The verdict in three sentences
For a 45-employee precision machining subcontractor in Amsterdam exporting to Germany and Italy, a 4-language website (Dutch or French, English, German, Italian) costs between 9,000 and 22,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026, translation included. Human translation (0.12 to 0.18 EUR per word) and properly set hreflang tags make the difference between a translated site and a site that generates export quote requests. Count 10 weeks for the project.
What an export-converting B2B industrial site contains
A German or Italian buyer first wants to check a technical capability: maximum dimensions, tolerances, materials, certifications, machine park. The site must answer in under 2 minutes, in their language, with a quote form that accepts drawings (STEP, DXF, PDF).
| Component | Description | 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 20 page core site | Know-how, sectors, quality, contact | 5,000 to 9,000 |
| Machine capability sheets | 10 to 25 sheets: travel, tolerances, materials | 1,500 to 4,000 |
| Quote form with drawing upload | Files up to 50 MB, sales routing | 800 to 2,000 |
| Multilingual architecture + hreflang | 4 languages, URL per language, sitemap | 1,200 to 2,500 |
| Human translation, 3 languages | 12,000 to 18,000 words in total | 1,500 to 3,200 |
| Launch international SEO | Keywords per country, tags, Search Console | 1,000 to 2,500 |
A lean 12-page site with 10 machine sheets lands around 9,000 to 12,000 EUR. A 20-page site with 25 sheets, sector pages (aerospace, medical, automotive) and country-specific references rises to 18,000 to 22,000 EUR.
Human, machine or hybrid translation: the comparison
Translation is often the worst-arbitrated item. A badly translated technical text (misused "Toleranz", inconsistent units) instantly undermines a supplier in the eyes of a German buyer.
| Method | Cost per word | Cost for 15,000 words (3 languages) | Technical quality | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw machine translation | 0 to 0.01 EUR | 0 to 150 EUR | Risky | 1 day |
| Machine + post-editing | 0.06 to 0.09 EUR | 900 to 1,350 EUR | Acceptable | 1 week |
| Specialised human translation | 0.12 to 0.18 EUR | 1,800 to 2,700 EUR | High | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Translator + native engineer review | 0.18 to 0.25 EUR | 2,700 to 3,750 EUR | Very high | 3 weeks |
| Annual update (2,000 words) | 0.12 to 0.18 EUR | 240 to 360 EUR per language | High | 3 days |
The right compromise for a subcontractor: specialised human translation for capability, quality and sector pages, post-editing for news. Prepare a 150 to 300 term glossary approved by your engineering office.
Hreflang and URL structure: the detail that pays
Hreflang tags tell Google which version to show based on the visitor's language and country. Misconfigured, they show the Dutch version to a buyer in Stuttgart, who leaves immediately. The recommended structure is a single domain with subfolders (/nl/, /en/, /de/, /it/): domain authority benefits every language.
| Export indicator | Single-language site | Well-optimised 4-language site (target) |
|---|---|---|
| Share of visits from abroad | 8 to 12 % | 30 to 40 % |
| Share of quote requests from export | 10 to 15 % | 35 % |
| Visitor-to-quote conversion rate | 0.8 % | 1.5 to 2.5 % |
| Sales response time to a quote | 3 to 5 days | under 48 h |
| Indexing time for translated pages | not applicable | 2 to 6 weeks |
The 10 weeks break down as follows: 2 weeks of scoping and machine inventory, 3 weeks of design and source copy, 3 weeks of development and translation in parallel, 2 weeks of per-language testing and launch.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Daan, sales director of a 45-employee machining subcontractor near Amsterdam, launches a 4-language site for 16,500 EUR including 2,400 EUR of human translation (16,000 words at 0.15 EUR). Maintenance and translation updates: 1,800 EUR per year.
Before the rebuild, the site generated 6 quote requests a month, 1 of them from abroad. After 9 months it generates 10, with 3.5 from Germany and Italy, or 35 %. With a 20 % win rate and an average annual order of 28,000 EUR per new export customer, 2.5 extra export requests a month mean roughly 6 new customers a year. Even at an 8 % net margin, the site pays for itself in under a year.
FAQ
How much does a 4-language industrial website cost?
Between 9,000 and 22,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026, human translation included. The price depends on the number of pages, machine sheets and depth of international SEO.
Can we rely on machine translation?
For news, post-editing at 0.06 to 0.09 EUR per word is enough. For technical pages, human translation at 0.12 to 0.18 EUR per word avoids the mistakes that lose tenders.
Do we need one domain per country?
Rarely for a 45-employee SME. A single domain with subfolders and hreflang concentrates authority and costs 2 to 3 times less to maintain.
How soon do the first export requests arrive?
Translated pages get indexed in 2 to 6 weeks. The first qualified requests usually arrive between the 2nd and 4th month after launch.
How do we showcase our machine park without revealing trade secrets?
Publishing capabilities (travel, tolerances, materials) without detailing processes is enough for buyers. Detailed sheets can be reserved for customers under NDA.
Let's scope your project. Send us your target languages, machine list and priority countries, and we will price a multilingual site between 9,000 and 22,000 EUR with a 10-week plan. 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.
