Bilingual website design, English and French
We build bilingual websites that work as well in French as in English
Give both audiences a clear path to enquire, book or donate. We plan the pages, navigation and editing tools for both languages from the start, with one website for your team to manage.
Why it matters
Why both languages matter.
In Quebec, French is the common language of business and daily life. People expect to read about you in French. A French site tells them you want their business, their donation or their call.
Across Canada, French speakers live in every province. If you sell to them, serve them or ask for their support, a French page makes the next step easier.
People also search in their own language. A French page can show up when someone searches in French. An English page alone cannot.
Quebec’s Charter of the French language has rules about French in business, and they can apply to websites. If you do business in Quebec, check what applies to you. This is not legal advice.
The problem
Where bilingual websites go wrong.
- 1The French site is a machine translation, and Quebec readers can tell in one sentence.
- 2The two versions drift apart, because updating both is painful.
- 3The language switch sends you back to the homepage.
- 4Search engines index one language and ignore the other.
How we build it
Built in, not bolted on.
One address per language
Each language has its own addresses, titles and descriptions, correctly linked, so search engines index both.
A clear language switch
The language toggle takes you to the same page in the other language, not to the homepage.
Search in both languages
We set up search for English and French. Each page tells search engines where its other version is, so each language can show up for its own searches.
Editing
Your team can update both languages in the site editor. We show you how to keep the content in sync at launch.
Writing
We can write or review your French in Quebec French. This is quoted separately. We don’t use raw machine translation.
Translation or writing
Translation or writing in Quebec French?
Translation starts from your English text and says the same thing in French. It fits pages where the facts matter most: services, policies, forms and contact details.
Writing starts from the reader. The page is written in Quebec French for a French-speaking reader, with the words people here use. It fits the pages that need to convince: your homepage, your main service pages and the buttons that ask people to act.
Many sites use both. The key pages are written in Quebec French. The rest is translated, then reviewed. Either way, we don’t use raw machine translation.
You can also supply the French yourself. We set it up and check that every page, menu and form works in both languages.
What it costs
From $6,000 CAD
You get one fixed price before we start. You pay half to start and half before launch. We plan your pages with you first. The six to eight weeks start when we have your main text and photos.
See it on this site
This website is built the same way. Its pages, menus, forms and error messages work in English and French. Use the language switch at the top of this page to see the French version.
Who we build for
Industrial and construction firms
Show buyers what you make and the jobs you’ve done.
Questions
Questions about bilingual websites
Do we need two websites?
We already have an English site. Can you add French?
Can we launch in English first?
Who translates?
Tell us what your website isn’t doing.
Book a 15-minute call. By the end you will know what your site needs, about what it will cost, and how long it will take. No pressure to hire us.
Prefer email? [email protected]