The verdict in three sentences
A strategy consultancy that earns half its revenue in continental Europe cannot present its expertise, case studies and thought leadership in English only. The budget comes down to two lines: the multilingual site itself, GBP 16,000 to 33,000 as a 2026 ballpark in London, and the translation of 60,000 to 90,000 words, billed at GBP 0.10 to 0.16 per word for professional human translation. A hybrid model, human translation on key pages and post-edited machine translation on insight content, cuts the bill by 35 to 45 % without hurting the firm's image.
How many words do you really need to translate
The volume almost always surprises the partners. A consultancy site rarely holds fewer than 60,000 words once you add practice pages, sector pages, bios for 40 consultants, case studies and two or three years of insights. The first job is triage: conversion pages (home, practices, sectors, case studies, contact) are often 20 to 30 % of the volume but 80 % of the commercial impact. Insight archives older than 24 months can stay in English or be summarised.
Human translation, post-edited AI or untranslated pages
The table compares options for an English site translated into French and German, so two target languages.
| Option | Per-word rate | Cost for 60,000 words × 2 languages | Cost for 90,000 words × 2 languages | Perceived quality | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human translation, consulting specialist | GBP 0.10 to 0.16 | GBP 12,000 to 19,200 | GBP 18,000 to 28,800 | Excellent, firm's tone | Home, practices, case studies |
| AI translation post-edited by a linguist | GBP 0.04 to 0.07 | GBP 4,800 to 8,400 | GBP 7,200 to 12,600 | Good with an approved glossary | Insights, sector pages |
| Raw machine translation | Under GBP 0.01 | A few tens of pounds | A few tens of pounds | Risky, terminology errors | Avoid on a consultancy site |
| Untranslated pages | GBP 0 | GBP 0 | GBP 0 | Visitor lost | Archives, UK-only news |
| Hybrid (30 % human, 70 % post-edited) | Average GBP 0.07 to 0.10 | GBP 8,400 to 12,000 | GBP 12,600 to 18,000 | Very good on key pages | Recommended for 40 consultants |
A translation memory and a partner-approved glossary (about 300 terms: offer names, practice titles, sector vocabulary) are what keep post-edited translation at the right level. Building them costs GBP 700 to 1,300 and saves 10 to 20 % on later updates.
The multilingual technical foundation and its cost
Translating is not enough: Google must understand which page to serve to which visitor. A translated but badly tagged page can even compete with the original.
| Technical element | Role | Indicative cost 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| One URL per language (/en/, /fr/, /de/) | Separate indexing for each version | Included in a well-built site |
| Reciprocal hreflang tags and x-default | Serve the right language in each country | GBP 700 to 1,700 |
| XML sitemap per language | Complete indexing | GBP 250 to 500 |
| Multilingual CMS with translation workflow | Updates without a developer | GBP 2,600 to 6,000 |
| Keyword research per language | Translate real queries, not words | GBP 1,300 to 3,000 per language |
| Language switcher without forced redirects | Experience and SEO compliance | GBP 350 to 800 |
| Bios and case studies as structured fields | Partial translation possible | GBP 850 to 2,100 |
The 12 to 16 week timeline breaks down into 3 weeks of scoping and content inventory, 4 to 5 weeks of design and build, 4 to 6 weeks of translation running in parallel, then 2 weeks of linguistic and SEO acceptance testing. At Kolonell, a consultancy site at this level falls under our institutional offer, priced on quote; languages and translation volume are set in the quote, and multilingual SEO can rely on our monthly SEO plans at 100,000, 200,000 or 350,000 FCFA.
Mini case study
Charlotte, managing partner of a 40-consultant strategy firm in London, needs to translate 75,000 words into French and German. With full human translation at GBP 0.13 per word, the bill reaches 75,000 × 2 × 0.13 = GBP 19,500.
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She picks the hybrid model: 22,000 key words in human translation (22,000 × 2 × 0.13 = GBP 5,720) and 53,000 words of insights in post-edited AI at GBP 0.05 (53,000 × 2 × 0.05 = GBP 5,300), plus GBP 1,000 for the glossary. Total: GBP 12,020, a saving of GBP 7,480. If the German version helps her win one extra engagement a year with a Munich manufacturer, at GBP 150,000 in fees and a 30 % margin, the extra GBP 45,000 of margin covers the translation budget nearly four times.
FAQ
What is the per-word rate for professional translation in 2026?
For strategy consulting content, expect GBP 0.10 to 0.16 per word for human translation into French or German. Post-edited AI translation sits between GBP 0.04 and 0.07 per word.
How much does a three-language consultancy website cost in London?
As a ballpark, GBP 16,000 to 33,000 for the site, excluding translation. With 60,000 to 90,000 words translated into two languages, the total often lands between GBP 26,000 and 52,000.
Does machine translation hurt SEO?
Google does not penalise machine translation as such, it penalises low-quality content. Post-edited translation with an approved glossary is fine; 90,000 words of raw output published as is are not.
Should we translate all 40 consultant bios?
Yes for partners and managers, whom foreign clients check before a tender. For junior staff, a short 80 to 120 word version is enough.
What happens if hreflang is set up wrong?
Language versions can cannibalise each other and the German visitor lands on the English page. A hreflang audit costs GBP 700 to 1,700 and should happen before launch.
Let's scope your project. We inventory your content, decide what must be translated and set a 12 to 16 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.
