The verdict in three sentences
For a strategy consulting firm with 25 consultants in Amsterdam, a trilingual EN/NL/DE website of 20 pages costs 9,000 to 15,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, translation excluded. Specialised human translation adds 0.12 to 0.18 EUR per word, and the budget mostly hinges on the quality of the case studies per language and error-free hreflang tagging. Plan for a 9-week project and maintenance at 150 EUR per month.
Why a translated site is not enough
A CFO in Frankfurt or a COO in London does not search for "consulting firm Amsterdam". They search for "Strategieberatung Mittelstand" or "operating model consulting Europe". Translating the source pages word for word produces a site that ranks for none of those queries. Each language needs its own keyword research, rewritten headlines and proof adapted to the target market.
The second trap is technical: without reciprocal hreflang tags and a sitemap per language, Google shows the Dutch page to a German visitor, or treats the versions as duplicate content. In 2026 audits, nearly one in two SME multilingual sites has hreflang errors.
The budget, line by line
| Item | Content | 2026 budget (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and content strategy | Target markets, personas per country, site map | 1,200 to 1,800 EUR |
| Design and mockups | Home, expertise, case study, team, contact | 2,000 to 3,500 EUR |
| Development of 20 pages | Multilingual CMS, performance, accessibility | 4,000 to 6,500 EUR |
| International SEO | Hreflang, sitemaps per language, /nl/ and /de/ URLs | 1,000 to 1,800 EUR |
| Writing 3 source case studies | Interviews, figures, client sign-off | 800 to 1,400 EUR |
| Analytics per language | Conversion goals, dashboard | 400 to 600 EUR |
| Maintenance | Updates, backups, fixes | 150 EUR/month |
Total excluding translation: 9,400 to 15,600 EUR, consistent with the 9,000 to 15,000 EUR range quoted by most B2B agencies for this scope.
Translation: human, machine or hybrid
A 20-page site represents about 14,000 words in the source language, case studies included. The translation method changes both budget and credibility significantly.
| Option | Price per word | Cost for 2 languages (28,000 words) | Quality as perceived by a German client |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw machine translation | 0 EUR | 0 EUR | Low, detectable phrasing |
| Machine + light post-editing | 0.06 EUR | 1,680 EUR | Acceptable, generic vocabulary |
| Specialised human translation | 0.12 EUR | 3,360 EUR | Good |
| Native expert consulting translator | 0.18 EUR | 5,040 EUR | Excellent, industry terminology |
| Transcreation of case studies | 0.25 EUR | 1,500 EUR (6,000 words) | Adapted to the market |
The most effective formula in 2026: human translation at 0.12 EUR for corporate pages, and transcreation for the 3 case studies per language, because they are what triggers the first contact.
Mini case study
Sophie, partner at a 25-consultant strategy firm in Amsterdam, approves a 12,500 EUR budget for the site, plus 4,860 EUR for translation and transcreation into Dutch and German. Total: 17,360 EUR, plus 1,800 EUR of annual maintenance.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
After 9 months, the NL and DE versions generate 4 qualified requests per month. The firm signs 2 European engagements in the year, worth 45,000 EUR each on average. Calculation: 90,000 EUR of revenue for a first-year investment of 19,160 EUR, a return of 4.7 times the outlay.
FAQ
What budget for a trilingual consulting firm website in Amsterdam?
Expect 9,000 to 15,000 EUR for 20 pages, plus 3,000 to 5,000 EUR of translation for two languages. Maintenance costs 150 EUR per month.
Do we need a domain name per country?
For a 25-consultant firm, /nl/ and /de/ subfolders on a single domain are enough and concentrate SEO authority. Country domains only make sense beyond 2 offices abroad.
What is hreflang and why is it critical?
It is the tag that tells Google which language version to show based on the visitor's country. Errors in these tags can cost up to 30% of potential international traffic.
How long does delivery take?
Plan 9 weeks, including 3 weeks for translation and review by a German- or Dutch-speaking partner. Case studies require sign-off from the clients involved.
How many case studies per language?
Three case studies per language is a credible minimum. Each should show a quantified result, for example an operating margin improved by 2.5 points.
Let's scope your project. A 20-page trilingual website with international SEO, hreflang and case studies per language, indicative budget of 9,000 to 15,000 EUR excluding translation, delivered in 9 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.
