The verdict in three sentences
A London spirits exporter targeting importers in China, the United States and Germany should budget 2,200 to 5,200 GBP per additional language in 2026, human translation and SEO included, and 18,000 to 40,000 GBP for a trilingual importer-facing site. The technical structure hinges on two choices: subdirectories with hreflang rather than separate domains, and a protected importer portal that centralises spec sheets, visuals and certificates. Content also has to respect the Portman Group code and ASA rules for UK-facing pages, which shape tone and imagery across the whole site.
Cost per language: what the range covers
An additional language is more than a translation. Product terms, regulatory mentions and the keywords buyers actually type in each country all need adapting.
| Language added | 2026 range (GBP excl. VAT) | Specifics |
|---|---|---|
| English (US adaptation) | 1,200 to 2,200 | TTB label wording, US spelling, 21+ age gate |
| German | 2,200 to 3,500 | Technical tone, spirits category terms |
| Simplified Chinese | 3,500 to 5,200 | Cultural adaptation, Baidu SEO, CJK fonts |
| Japanese | 3,500 to 5,200 | Heavy adaptation, specialist translators |
| Spanish | 2,200 to 3,300 | Spain versus Latin America variants |
| Extra language via post-edited machine translation | 1,000 to 1,800 | Acceptable for product sheets only |
The core (design, development, multilingual CMS, English master version) costs 11,000 to 22,000 GBP. A site in English, German and Chinese therefore lands between 18,000 and 40,000 GBP depending on catalogue depth and importer portal scope.
International SEO architecture: choices that are expensive to undo
| Architecture option | Relative cost | SEO authority | 2026 recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subdirectories (/de/, /zh/, /us/) | Low | Shared on one domain | Default choice |
| Subdomains (de.brand.com) | Medium | Partly diluted | If teams are separate |
| Country domains (.de, .cn) | High | Starts from zero per country | Only with strong local presence |
| .cn domain hosted in China | Very high (ICP licence) | Good on Baidu | If over 20% of revenue is in China |
| Browser-side machine translation | Near zero | No SEO benefit | Avoid |
Hreflang tags must be reciprocal across all versions, with an x-default. A common mistake is translating pages without translating URLs, title tags and image alt text. In China, Google is not accessible: visibility comes from Baidu, WeChat and trade fairs, and a site that loads slowly from Shanghai loses the importer before the first page renders.
Importer portal and alcohol marketing rules
The protected area is often the most profitable tool on the site. It replaces dozens of emails a year: spec sheets (ABV, bottle size, EAN codes, pallet configuration), high-resolution visuals, certificates of origin, export price lists by Incoterm. Budget 2,600 to 7,000 GBP depending on per-importer access rights.
For UK-facing content, the Portman Group code and ASA rules exclude any link between alcohol and social success, sexual attractiveness or sporting performance, and any appeal to under-18s. An age gate at entry and responsible drinking messaging complete the setup, at a compliance cost of 400 to 1,300 GBP. The US version needs a 21+ gate, and German pages should follow the Deutscher Werberat guidelines.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Oliver, export director of a spirits exporter in London, is planning a site in English, German and Chinese. Core: 16,000 GBP. German: 2,800 GBP. Chinese: 4,500 GBP. Importer portal: 4,800 GBP. Total: 28,100 GBP.
His team currently handles about 40 document requests a month at 25 minutes each, close to 17 hours a month. If the portal absorbs 70% of them, he recovers about 12 hours a month, around 140 hours a year. At a loaded hourly cost of 40 GBP, the saving reaches 5,600 GBP a year on this item alone, before counting importers won through SEO.
FAQ
Can we rely on machine translation for secondary languages?
For product sheets, post-edited machine translation at 1,000 to 1,800 GBP per language is acceptable. For brand and heritage pages, human translation remains essential on a premium product.
How long does a trilingual site take to launch?
Allow 10 to 14 weeks, including 3 to 4 weeks of translation and native-speaker review. Chinese often needs an extra week for cultural validation.
Do UK alcohol marketing rules apply to foreign-language versions?
They apply to content targeting UK consumers. Each market has its own rules: in the United States, labelling falls under the TTB and the legal purchase age is 21.
Do we need a .cn domain to sell in China?
Not at the start. A .cn domain hosted in China requires an ICP licence and costs several thousand pounds a year, which is justified once China exceeds 20% of revenue.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target markets, number of SKUs and importer portal needs, and we will price the core, the cost per language and the launch timeline. 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.
