The verdict in three sentences
For a Bordeaux wine merchant earning 60% of its revenue from exports, a bilingual website is a prospecting tool aimed at British and American importers and wine shops. Budget EUR 10,000 to 18,000 for the FR/EN site, EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word for professional translation and EUR 2,000 to 4,000 of SEO adaptation per market, with partial funding possible through Team France Export. A single importer won is worth EUR 20,000 to 120,000 a year.
Translating is not localizing: the translation budget in detail
A London buyer does not search for a word-for-word translation of 'vin de Bordeaux négociant'. They search for 'Bordeaux wine supplier', 'Right Bank merchant', 'en primeur allocation'. A US importer talks about the 'three-tier system', 'FOB pricing' and 'COLA label approval'. The translator must know wine trade vocabulary and each market's conventions.
| Content to translate | Typical volume | 2026 rate | Indicative cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate pages | 4,000 words | EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word | 480 to 720 |
| Wine sheets (30 SKUs) | 9,000 words | EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word | 1,080 to 1,620 |
| Tech sheets and tasting notes | 6,000 words | EUR 0.15 to 0.18 per word | 900 to 1,080 |
| Market pages (UK, US) | 3,000 words | Native copywriting EUR 0.25 to 0.35 per word | 750 to 1,050 |
| Native-speaker proofreading | 22,000 words | EUR 0.04 to 0.06 per word | 880 to 1,320 |
| Total translation | 22,000 words | 4,090 to 5,790 |
Machine translation alone is risky for tasting notes: a clumsy rendering of 'structured, firm tannins' destroys credibility with a Master of Wine buyer.
International SEO: hreflang, structure and market content
The UK and the US do not search with the same words or spelling ('flavour' versus 'flavor'). One generic English site can work at first, but real visibility requires adapting to each market.
| SEO element | Content | Budget (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| /fr/ and /en/ architecture with hreflang | fr-FR, en-GB, en-US, x-default tags | Included in site | Launch |
| Keyword research per market | 50 to 80 queries per country | 800 to 1,500 per market | 2 weeks |
| Optimized market pages | 3 to 5 pages per country | 1,000 to 2,000 per market | 3 weeks |
| Product and Organization structured data | Wines, appellations, vintages | 400 to 700 | 1 week |
| Targeted link building | UK and US wine media, trade directories | 600 to 1,500 per market | 3 to 6 months |
| Search Console tracking by country | Monthly report | 150 to 300 per month | Ongoing |
Team France Export and regional export grants in Nouvelle-Aquitaine can cover part of digital prospecting costs. Check eligibility before signing the quote.
Total budget and the value of an importer
| Item | Low range (EUR) | High range (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual FR/EN site | 10,000 | 18,000 |
| Translation and native proofreading | 4,000 | 5,800 |
| UK SEO | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| US SEO | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| Trade area (sheets, price lists, visuals) | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| Total year one | 19,500 | 34,800 |
Mini case study
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Pierre, export director of a Bordeaux wine merchant, runs EUR 4.2 million in revenue, 60% from exports. He invests EUR 14,000 in the site, EUR 5,000 in translation and EUR 6,000 in UK and US SEO, for EUR 25,000, of which 40% is covered by a regional scheme. Net cost: EUR 15,000. Within eighteen months, the site generates 22 qualified requests from importers and wine shops. Two importers sign: a distributor in Manchester (EUR 35,000 in year one) and an importer in New York (EUR 60,000). At a 30% gross margin, the gain reaches EUR 28,500, almost double the net cost. Seen from the buyer's side, what convinced them was clear English tech sheets, FOB terms and a trade area with downloadable labels.
FAQ
How much does a bilingual website for a Bordeaux wine SME cost in 2026?
The FR/EN site costs EUR 10,000 to 18,000. With professional translation and SEO for two markets, the first-year budget runs from EUR 19,500 to 35,000.
What translation rate should a wine website budget for?
Allow EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word for a wine-specialist translator, plus EUR 0.04 to 0.06 per word for native proofreading. A 22,000-word site comes to EUR 4,000 to 5,800.
Do we need separate sites for the UK and the US?
No, an /en/ subfolder with market pages and en-GB and en-US hreflang tags is enough in 90% of cases. A separate domain only makes sense with a local sales office.
Does Team France Export fund the website?
Not always the site itself, but some regional schemes cover 30 to 50% of digital prospecting costs, including translation and SEO. Eligibility depends on company size and the export project.
How soon do the first importer contacts arrive?
First contacts usually come 3 to 6 months after launch, and international SEO reaches full effect in 9 to 12 months.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target markets, number of SKUs and trade fairs: we will price the site, translation and SEO per country, delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
