Multilingual website.
Found in every language
Not all of your customers or partners are in the Netherlands. Or you simply don’t want an English-speaking visitor to have to guess what you do. A second language on your website sounds simple, but there is more to it than a translate button.
I build multilingual websites where each language has its own place, is easy to find and reads correctly. Dutch and English make the best starting point, with room to expand later.
- Own address per languageEvery language has its own page and URL
- Hreflang set up properlyGoogle shows the right language to the right visitor
- Real translationsWritten for readers, not by a translation robot
- Fixed priceClear upfront, including the translation
The idea
More than a translate button.
Many multilingual websites are a copy with a button. The English version sits at the same address, is translated by a script and Google sees nothing of it. A visitor searching in English then gets the Dutch page.
It works better when each language gets its own address, for example a separate folder for English. That way Google can read, show and rank every page separately. Visitors can share a page in their own language and you can measure how each language is doing.
What it involves
Four things that need to be right.
Separate pages per language
Google recommends using a separate URL for each language version. That makes it clear to search engines that these are separate pages, and it is also pleasant for visitors.
Hreflang
A piece of code that tells Google which page belongs to which language. Each language version refers to the other and to itself. If one of those references is missing, Google ignores the rest. I set this up and check it.
Translation
Translating literally often produces stiff sentences. I work with text that reads naturally in the target language, in the same tone as the original. If you supply the translation yourself, I place it neatly on the page.
Technology and maintenance
Titles, descriptions, image descriptions and structure should be correct in every language. I make sure a change on the Dutch page isn’t forgotten on the English one.
What you get
A website that works in two languages.
In essence, this delivers the following:
- A Dutch and English version with their own addresses
- A language switcher that leads to the right counterpart
- Correctly configured hreflang tags, including a default language
- Separate titles and descriptions per language
- The option to add a third language later
Which languages
Start small and grow along.
Two languages can take you further than you think. For many international visitors English is the common language and reaches a large audience in one go. If you later want German, French or Spanish, the website doesn’t need to be rebuilt. The structure is already prepared for it.
I do advise looking beforehand at which language really adds value. A language nobody reads is maintenance without result. In the consultation we look together at where your visitors come from and what your goal is. Your statistics often already give a good indication.
Common mistakes
Where multilingual websites go wrong.
The language switcher sends everyone to the homepage of the other language, instead of to the same page. Or the visitor is automatically redirected based on browser language, so Google never gets to see the other version. Both are easy to prevent.
Also common: hreflang references that aren’t reciprocal. Page A points to B, but B doesn’t point back to A. Google then doesn’t trust the reference. Another classic gap is the title and description that simply stay Dutch in the second language. You see that in the search results immediately.
These are details, but details decide whether your second language actually brings in visitors.
For whom
When a second language pays off.
A second language makes sense if you have customers who don’t read Dutch, such as expats, international business partners or tourists. Also if your service or product is usable outside the Netherlands. Or if you want to fill vacancies with people from abroad.
If your entire audience is Dutch-speaking, a second language is mostly extra work. I’ll be honest about that.
Maintenance
Keeping two languages is work too.
A bilingual website calls for an agreement about maintenance. If you change a text on the Dutch page, the English one has to follow. Otherwise one version slowly falls behind the other and one of the two loses its value. That is why I set things up so both versions sit side by side and are easy to compare.
If you want me to apply changes in both languages, we agree on that beforehand. Then you also know what it costs.
How it works
From wish to bilingual website.
Step 1
Getting acquainted
We discuss your target audience, the languages and the scope. Then I quote a fixed price.
Step 2
Defining the structure
Which pages appear in which language and how they refer to each other.
Step 3
Building and translating
I build the pages and add the translations. Texts can come from you or from a translator.
Step 4
Testing and going live
I check the language switcher, hreflang and indexing. Then the website goes live and I submit the new pages to Google.
Why DYKZ
I have been doing this for years on my own website.
This website is bilingual itself. The Dutch and English pages have their own addresses and refer neatly to each other. So what I offer you works in practice. I build without heavy packages, so the website stays fast, even with two languages.
Is automatic translation good enough?
It can help for a first draft, but not as the end result. Mistakes and stiff sentences stand out to visitors immediately. I recommend having the text proofread by someone or writing it yourself.
Does every page need to be translated?
No. You choose which pages appear in both languages. If a page has no counterpart in a language, I have the language switcher lead to the best alternative page.
What does a multilingual website cost?
That depends on the number of pages and languages. After a short conversation I quote a fixed price. We discuss translation costs separately, if you want help with that.
Can an existing website become multilingual?
Yes. I add the second language to your existing website, or build it into a new version. Which route fits better depends on how the current website is built.
Further reading
Sources
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Get in touch
Let’s see
what can be better.
Tell me what you are running into and where you want to go online. However big or small your ambitions, a consultation costs you nothing and always gives you something to act on.
What to expect from the conversation
- Honest about your website and your options
- Concrete advice you can use right away
- A rough indication of investment and timeline
- If I can’t help you, I’ll tell you honestly
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