The verdict in three sentences
For a corporate law firm of around 9 lawyers, a website credible to foreign investors costs USD 30,000 to 80,000 in New York in 2026, and 2,500,000 to 4,500,000 FCFA (about USD 4,200 to 7,500) in Douala for an equivalent OHADA practice. The site must be bilingual from day one when the firm serves cross-border clients, because in-house legal teams in Paris, London or Johannesburg check the team online before the first call. Add monthly maintenance (USD 500 to 2,000 in New York, 75,000 FCFA in Douala) and respect bar advertising rules: inform, never solicit.
What a serious quote contains
An investor preparing a deal looks for three things: command of the relevant law, sector references and a reachable partner. The site must answer these three questions within two clicks.
| Item | Douala essential | Douala complete | New York range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom design and brand | 600,000 FCFA | 900,000 FCFA | USD 8,000 to 20,000 | 2 weeks |
| Practice pages | 6 pages: 450,000 FCFA | 12 pages: 850,000 FCFA | USD 5,000 to 15,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Bilingual lawyer bios | 270,000 FCFA | 450,000 FCFA | USD 3,000 to 8,000 | 1 week |
| Insights and legal alerts module | 350,000 FCFA | 650,000 FCFA | USD 4,000 to 12,000 | 1 week |
| Online booking | 200,000 FCFA | 400,000 FCFA | USD 2,000 to 6,000 | 3 days |
| Legal translation | 380,000 FCFA | 750,000 FCFA | USD 4,000 to 10,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Technical SEO and launch | 250,000 FCFA | 500,000 FCFA | USD 4,000 to 9,000 | 1 week |
| Total | 2,500,000 FCFA | 4,500,000 FCFA | USD 30,000 to 80,000 | 6 to 10 weeks |
Translation weighs heavily because sloppy legal English destroys credibility with an Anglo-Saxon fund. Budget a specialist translator at about 25 to 40 FCFA per word in Douala, USD 0.15 to 0.30 per word in New York.
Ethics: what the site can and cannot say
Bar rules govern lawyer communication, in New York (Rule 7.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, attorney advertising labels) as in Cameroon. The site must stay informative and verifiable.
| Element | Allowed | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Practice areas | Yes, described factually | Superlatives ("best firm in town") |
| Client references | With written client consent | Names without permission, dispute amounts |
| Past results | General, cautious wording with disclaimer | Promises of outcome, success rates |
| Fees | Mention of billing methods | Teaser prices, promotions |
| Insights and alerts | Strongly recommended | Personalised advice in open access |
| Rankings (Legal 500, Chambers) | Yes, with the year | Logos of rankings not obtained |
A good vendor has the partner in charge of ethics review the sitemap and copy before launch. Plan half a day of review.
Recurring costs to budget
- Maintenance and security: 75,000 FCFA per month in Douala, USD 500 to 2,000 in New York (updates, backups, fixes, a few hours of edits).
- Hosting and domain: 150,000 to 250,000 FCFA per year for fast hosting with a CDN; USD 600 to 3,000 per year in New York.
- Legal alert writing: in-house, 2 per month, or 60,000 to 100,000 FCFA per translated article (USD 400 to 1,200 in New York).
- SEO: 100,000 to 200,000 FCFA per month in Douala; USD 2,500 to 8,000 per month for competitive New York keywords.
Mini case study
Me Nkoulou, managing partner of a 9-lawyer OHADA firm in Douala, wins about 2 international mandates a year through his network. He invests 3,400,000 FCFA in a complete site and 900,000 FCFA per year in maintenance.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
An investor support mandate (company set-up, due diligence, contracts) averages 12,000,000 FCFA in fees (about USD 20,000). If the site triggers just one extra mandate a year, year-one return is 12,000,000 against 4,300,000 FCFA invested, a ratio of 2.8. A New York firm spending USD 60,000 needs roughly 3 extra USD 20,000 matters to reach the same break-even.
FAQ
Why does a bilingual site cost about 30% more?
Specialist legal translation is 380,000 to 750,000 FCFA in Douala (USD 4,000 to 10,000 in New York), and every page needs review by a lawyer. It is the item that convinces a foreign fund, so do not cut it.
Can we display client names?
Only with written consent and no confidential detail. Many firms show sectors and deal types instead, for example "5 mining acquisitions since 2022".
How long does launch take?
Plan 6 to 10 weeks, including 2 weeks on the firm's side to write bios and approve copy. Ethics review takes about half a day.
Is online booking suitable for a corporate firm?
Yes for a first 30-minute video call, with time zone handling (Douala, Paris, New York). It costs 200,000 to 400,000 FCFA in Douala or USD 2,000 to 6,000 in New York, and filters requests with a qualification form.
What does 75,000 FCFA a month of maintenance include?
Security updates, daily backups, uptime monitoring and 2 hours of edits per month, for example adding a new partner or an insight.
Let's scope your project. We price your firm's bilingual website, from 2,500,000 to 4,500,000 FCFA (about USD 4,200 to 7,500) depending on the number of practice pages, with launch in 6 to 10 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.
