The verdict in three sentences
For a private business school, whether in Rabat or Montreal, the website redesign is the most profitable lever to reduce dependence on student fairs. A full project costs 150,000 to 300,000 MAD excl. VAT in Rabat (about 14,000 to 28,000 EUR) and 60,000 to 120,000 CAD in Montreal, with online applications, multilingual programme pages and a connected admissions CRM. The target to set in the brief: a cost per applicant around 250 MAD (about 34 CAD), versus more than 1,000 MAD today through fairs.
The diagnosis: what an applicant really costs
A 900-student school that recruits about 300 new students a year and spends 400,000 MAD on fairs (Casablanca student fair, high school forums, regional roadshows) typically gets 350 to 400 applications. Cost per applicant is therefore above 1,000 MAD, not counting staff time and the difficulty of following up prospects after the event. A Montreal college facing recruitment fairs, agent commissions and international student caps sees the same pattern at a higher price point.
| Recruitment channel | Typical annual budget | Applicants generated | Cost per applicant (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairs and forums | 400,000 MAD | 380 | 1,050 MAD |
| Current site (contact form) | 0 MAD | 60 | Not tracked |
| Meta and Google ads to redesigned site | 180,000 MAD | 720 | 250 MAD |
| Organic search on programme pages | 40,000 MAD | 250 | 160 MAD |
| Student referral via the site | 30,000 MAD | 90 | 330 MAD |
Going digital does not kill fairs, but it halves their budget and shifts 200,000 MAD to measurable channels.
What the redesign must include
In Morocco, parents take part in the decision in most cases and often read in Arabic. In Montreal, the language mix is French, English and often Arabic or Spanish for international recruitment. Students compare programmes on mobile and want three answers: accreditation, tuition fees, career outcomes. Each programme page must answer all three, in every language.
| Module | Description | Rabat budget excl. VAT | Montreal budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| UX, design, branding | Student and parent journeys, mobile mockups | 30,000 to 55,000 MAD | 10,000 to 20,000 CAD |
| FR/AR/EN programme pages | 15 to 25 programmes, native RTL for Arabic | 35,000 to 70,000 MAD | 12,000 to 25,000 CAD |
| Online application | Multi-step form, uploads, application fee payment | 30,000 to 60,000 MAD | 12,000 to 25,000 CAD |
| Admissions CRM | Automated follow-ups, scoring, dashboard | 25,000 to 55,000 MAD | 12,000 to 25,000 CAD |
| Translation and copywriting | Reviewed Arabic and English | 15,000 to 35,000 MAD | 7,000 to 12,000 CAD |
| SEO and analytics | City pages, conversion events | 15,000 to 25,000 MAD | 7,000 to 13,000 CAD |
| Total | 150,000 to 300,000 MAD | 60,000 to 120,000 CAD |
Collecting the application fee online (300 to 500 MAD in Rabat via CMI, 75 to 150 CAD in Montreal) filters out unserious applications and secures the pipeline. RTL must be native, with a mirrored layout, not just right-aligned text: it is an immediate credibility signal for Arabic-speaking families.
The admissions CRM: turning a visit into an enrolment
An applicant who fills in a form is not yet enrolled. In between come 5 to 7 touchpoints on average: confirmation email, open day invitation, interview, results, tuition deposit reminder. A CRM (HubSpot, Zoho, Slate or a custom build) automates these steps and shows management where applicants drop off.
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Mr Bennani, managing director of a 900-student private business school in Rabat, invests 240,000 MAD in the redesign and cuts fairs from 400,000 to 200,000 MAD. He reallocates 180,000 MAD to digital ads and 40,000 MAD to SEO. Over the year, he gets 190 applicants from fairs, 720 from ads and 250 from organic search, so 1,160 applicants instead of 440. With a 30 % conversion rate instead of 25 % thanks to the CRM, he moves from 110 to about 350 potential enrolments. With tuition at 55,000 MAD a year, even 40 extra students mean 2,200,000 MAD of revenue, nearly ten times the cost of the redesign.
FAQ
How much does a private school website redesign cost?
In Rabat, 150,000 to 300,000 MAD excl. VAT; in Montreal, 60,000 to 120,000 CAD. A school with 15 to 20 programmes in three languages usually lands around 220,000 to 250,000 MAD or 85,000 to 100,000 CAD.
Does the site really need an Arabic version?
In Morocco, yes, because parents fund most studies. In Montreal, it depends on your international recruitment markets. The Arabic version represents 15 to 20 % of the budget, RTL included.
Can application fees be collected online?
Yes, via CMI or a Moroccan payment provider in Rabat, Stripe or Moneris in Montreal. Fees of 300 to 500 MAD or 75 to 150 CAD filter out unserious applications.
How long to be ready before the admissions campaign?
Allow 12 to 16 weeks. For a campaign starting in March, the project should kick off in November at the latest.
Should we stop attending fairs entirely?
No. Fairs still build awareness and direct contact, but halving their budget while running a site that captures and follows up contacts cuts cost per applicant by four.
Let's scope your project. A school website redesign with online applications, multilingual programme pages and an admissions CRM scopes at 150,000 to 300,000 MAD or 60,000 to 120,000 CAD, live in 12 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.
