The verdict in three sentences
A foreign investor assessing a regional firm first judges the precision of your legal English: one mistranslated term and they doubt your command of cross-border business law. An English version written by an expert, organized by practice area and optimized for searches like "business lawyer" costs 70,000 to 180,000 MAD and positions you against international firms. Machine translation, by contrast, disqualifies you before the first meeting.
Professional English version vs basic translation
Law does not translate word-for-word: terms like "limited liability company", "pledge" or "arbitration clause" have precise legal equivalents that vary by legal system. A basic translation produces misreadings that worry a foreign general counsel. English content must be written or reviewed by a bilingual lawyer, structured by practice (M&A, arbitration, tax, real estate, banking-finance).
| Criterion | Basic translation | Expert-written EN version |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 cost | 5,000 - 15,000 MAD | 70,000 - 180,000 MAD |
| Legal terminology | Approximate, risky | Precise, lawyer-validated |
| Practice-area structure | Rare | M&A, arbitration, tax... |
| EN SEO (business lawyer) | Absent | Optimized |
| Investor credibility | Low | Strong |
| Impact on international contacts | None | +40% (estimate) |
Budget, timeline and expected return
The budget depends on the number of practice areas to cover and content depth (thought-leadership articles, regulatory updates). English SEO targeting the queries of foreign investors and general counsel is a lever local firms often underuse.
| Item | 2026 order of magnitude (MAD) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Premium firm design + UX | 20,000 - 45,000 | 2 - 3 wks |
| EN legal writing per practice | 25,000 - 70,000 | 2 - 4 wks |
| Development + FR/EN i18n | 15,000 - 40,000 | 2 - 3 wks |
| EN SEO + local SEO | 10,000 - 25,000 | included |
| Bilingual maintenance & news | 8,000 - 20,000 / yr | recurring |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mr. Rahman, partner at a 9-lawyer business law firm in Dubai, wanted to attract European and Gulf investors interested in the regional market. His site existed only in one language. He invests 130,000 MAD in a lawyer-written English version, structured across 6 practice areas and SEO-optimized. Within a year, inbound international contacts rise from 5 to 7 per month (+40%). Of those 24 extra annual contacts, 3 turn into M&A matters at an average fee of 250,000 MAD, or 750,000 MAD in added billing — nearly a 6x return in the first year.
FAQ
Isn't machine translation enough to start? No: in business law, a terminology misreading can cost the trust of a foreign general counsel. Better fewer pages but flawless EN legal writing, starting at 25,000 MAD.
Should content be structured by practice area? Yes, that is what an investor looks for: quickly finding your M&A, arbitration or tax expertise. This structure also improves SEO by targeting precise per-practice queries.
Does English SEO work for a firm in this market? Yes: queries like "business lawyer" or "M&A law firm" plus your city are low-competition and highly qualified. Well optimized, they generate high-value contacts.
What is the launch timeline? Between 6 and 10 weeks, with English legal writing being the decisive item. Involving a partner to validate terminology speeds up and secures the content.
How much is bilingual maintenance? Budget 8,000 to 20,000 MAD per year to keep regulatory news and thought-leadership articles current in both languages. That is what sustains your SEO and credibility.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your priority practice areas and target markets (Europe, Gulf, Africa): we price a professional English version between 70,000 and 180,000 MAD. 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.
