The verdict in three sentences
For a 35-person freight forwarder, a four-language website (for example EN/NL/DE/AR) built to generate quote requests costs between EUR 7,500 and 13,000 excl. VAT, delivered in 9 weeks. The profit lever is the multi-step quote form, which turns a foreign visitor into a file your agents can work with in under 5 minutes. Translation weighs less than expected: about EUR 0.12 per word, or EUR 1,500 to 2,200 for three languages.
Why a forwarder needs a truly multilingual site
60% of visitors to the current site come from abroad: North African importers, German and Italian shippers, West African clients routing through European ports. Today they land on a single-language page with a basic contact form. The result: incomplete requests, email back-and-forth and prospects who go to a competitor in Rotterdam or Antwerp.
| Language | Estimated share of visitors | Target markets | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 40% | International, Asia, Africa | High |
| Dutch | 25% | Netherlands, Flanders | High |
| German | 15% | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Medium |
| Arabic | 15% | Maghreb, Gulf | High |
| Others | 5% | Spain, Turkey | Low, EN version |
Arabic requires a full RTL layout. It is the most sensitive technical item, as the quote form, units (TEU, tonnes, m3) and port lists must display correctly right to left.
Detailed budget: EUR 7,500 to 13,000
| Item | Essential version | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and per-language sitemap | EUR 600 | EUR 900 |
| Design and mockups (incl. RTL) | EUR 1,400 | EUR 2,300 |
| Development and multilingual CMS | EUR 2,800 | EUR 4,500 |
| Multi-step quote form | EUR 1,200 | EUR 2,400 |
| Translation (about 14,000 words at EUR 0.12) | EUR 1,500 | EUR 2,200 |
| International SEO (hreflang, route pages) | Basic included | EUR 700 |
| Total | EUR 7,500 excl. VAT | EUR 13,000 excl. VAT |
The full version adds indicative transit times by sea route, CRM integration for the form, dedicated pages for key lanes and conversion tracking by language. EU hosting (for example Scaleway) costs about EUR 25 per month and keeps data within the European Union.
The quote form, core of the project
A good quote form collects in 4 steps everything an agent needs: flow type (import, export, transit), mode (FCL, LCL, ro-ro, air), origin and destination, cargo type, weight and volume, Incoterm, target date. It qualifies the prospect before the first exchange.
| Metric | Current contact form | Multi-step quote form |
|---|---|---|
| Requests per month | 22 | 35 to 45 estimated |
| Requests usable without follow-up | 30% | 75 to 85% |
| Handling time per request | 25 min | 10 min |
| Response time to prospect | 24 to 48 h | under 4 h |
| Conversion to client | 8% | 12 to 15% |
These are 2026 orders of magnitude seen on B2B logistics sites; they depend on your sales responsiveness as much as on the site.
The 9-week schedule
Week 1: scoping and choice of priority lanes. Weeks 2 and 3: mockups, then RTL. Weeks 4 to 7: development, form, CRM integration. Weeks 5 to 7 in parallel: translation and review by an industry speaker. Week 8: testing in all 4 languages. Week 9: go-live, per-language sitemap submission and monitoring of the first quotes.
Mini case study
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Marc, sales director of a 35-person forwarder, values a new shipper client at EUR 14,000 annual gross margin. The current site produces 22 requests per month, 8% of which become clients, about 1.8 clients per month.
- With 38 requests and a 12% rate, the site produces 4.6 clients per month, 2.8 more.
- Additional margin: 2.8 x EUR 14,000 = EUR 39,200 of annual margin added each month.
- Chosen investment: EUR 11,200 + EUR 300 annual hosting.
- Time saved: 38 requests x 15 minutes saved = 9.5 hours per month for the quoting team.
The project is covered by the first extra client signed.
FAQ
Do we have to translate the whole site into 4 languages?
No, start with the pages that convert: home, services, lanes, quote, contact. That is about 60% of the words and cuts translation to EUR 1,000 to 1,300.
Is machine translation enough?
It works as a first draft, but an industry reviewer is essential for Incoterms, customs terms and technical Arabic. Count EUR 0.12 per word for professionally reviewed translation.
Can we show indicative freight rates?
It is risky, as rates change weekly. Prefer indicative transit times per lane and a priced answer in under 4 hours, which reassures as much as a price.
How much does a fifth language cost?
Between EUR 900 and 1,600 depending on the language, translation included, if the multilingual architecture is planned from the start.
Will the site be GDPR compliant?
Yes: EU hosting, consent banner, processing register for quote data and a defined retention period, usually 3 years for a prospect.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your languages, priority lanes and quote volume: we will price a EUR 7,500 to 13,000 budget and a 9-week schedule. 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.
