The verdict in three sentences
In Lugano, a private jet and yacht charter brokerage website built by a Ticino agency costs, as a 2026 ballpark, between 10 000 and 38 000 CHF, often with an Italian version included. Kolonell builds the service pages, the empty-leg page, the sheets per aircraft or yacht category and the qualified quote request for a fixed price of 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF, with Italian supplied by you or quoted separately. A fair comparison looks at the 3-year total cost, languages included, and at how the site presents your status as a broker.
What does a brokerage site need in Lugano?
Lugano is often described as Switzerland's third financial centre: private banks, wealth managers, trading houses and families settled around Lake Lugano make up the clientele. Lugano-Agno airfield serves business and general aviation, but many long-range flights leave from Milan Malpensa or Linate, about an hour away. On the yacht side, clients mostly charter on the Ligurian Riviera, in Sardinia and on the Côte d'Azur; on Lake Lugano itself, part of the water is Italian, which matters for boat outings. The site therefore has to:
- speak Italian on the key pages, alongside English: Italian is supplied by you or quoted separately;
- show the real departure points: Agno, Malpensa, Linate, without implying you run those airports;
- qualify the request: route, dates, passengers, luggage, pets, flexibility, indicative budget;
- protect discretion: no client names, no passenger photos, licensed visuals only.
The rules, stated factually. The flight is performed by an operator holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC); in Switzerland the authority is the FOCA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation), and for an operator based in the European Union the framework falls under EASA and national authorities. A broker must not present itself as the operator and must state who operates the flight. For yachts, commercial charter follows flag and local rules; the MYBA standard contract is common in the Mediterranean and VAT on charters depends on location. On data, the revFADP has applied since 1 September 2023, and the GDPR applies as soon as you target Italian or other EU clients. Aim for WCAG 2.1 AA. This is not legal advice.
What do Lugano agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?
These ranges are prudent ballparks. They rest on public rate cards of Ticino agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by agencies in the region (often 110 to 180 CHF per hour) and rates visible on Upwork or Malt. An honest note: agencies in Lombardy, across the border, often quote lower in euros, which remains a serious option if you work mainly in Italian.
| Criterion | Lugano agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 ballpark | 10 000 to 38 000 CHF | 4 000 to 11 000 CHF | 2 700 / 4 500 / 8 200 CHF, fixed |
| Italian version | Often included | Often included | Supplied by you or quoted separately |
| Changes outside scope | Often 110 to 180 CHF per hour | Often 80 to 120 CHF per hour | Quoted before any work |
| Usual timeline | 8 to 14 weeks | 5 to 9 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Shoot on the lake or at the hangar | Often offered | Sometimes | Not included: your images or a local photographer |
| Support after launch | Separate contract | Case by case | 3 months, 6 on Premium |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
Native copywriting in English or French is included, and Premium delivers a bilingual FR/EN site. Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. A project manager reachable in your time zone offers Google Meet calls at your hour and a written update every week; the team is based in Senegal (GMT), one to two hours behind Lugano depending on the season. Kolonell does not run on-site shoots or in-person meetings. All tiers are detailed on our international offer.
Which 3-year total cost should you compare?
Kolonell maintenance after the included support is quoted on request, so the table uses the same assumption on both sides.
| Item over 36 months | Ticino agency (mid range) | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|
| English site with Italian version | 22 000 CHF, Italian included | 8 200 CHF (FR/EN) |
| Full Italian translation | Included | Supplied or quoted separately, assumption 2 000 CHF |
| Maintenance (same assumption) | 140 CHF per month over 30 months, 4 200 CHF | 4 200 CHF, quoted on request |
| Manual empty-leg updates | 15 hours at 140 CHF, 2 100 CHF | Quoted beforehand, assumption 1 200 CHF |
| Support included after launch | Depends on contract | 6 months included |
| Indicative total | 28 300 CHF | 15 600 CHF |
The gap narrows once Italian enters the calculation: that is expected, and it is why you should compare line by line.
What does each tier include for a jet and yacht broker?
| Item | Starter 2 700 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Services | Jets and yachts on two pages | One page per service: on-demand flights, empty legs, weekly yachts, helicopter transfers to St. Moritz | Full structure with destination pages (Portofino, Costa Smeralda, Côte d'Azur, St. Moritz) |
| Aircraft and yachts | Gallery per category | Sheet per jet category and yacht size | Detailed sheets, static comparison |
| Empty legs | Mention and contact | Page updated by hand | Structured page with static route filters |
| Quote request | Short form | Full qualified form | Separate aviation and yachting journeys, discreet call-back |
| Status and safety page | Included | Included, broker versus operator explained | Included, with operator selection criteria |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written schedule, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
An automated empty-leg feed, instant pricing or an integration with charter management software is a custom application, quoted on request. Ongoing search work is quoted on request too.
Which warning signs should you spot?
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- An "our fleet" page filled with aircraft you do not own, with no mention of the operator.
- Aircraft or yacht photos without a written licence from the owner.
- Machine-translated Italian with no review.
- A form demanding a passport at first contact.
- A contract that keeps the domain in the agency's name.
Ask about: the cost of a new destination page, the number of revision rounds, who writes the copy, and how fast access is handed over.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Giulia F. works alone as a private jet broker in Lugano and arranges a few yacht charters in Liguria each summer. Her current site exists only in English; she wants Italian before winter. Two quotes:
- Lugano agency: 29 000 CHF, English and Italian, 12 weeks.
- Kolonell Premium: 8 200 CHF, English and French, 4 to 6 weeks, plus an Italian translation by a Ticino translator at 1 600 CHF, and image licences obtained free of charge from her partner operators.
Kolonell route: 8 200 + 1 600 = 9 800 CHF, against 29 000 CHF, a gap of 19 200 CHF. In return, Giulia coordinates the translator and the image permissions herself.
FAQ
How much does a yacht and private jet charter website cost in Lugano?
As a 2026 ballpark, 10 000 to 38 000 CHF with an agency and 4 000 to 11 000 CHF with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF.
Can you write in Italian?
No, native copywriting covers English and French. Italian is supplied by you or quoted separately, often 1 500 to 2 000 CHF for a full site.
Can we publish empty legs?
Yes, on a page updated by hand from Growth at 4 500 CHF. An automatic feed linked to operators is an application quoted on request.
Do we have to name the operators?
Stating who operates the flight is expected of a broker. The site can do so at quote stage rather than on every page, depending on your agreements.
What is the timeline?
3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth, usually 4 to 6 weeks on Premium. Support lasts 3 months, 6 months on Premium.
Let's scope your project. Send us your services, your aircraft and yacht categories and your target languages, and we will confirm a fixed price in CHF with a 3 to 6 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
