Running a small business website in two or more languages

Is a second language worth it?

A second language doubles the content you need to write, check and keep up to date. That is worth it when it opens a real group of customers, and wasted when it does not. Ask yourself:

• Do customers already ask for it? If enquiries regularly arrive in another language, or you keep translating your prices by email, the demand is proven.
• Is your market officially multilingual? In Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Ireland, parts of Spain and elsewhere, a second language can be expected rather than a bonus.
• Do you serve visitors or expats? Holiday rentals, restaurants, estate agents and clinics in areas with many international residents often need English alongside the local language.
• Can you actually serve customers in that language? A website in French promises that someone can answer a French phone call or email. If not, be clear about which languages you speak.
• Will you keep it updated? An outdated second version with old prices does more harm than none.

If the answers are mostly yes, go ahead. If not, a short note such as "We also speak English and German" on your contact page may be enough for now.

Choosing which pages to translate

You do not have to translate everything on day one. Start with the pages that lead to enquiries:

1. Homepage.
2. Services, or your main service pages.
3. Prices or how quotes work.
4. Contact page and form, including the confirmation message.
5. Legal and privacy information, which should be understandable to the people whose data you collect.

Blog posts and news can stay in one language unless they are aimed at the second audience. What matters is that each translated page is complete; a page that switches language halfway through looks careless.

Structuring the website

Give each language its own addresses

Each language version should have its own URL, so visitors can share it and search engines can show the right one. The common options are:

Structure	Example	Notes
Subfolders	example.eu/nl/ and example.eu/fr/	Simplest for small businesses, one domain to manage
Subdomains	nl.example.eu and fr.example.eu	Works, but feels like separate sites to manage
Separate domains	example.nl and example.fr	Strong local signal, but more domains, hosting and effort

For most small businesses, subfolders on one domain are the practical choice. Avoid setups where the language changes but the address stays the same, for example through a switch that only changes text on the page, because search engines then usually see only one version.

Make switching easy

• Put a language switcher in the header on every page.
• Label languages in their own language: "Nederlands", "Français", "Deutsch", rather than flags, since one language can belong to several countries and one country can have several languages.
• Link each page to its equivalent in the other language, not back to the homepage.
• Do not force a language based on location. Suggest it if you like, but let people choose.

Hreflang basics

Hreflang is a small piece of code that tells search engines "this page has equivalents in these other languages". It helps a search engine show the Dutch page to Dutch speakers and the French page to French speakers, rather than treating them as duplicates.

The essentials:

• Every language version lists all versions, including itself. If the Dutch page points to the French page, the French page must point back.
• Use language codes, optionally with a country. "nl" for Dutch in general, "nl-BE" for Dutch aimed at Belgium, "fr-BE" for French aimed at Belgium.
• Add an x-default for the version to show when no language matches, often your main language or a language choice page.
• Point to the exact equivalent page, not the homepage of the other language.

Many website builders and multilingual plugins generate hreflang automatically once you link translations. Check the page source or your builder's documentation rather than assuming it is there.

Translation quality

Machine translation is a useful first draft and has become very good, but it still makes errors that a native speaker spots instantly: wrong formality, odd terms for your trade, or phrases that sound like a manual. A few rules help:

• Have a native speaker review at least the homepage and services. A customer, friend or freelance proofreader is fine.
• Localise, do not just translate. Adjust examples, place names, phone formats, currency notes and opening hours to the audience.
• Choose formal or informal address deliberately. In Dutch, German and French the choice between formal and informal "you" sets your tone. Pick one per language and keep it consistent.
• Translate page titles and descriptions too, since they appear in search results.
• Translate form labels and messages, including errors and the thank you message.

Practical details people overlook

• Email replies. Set up automatic replies and email templates in each language, so a French enquiry does not get a Dutch acknowledgement.
• Documents. Quotes, terms and invoices may need a version in each language you sell in.
• Map listings and profiles. Some platforms let you add descriptions in more than one language; use them.
• Phone handling. Tell whoever answers the phone which languages the website promises.

Keeping versions in step

The biggest long term problem is drift: the main language is updated and the others are forgotten. Avoid it by:

• Keeping a simple list of translated pages and checking it whenever prices or services change.
• Updating all languages on the same day for any factual change.
• Reducing duplication: if prices change often, keep them on one page per language rather than repeated across many pages.

Our country pages for Belgium and Malta touch on language expectations in markets where more than one language is common, and the pages every small business website needs guide helps you decide which pages to start with.

The Website Builders includes unlimited pages, so adding a second language version of your key pages does not change the price of €29.95 a month.

Frequently asked