The verdict in three sentences
In Frankfurt, a family relocating for the ECB, a bank or an industrial group often chooses an international private school from abroad, on the strength of the website alone: curriculum, fees, admissions, transport. A well-run redesign costs EUR 15,000 to 40,000 on the local market as a 2026 ballpark, while Kolonell's fixed grid runs from EUR 2,700 (Starter) to EUR 8,200 (Premium), with admissions portals and integrations on quote. The main risk lies in lost search visibility and publishing inaccurate information on accreditations or fees.
Signs your current site is costing you enrolments
A parent comparing three schools from abroad quickly notices what is missing. The most frequent signals:
- Tuition fees sit in last year's PDF, or are missing.
- The curriculum (IB, British, American, French) is not explained by stage, and accreditations are not presented as actually held.
- The admissions process is a single email address, with no calendar or document list.
- The German and English versions do not say the same thing.
- The site is slow on mobile, open day dates are out of date, the Impressum is incomplete.
- Pupil photos come with no parental consent policy.
Each of these pushes the family towards the competing school whose site answers the question in two clicks.
Budget: the Frankfurt market and Kolonell's fixed grid
Local ranges are a 2026 ballpark drawn from typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages.
| Option | Redesign budget | Usual timeline | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | EUR 6,000 to 15,000 | 6 to 10 weeks | Depends on one person |
| Small Frankfurt agency | EUR 15,000 to 40,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | German-speaking team on site |
| Full-service or education specialist agency | EUR 40,000 to 90,000 | 4 to 6 months | Workshops, portal, campaign |
| Kolonell Starter | EUR 2,700 | 3 to 4 weeks | Essential site, fixed price |
| Kolonell Growth | EUR 4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | More pages, full SEO structure |
| Kolonell Premium | EUR 8,200 | 4 to 6 weeks | Multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
| Maintenance after delivery | EUR 300 to 1,200 a month (market assumption) | n/a | At Kolonell: on quote |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (4 to 6 for Premium) and 3 months of support. The admissions portal, the link to your student information system and parent-only areas are scoped on quote. Tier details are on the international offer.
Timeline and risks: what to lock down before go-live
Kolonell timelines start once content is ready: approved copy, this year's fees, cleared photos.
| Phase | Week | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping | 1 | Sitemap, URL inventory, list of regulated content |
| Mock-ups | 1 to 2 | Admissions, curriculum, fees and school life pages |
| Build | 2 to 3 | Site, minimal forms, German version integrated |
| Review | 3 to 4 | Check of accreditations, fees, Impressum, privacy notices |
| Go-live | 4 (6 for Premium) | 301 redirects, Search Console, form testing |
| Risk | Consequence | Mitigation |
| Lost Google traffic | Fewer admissions enquiries for months | URL inventory, 301 redirect map, Search Console monitoring |
| Incomplete content migration | Missing curriculum or fees pages | Migration sheet signed off by the school |
| Inaccurate information | Accreditation or result misrepresented | Leadership review before publication |
| Children's data | Exposure of minors | Minimal collection, photos with parental consent |
| Downtime | Forms lost in the middle of admissions season | Switch outside peak, form testing |
On the legal side, the GDPR and the BDSG apply, under the supervision of the Hesse state data protection authority; an Impressum is mandatory under German law, now the DDG. This is not legal advice. Never invent an exam result, a ranking, a pupil number or an accreditation.
Questions to ask, and when a local agency is the better choice
Useful questions for any provider: who writes the German version, and at what cost? How is the URL inventory handled? Who signs off regulated content? What does maintenance cost after the included period? At Kolonell, the German version sits in the Premium tier, languages set in the quote, with copy supplied by the school or a professional translator.
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A Frankfurt agency is the better choice if the school board requires on-site workshops in German, if the site must integrate deeply with an on-premise management system, or if a tender requires a provider established in Germany.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Taunus International School receives a local quote of EUR 38,000. It compares it with the Premium tier at EUR 8,200, plus a German translation of 25 pages of 500 words at EUR 0.15 per word, or EUR 1,875: a total of EUR 10,075. The difference is EUR 27,925. With annual fees in the region of EUR 20,000, a single additional family enrolled for 4 years represents EUR 80,000. Working assumptions.
FAQ
How much does an international school website redesign cost in Frankfurt?
As a 2026 ballpark: EUR 15,000 to 40,000 with a small local agency. At Kolonell, EUR 2,700 to 8,200 depending on the tier, integrations on quote.
How long does it take?
Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks, 4 to 6 for Premium, once content is ready. A local agency often quotes 10 to 16 weeks.
Can we keep our search visibility?
Yes, if every old URL is 301-redirected and monitored in Search Console for at least 8 weeks after go-live.
Is the admissions portal included?
No: the portal, the student information system link and parent areas are on quote. The public site stays at the fixed price.
Can we publish pupil photos?
Only with written parental consent and a clear policy. A gallery of 20 to 30 approved photos a year is often enough.
Let's scope your project. Send your current sitemap and languages, and we will price Growth or Premium with a 3 to 6 week calendar. 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.