The verdict in three sentences
For an agricultural machinery SME near Dublin earning 45% of its revenue outside its home market, a 4-language website costs EUR 12,000 to 25,000 excl. VAT in 2026. Professional translation (EUR 0.10 to 0.14 per word, i.e. about EUR 2,800 per language for 20,000 words) and the geolocated dealer map (+EUR 3,000) weigh as much as design in the outcome. Properly structured with hreflang tags and country URLs, the site becomes a measurable channel for dealer enquiries, partly fundable through export support schemes.
What a 4-language export website costs
The export director of a maker of harrows, spreaders or trailers targets dealers in Germany, Spain, Poland or France. These dealers search in their own language, compare spec sheets and want to know who already distributes the brand in their region. The budget follows that logic.
| Item | 2026 range (excl. VAT) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 4-language site (EN, FR, DE, ES) | EUR 12,000 - 25,000 | Design, product templates, language management in the CMS |
| Professional translation | EUR 0.10 - 0.14/word | About EUR 2,800 per language for 20,000 words |
| Technical review by a native industry expert | EUR 400 - 800 per language | Accurate agricultural terminology |
| Hreflang, country URLs, sitemaps | Included or EUR 1,000 - 2,000 | /de/, /es/, /pl/ and cross-referenced tags |
| Geolocated dealer network | +EUR 3,000 | Map, postcode search, page per dealership |
| PDF spec sheets per language | EUR 500 - 1,200 | Generated automatically from the catalogue |
| Multilingual maintenance | EUR 200 - 400/month | Updates, new products in every language |
With three translated foreign languages (EUR 8,400), a median site at EUR 18,000 and the dealer map, the total budget is around EUR 29,400 excl. VAT, a 2026 order of magnitude for an exporting machinery SME.
Translation: human, machine or hybrid
| Method | Cost for 20,000 words | Technical quality | SEO risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialised professional translator | EUR 2,000 - 2,800 | High | Low |
| Machine translation + post-editing | EUR 1,000 - 1,600 | Good if reviewed | Low to medium |
| Raw machine translation | Under EUR 100 | Terminology errors | High, content seen as thin |
| Translation agency with glossary | EUR 2,600 - 3,400 | Very high, guaranteed consistency | Low |
| Bilingual in-house team | Staff time | Variable | Medium, long delays |
The hybrid approach (machine translation then post-editing by a sector translator) is often the most cost-effective for product pages, while strategic pages (home, become a dealer) deserve full human translation.
International SEO and export support
Hreflang tags tell Google which version to serve in which country: without them, your English page may compete with your UK page, or your French page may show in Belgium instead of the Dutch one. One URL folder per country (/de/, /es/) is simpler for an SME than one domain per country.
On funding, public export agencies (Enterprise Ireland in Ireland, Bpifrance and regional councils in France) offer export support such as market-entry grants, export loans and prospecting insurance that may cover part of international marketing spend. Amounts and conditions change every year: check eligibility before signing the quote, as support is often refused if the spend is committed before the application.
Mini case study
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Aoife, export director of a 70-employee spreader manufacturer near Dublin, invests EUR 29,400 excl. VAT: 4-language site EUR 18,000, DE, ES and FR translations EUR 8,400, dealer map EUR 3,000. Before the redesign, she received 4 distribution enquiries per month from abroad. She gets 10 after nine months, tracked by country in analytics. Two new dealers signed in Germany each generate EUR 120,000 of annual revenue at a 22% margin, i.e. EUR 52,800 of margin: the investment pays back in under a year, before counting any grant.
FAQ
How many languages should we start with?
Start with the countries representing at least 10% of your export revenue or pipeline. For many machinery makers that means 3 to 4 languages, then one language added per year for about EUR 3,000 to 4,000.
Is machine translation enough for Google?
Google tolerates reviewed machine translation, but raw content with technical errors converts poorly. Count about 50% of the price of human translation for serious post-editing.
Do we need one domain per country?
No, for an SME a single domain with language folders concentrates SEO authority. One domain per country costs 2 to 3 times more in maintenance and link building.
How do we measure ROI by country?
Each "become a dealer" form records the visitor's language and country. You then track cost per dealer enquiry, for example EUR 29,400 divided by 72 annual enquiries, about EUR 410 per qualified contact.
How long does a 4-language site take?
Count 10 to 16 weeks, including 3 to 4 weeks of translation and technical review. Product pages can be translated in parallel with development.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your target countries, catalogue size and dealer network, and we will price a multilingual site with translations and a dealer map, indicative budget EUR 15,000 to 30,000 excl. VAT, delivered in 10 to 16 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.
