A multilingual website: when a foreign-language version pays off

A foreign-language version of a website can significantly widen your customer base — but it doesn’t always pay off. It depends on who you want to reach and where your visitors come from.

When yes

If you run accommodation, operate in a tourist area or target foreign clients, a second language is almost a necessity. A guest from abroad would rather choose a website they understand than decode another language through a translator.

One site, multiple languages

A modern website handles multiple languages from a single base — the design and components are shared, only the texts change. There’s no need to maintain two separate sites, so adding a language is easy and cheap.

Mind the translation quality

Machine translation looks unprofessional and can put people off. It pays to translate the texts properly, ideally with a native speaker. A site with a careful foreign-language version shows you take international clients seriously.