The verdict in three sentences
A fully bilingual FR/EN B2B website for export budgets at 12,000 to 22,000 EUR in 2026, with the multilingual foundation adding 25 to 40% to a monolingual site's cost. Professional translation (0.12 to 0.20 EUR/word) and hreflang/i18n configuration (1,500 to 3,000 EUR) are the two lines most often underestimated. Adding German to target the DACH region costs 2,000 to 4,000 EUR extra and adds 2 to 3 weeks to the timeline.
The multilingual budget structure
Targeting Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland means thinking per language and per market, not just per page count.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Base FR B2B site | 9,000 - 15,000 | Design, dev, FR content |
| Multilingual foundation surcharge | +25 to +40% | i18n architecture, language switcher |
| Pro translation FR to EN | 0.12 - 0.20 /word | Sector-specialized translator |
| Hreflang + i18n config | 1,500 - 3,000 | Tags, sitemap, routing |
| 3rd language (German) | +2,000 - 4,000 | Translation + integration + QA |
| Multilingual maintenance | +30% vs mono | Synchronized updates |
For a 20-page site of roughly 12,000 words, FR to EN translation alone already costs 1,440 to 2,400 EUR. In B2B this is never a task for raw machine translation: clumsy phrasing destroys credibility with a German industrial buyer.
Bilingual or trilingual: the DACH trade-off
Many SMEs hesitate between stopping at FR/EN or pushing to native German. The numbers usually decide.
| Scenario | 2026 total cost | Market reach | Expected conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR only | 9,000 - 15,000 EUR | France | Baseline |
| FR + EN | 12,000 - 22,000 EUR | Europe, international | +15 to +25% export leads |
| FR + EN + DE | 16,000 - 28,000 EUR | Native DACH | +30 to +50% DACH leads |
In German-speaking markets, 60 to 70% of B2B decision-makers prefer to buy in their own language. If DACH is more than 20% of your target export pipeline, native German pays for itself within the first year.
Mini case study
Sabine is export director of a mechanical-components SME in Berlin, 28 staff. She rebuilds her site in FR + EN + DE for 24,000 EUR, including 3,200 EUR of translation and 2,400 EUR for German.
Before the rebuild, export was 12% of revenue, almost entirely via trade shows. After 10 months the site generates 6 qualified DACH requests a month, 2 of which convert into average orders of 18,000 EUR. That is 432,000 EUR of annualized orders from the web channel. The 24,000 EUR investment is recovered in under 2 months of converted orders.
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FAQ
Is machine translation enough for B2B?
No for commercial and technical pages. Human post-editing by a sector translator is essential: budget 0.12 to 0.20 EUR/word. Raw translation is tolerable only for a secondary blog.
What is hreflang and why does it cost money?
It is the markup telling Google which language version to serve each user. Done wrong, it creates duplicate content and hurts SEO. Proper setup is worth 1,500 to 3,000 EUR.
How much to add a language later?
If the i18n architecture was planned upfront, adding a language costs 2,000 to 4,000 EUR. If the site was not built multilingual, it sometimes needs rebuilding, so plan ahead.
How much extra time for a multilingual site?
Expect +2 to +3 weeks per additional language, covering translation, integration and per-language QA.
Is maintenance more expensive?
Yes, about +30% versus a monolingual site, since every content update must be propagated and validated across all languages.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target export markets, the page count and the languages you need, and we will price the multilingual foundation, translation and hreflang. 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.
