirects, tests and launch; for Premium, the same phases spread over four to six weeks. The calendar depends on partner availability: two interviews of 45 minutes per partner is a realistic plan.

Where redesigns go wrong, and how to avoid it

• Lost visibility on mandate and practice pages. Build a full URL inventory, map every old address to a new one with a 301 redirect and watch Search Console for the first 60 days.
• CVs sent to an open mailbox. Under GDPR and the BDSG, candidate data should be minimised and kept only as long as needed. Many firms define a retention period and ask for consent before keeping a profile in their talent pool; set yours with your data protection officer. In Frankfurt, the competent supervisory authority is Hesse's state data protection authority.
• Missing or incomplete Impressum. German law requires provider identification on business websites, now set out in the Digital Services Act (DDG). Have it reviewed before launch along with the privacy policy.
• Content migration gaps. Partner articles and press mentions lose dates or authors; keep an item-by-item migration list.
• Gated areas growing mid-project. Keep any client or candidate portal in a separate quote and timeline.
• Downtime during a live search. Schedule the DNS switch at a quiet hour with a rollback plan.

This is not legal advice: your counsel or data protection officer should approve the legal pages and data flows.

Frankfurt agency or remote studio: an honest comparison

A Frankfurt agency is the better choice if you want a full rebrand with on-site workshops, German-first copywriting by a local team, or deep integration with your search software from day one. Kolonell fits firms that know their positioning and want a credible, well-written site quickly, on a fixed budget. Whatever you choose, ask who writes the partner pages, who reviews the Impressum and privacy policy, how redirects are tested and who owns the domain and accounts afterwards.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Westend Search Partners, a fictional firm with five partners in Frankfurt, wants a site in German and English. It chooses Premium, the multilingual tier, in German and English, at 8,200 EUR. It adds a German-language legal and style review at about 1,800 EUR (market assumption: 12,000 words at 0.15 EUR) and partner portraits at 1,500 EUR (market assumption). Total: 11,500 EUR. A mid-size Frankfurt agency quoted 45,000 EUR for a similar scope, leaving 33,500 EUR for thought leadership and events.

FAQ

How long does an executive search firm redesign take?

With Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks for Starter or Growth and 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, once content is ready. Partner interviews and the legal review are what usually set the pace.

Can we list our recent placements?

Only with the written consent of the client and, where relevant, the candidate. Many firms describe mandate types and sectors instead, which keeps discretion intact.

How long can we keep candidate CVs?

GDPR requires a defined, justified retention period, and consent is commonly used for longer talent pool storage. Set the period with your data protection officer and state it in your privacy notice.

Is a candidate portal included?

No. A portal, an ATS integration or a gated client area is quoted separately, since scope varies a lot between firms.

What does maintenance cost after the 3 months of support?

It is on quote at Kolonell. In Frankfurt, a 2026 ballpark is 150 to 800 EUR per month (market assumption), depending on how often mandates and articles are updated.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your practice areas, partner count and languages, and we will propose a tier and a timeline in weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.