The verdict in three sentences
A foreign industrial buyer does not sign off a brochure: they want precise technical product sheets, convertible units and a clear quote form. A bilingual export site with a structured catalog and English SEO costs 9,000 to 22,000 EUR and turns your site into a prospecting tool, not a business card. Part of this investment can be covered by export-support schemes such as national or regional export grants.
What sets an export site apart from a standard showcase
The difference lies in technical depth and international conversion focus. A serious export site offers product sheets with standardized specs, downloadable diagrams, unit and currency handling, and a quote journey designed for a buyer comparing several global suppliers.
| Feature | Standard showcase site | B2B export site |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | Local only | Native EN + local (even DE/ES) |
| Product catalog | Marketing copy | Technical sheets + specs |
| Documents | Rare | PDF sheets, certifications |
| Quotes | Simple form | Multi-product, multi-currency request |
| SEO | Local | International English keywords |
| Units / standards | Local | Convertible, ISO/EN standards |
Budget, timeline and export support
The budget depends mostly on the number of catalog references and the technical richness expected. Export-support schemes (national export banks, regional export vouchers, trade agencies) can cover a significant share of the digital cost, to be checked against your region and export revenue.
| Item | 2026 order of magnitude (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| UX + bilingual design | 2,500 - 5,000 | 2 - 3 wks |
| Technical catalog (sheets, filters) | 3,000 - 8,000 | 3 - 5 wks |
| Development + i18n + multi-currency | 2,500 - 6,000 | 3 - 4 wks |
| EN SEO + technical writing | 1,500 - 4,000 | 2 - 3 wks |
| Available export support | -20 to -50% of eligible cost | per application |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
David, director of a 45-employee firm manufacturing hydraulic components in Singapore, made 12% of revenue from exports via trade shows only. He invests 16,000 EUR in a bilingual export site with a 120-reference technical catalog and multi-currency quote requests. A regional export voucher covers 30%, bringing his net cost to 11,200 EUR. In year one, the site generates 42 international quote requests, of which 6 convert into clients for about 180,000 EUR in added revenue. The return exceeds 15x the net cost.
FAQ
Does an export site really justify the premium over a simple brochure? Yes, if you target industrial buyers comparing global suppliers. Technical sheets and multi-currency quotes are what get you onto the short-list, and this often doubles the foreign quote-request rate.
Which export support can I mobilize in 2026? Depending on your region and export revenue, regional export vouchers, national export-bank schemes and trade-agency support can cover 20 to 50% of the eligible cost. This should be arranged before the project starts.
Do I need native English writing? Absolutely for technical pages: a rough translation of a product sheet drives away a buying engineer. Budget 1,500 to 4,000 EUR for English writing and SEO.
How long until it is operational? Between 10 and 14 weeks, with the technical catalog being the longest item to structure. Preparing your product specs in advance speeds up the project considerably.
Is multi-currency essential? Strongly recommended: showing a quote in one currency to a foreign buyer adds friction. An indicative EUR/USD/GBP conversion improves the quote-request rate.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of references, target markets and languages: we price a bilingual export site between 9,000 and 22,000 EUR, export support factored into the plan. 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.
