The verdict in three sentences
For a 180-employee manufacturer in Montreal targeting the United States and Mexico, a multilingual FR, EN and ES website costs between 27,000 and 68,000 CAD with an agency in 2026, over 12 to 16 weeks, plus 6,000 to 9,600 CAD of professional translation for 40,000 translated words. The structural decision is the architecture: subdirectories (/fr, /en, /es) with hreflang tags on a single domain, rather than three local domains that split SEO authority. The real recurring cost is not technical but the upkeep of technical product sheets in every language, which must be planned in the specification.
Multilingual architecture: subdirectories, subdomains or local domains
The sales director wants leads in Ontario, the US Midwest and northern Mexico. Before discussing budget, the URL structure must be settled, because it shapes SEO and maintenance for 5 to 8 years.
| Structure | Example | Setup cost (estimate) | SEO authority | Maintenance | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subdirectories | company.ca/es/ | Included in the build | Shared across languages | One CMS, one certificate | Recommended for a manufacturer starting to export |
| Subdomains | es.company.ca | + 1,500 to 4,500 CAD | Partly separate | DNS and analytics per language | Autonomous country teams |
| Local domains (.com, .mx) | company.mx | + 4,500 to 12,000 CAD, plus 20 to 90 CAD per year per domain | Starts from zero in each country | Several sites to keep current | Subsidiaries with local marketing |
| Machine translation without review | Translation plugin | 0 to 75 CAD per month | Weak, content seen as unreliable | None, but technical errors | Avoid on industrial product sheets |
| Hreflang and per-language sitemap | Link alternate tags | 1 to 3 development days | Prevents duplicates between FR-CA and FR | Automatic if generated by the CMS | Essential in every case |
A classic trap for Quebec firms: French content is mandatory under Quebec's Charter of the French Language (strengthened by Bill 96), so the French version cannot be a lighter copy of the English one. Plan full parity between FR and EN, then decide how deep the Spanish version goes.
Cost per added language and the weight of product sheets
Working assumption: 20,000 words in French (corporate pages, 120 technical product sheets, 6 case studies), translated into two languages, i.e. 40,000 translated words.
| Item | Assumption | 2026 cost excl. tax (market estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional translation, FR to EN | 20,000 words at 0.15-0.24 CAD | 3,000 to 4,800 CAD |
| Professional translation, ES | 20,000 words at 0.15-0.24 CAD | 3,000 to 4,800 CAD |
| Technical review by a native engineer | 2 to 3 days per language | 1,800 to 3,600 CAD |
| Glossary and translation memory | Trade terms, standards, units | 600 to 1,350 CAD |
| Integration and QA per language | Layout, PDFs, forms | 2,250 to 4,500 CAD per language |
| Adding a 4th language later | 20,000 words + integration | 5,250 to 9,300 CAD |
Technical product sheets concentrate the effort: specification tables, safety data sheets, PDF manuals, CSA and UL certifications. Requiring a structured data model (translatable fields kept apart from numeric values) avoids re-translating a whole table when a single dimension changes. If the catalogue exceeds 500 SKUs or depends on an ERP, the right answer is often a PIM or a custom application rather than a plain website.
On the Kolonell side, two grid references (Kolonell prices, not market prices): a multilingual Premium website at 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR), translation excluded, and a medium-complexity custom application at 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) when the catalogue is synced with the ERP.
Mini case study
Marc, sales director of a 180-employee manufacturer in Montreal (industrial measuring equipment), makes 14% of revenue from export. The current website, in French and partial English, brings 25 leads per month, almost none from Mexico.
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Illustrative scenario: with a full FR, EN and ES site, Marc aims for 8 qualified export leads per month within 12 months. With a 10% conversion rate and an average order of 33,000 CAD, that means about 9.6 orders per year, or 317,000 CAD of additional revenue. Total budget: 48,000 CAD for the agency build and 8,250 CAD of translation, i.e. 56,250 CAD. At a 35% gross margin, the project pays back in just over 6 months of lead flow. These figures are a simulation, to be recalculated with your own rates.
FAQ
Should the whole site be translated at launch?
No. Translate first the 20% of pages that carry 80% of leads: home, product lines, 30 to 50 flagship product sheets, contact. This cuts the initial translation budget by 40 to 60% and lets you measure demand before going further.
Are hreflang tags enough to be visible in Mexico?
They stop Google from showing the wrong language, but they do not create visibility. You need content written with real Spanish search terms, a few links from Mexican sites and, ideally, a local address or partner mentioned on the site.
Is machine translation acceptable in 2026?
For secondary pages, reviewed machine translation costs 0.06 to 0.10 CAD per word and can work. For technical sheets and sales pages, a mistake on a unit or a standard costs more than the 0.15 to 0.24 CAD of professional translation.
How long to launch the Spanish version?
Allow 12 to 16 weeks with an agency for the whole site, including 3 to 5 weeks of translation and review in parallel with development. A language added later takes 4 to 6 weeks if the site was built multilingual from the start.
Who should validate technical translations?
A native engineer or salesperson from the target market, ideally the local agent or distributor. Plan 2 to 3 review days per language in the schedule.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of pages and product sheets, the target languages and your trade show or export deadline, and we will price the multilingual site and translation. 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.
