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Planning a bilingual English–French website
How to build one site that works equally well in English and French: URLs, the language menu, translation, search and forms.
Many Canadian businesses serve customers in both English and French. A bilingual website is more than a translated copy: each language should feel like it was written first. Planning it from the start usually costs less than adding a second language later.
One site, two addresses per page
Give each language its own address for every page, for example yoursite.ca/services/ and yoursite.ca/fr/services/. Avoid showing both languages on the same page, and avoid switching the language with a script while the address stays the same.
Separate addresses let search engines index each version, let people share a link in the right language, and let you tell search engines which pages are translations of each other (with "hreflang" tags). This site works exactly that way.
A language menu that keeps your place
Switching language should take visitors to the same page in the other language, not back to the home page. Label each choice in its own language (English, Français) rather than with flags: a flag stands for a country, not a language.
Translate with people, not only with tools
Automatic translation is a useful first draft, but visitors notice the difference. Budget for a translator or a bilingual writer, and have someone who knows your business review both versions. Keep a short glossary of your product and service names so they stay consistent.
Design for both lengths
French text often runs longer than English. Buttons, menus and headings need room to grow, so test the design with real text in both languages, especially on phones.
Details that are easy to miss
- Numbers, dates and prices are written differently: $1,290.50 in English becomes 1 290,50 $ in French.
- Forms: labels, error messages and confirmation emails all need both languages.
- Search: people search with different words in each language. Titles and descriptions should be written for each, not translated word for word.
- Everything around the site: automatic emails, invoices and documents linked from the site.
Language rules can apply to businesses, notably in Quebec. They are a legal question: check your obligations with an adviser before you launch.
What it changes in the budget
A second language adds translation and review, and the design and testing work for both versions. It usually costs less to plan up front than to retrofit. Our packages start from $690 and our monthly maintenance plans from $69 a month; see which package fits.
Planning a bilingual site? Tell us about it.