The verdict in three sentences
A website for a packaging machinery builder selling across Texas, the Southwest and Mexico costs USD 20,000 to 65,000 as a 2026 market ballpark, and the gap between a good and a bad project shows up in the agency's answers during the first meetings. The questions that matter cover Spanish content management, how machine demo videos are handled and how demo requests reach the right sales rep. An agency that is vague on these points will cost you more in change orders than it saves on the quote.
The scope to keep in mind before meetings
The VP of sales at an Austin builder of bagging, case packing and palletizing lines shows 15 to 40 machines, each with a demo video, speeds, accepted formats and options. Prospects are plant managers and engineering buyers in food, chemicals and building materials, many of them Spanish speaking in Monterrey or Guadalajara. The site has to let them compare machines, then request a live demo or a test run on their own product.
| Line item | 2026 market ballpark (USD) | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and bilingual sitemap | 1,800 to 4,800 | Journeys by customer industry |
| Design and mockups | 3,500 to 11,000 | Strong machine page template |
| Build and bilingual CMS | 7,000 to 21,000 | Translation workflow inside the CMS |
| 15 to 40 machine pages with video | 3,500 to 12,000 | External video hosting |
| Demo request and lead routing | 1,800 to 6,000 | By territory, product line and language |
| Spanish translation | 1,200 to 6,000 | Technical translator |
| Testing and launch | 1,200 to 4,200 | Redirects from the old site |
| Total | 20,000 to 65,000 | Timeline: 10 to 18 weeks |
Questions on the project and the tech
| Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| How do you manage English and Spanish in the CMS? | Linked language versions with visible translation status | We will clone the site |
| Where will machine videos be hosted? | External video platform, embedded, lazy loaded | Uploaded straight to the web server |
| How does a demo request reach the right rep? | Automatic routing by territory and language, synced to the CRM | One generic email inbox |
| Who builds the machine pages? | Template delivered, 3 pages built together, then your team takes over | We will handle it, with no price |
| How do you measure page speed? | Written target, such as under 2.5 s on mobile, checked at acceptance | The site will be fast |
| Which accessibility standard do you build to? | WCAG 2.1 AA written into the contract and tested | No answer |
Accessibility matters in the US because ADA website claims are common; the Department of Justice publishes guidance on web accessibility that your counsel can review.
Questions on the contract and after launch
| Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the code, domain and content? | You, on final payment | A license while the contract runs |
| What does USD 200 to 700 a month of support include? | Updates, backups, a set number of change hours | Support, with no detail |
| What is the outage response time? | Written into the contract, in business hours | As soon as possible |
| How are scope changes billed? | Written day rate, change order signed before work | Billed after the fact |
| Who is our contact during the project? | A named project manager, weekly call | A salesperson, then a shared inbox |
| What happens if we switch agencies? | Full export and documentation | No clause |
Ask for two references from multilingual industrial sites you can call, and the list of any subcontractors. Forms collect prospect data, including from Mexico, so the agency should explain how it handles privacy notices under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act and Mexican data protection law, with your counsel validating the final text.
As a nearshore benchmark, here are Kolonell's prices: Premium website at 3,050 to 5,340 EUR (2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA, 21 to 30 business days), extra language about 110 EUR, extra page about 40 EUR, and a demo request module with advanced routing scoped as a simple custom application at 3,810 to 6,100 EUR. Kolonell's care plans are 53, 114 or 183 EUR a month.
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Illustrative example, not a client: Rachel, VP of sales at a 110 person machinery builder in Austin. Agency A quotes USD 30,000 but answers we will clone the site for Spanish and leaves routing out; she estimates USD 7,000 of likely change orders, so USD 37,000. Agency B quotes USD 36,000 with a bilingual CMS and territory routing. She picks B. With 5 extra demo requests a month and 1 sale per 12 demos, she wins 5 machines a year at USD 40,000 margin each, or USD 200,000 a year.
FAQ
How many agencies should we meet?
Three is enough, one hour each, using this question list. Beyond 4, the comparison gets muddy.
Do we need a Spanish speaking project manager?
Not if translation goes to a technical translator for USD 1,200 to 6,000. Do have a native speaking rep proofread the Spanish pages.
Is the demo request module a priority?
Yes for a machinery builder: it is often the best converting page. Budget USD 1,800 to 6,000 depending on routing and CRM integration.
What is a realistic timeline in Austin?
10 to 18 weeks, including 2 to 4 weeks of translation if it starts late.
How do we compare very different quotes?
Map every quote to the same line items, add likely change orders and three years of support. A quote 15% higher can cost less overall.
Let's scope your project. Send us your machine list, languages and indicative budget, and we will answer these questions in writing with a line by line quote and schedule. 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.
