Separate pages per language
Each language has its own pages and addresses, such as /en/ and /de/, so Google can index them separately.
Multilingual website
Multilingual website: customers read about you in their own language.
Near a border, in tourism or with customers from abroad, a website in one language shuts out part of your market. Each extra language opens your site to a new group of people.
A multilingual website shows the same pages in several languages: English, German, Hungarian, Romanian or others. Each language has its own pages and its own address, and Google shows every visitor the version in their language. It suits businesses in the Romanian-Hungarian border region, such as Arad, Timiș and Bihor on one side and Békés, Csongrád and Hajdú-Bihar on the other, businesses working with Austria and Germany, tourism, and anyone who serves expats. I write the English, German, Hungarian and Romanian texts myself, with no machine translation pasted onto the page. This site runs in four languages, and my own shop, raganadesign.shop, in seven.
Why it's worth it
Because people search in their own language. A Hungarian family looking for a dentist in Oradea, or a visitor from Vienna looking for a guesthouse in the Banat, types in Hungarian or German. If your site is only in Romanian, you don't show up for them.
Because Google needs separate pages. An automatic translate button usually doesn't create pages Google can index. With its own pages for each language and correct hreflang tags, Google knows which version to show in Romania, Hungary or Austria.
And because machine translation shows. Odd phrasing and wrong terms tell customers at once that the text wasn't written for them. I write each language for its own market, with the examples and words people there actually use.
What you get
Correct hreflang
Tags that tell Google which page belongs to which language, so the right version appears in search.
Texts I write myself
English, German, Hungarian and Romanian, each written for its market. No machine-translated text on the page.
Other languages on request
Slovak, Serbian, Italian or others, through a professional translator, with a separate quote up front.
Language switcher
A clear button on every page that takes people to the same page in the other language, not back to the start.
Local formats
Dates, prices, currencies and phone numbers written the way readers in each country expect.
What it costs
An extra language costs €99 and can be added to any package: Essential, Business, Premium or Online shop. The whole site appears in that language, with its own pages. For languages I don't write myself, you get a separate quote for the translation first:
| Service | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Extra language | +€99 | Your whole site in one more language, with its own pages, hreflang and a language switcher. |
| Essential website (1 page, copy included) | €999 | One page with everything you need, ready in 7 working days. Add the languages you need. |
| Business website | €1,499 | Up to 10 pages, with your Google Business Profile included. Every page in every language you choose. |
Separate pages, a translation plugin, or one language
Each option has its place. These are the main differences:
| Separate pages per language (RAGANA Studio) | Automatic translation plugin | One language only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google finds each language | Yes, separate pages and addresses with hreflang | Depends on the plugin, often not | No |
| Text quality | Written for each market | Machine-translated, often with errors | Good, but only for some customers |
| Addresses (URLs) | Their own, such as /hu/ or /de/ | Often the same address | Just one |
| Cost | €99 per language, one-off | Often a monthly subscription | Nothing extra |
| Language switcher | Goes to the same page in the other language | Translates the page on the spot | None |
| Best for | Businesses with real customers from other countries | Quick tests, secondary content | Businesses with customers from one country |
How it works
1. The languages
We agree which languages you need and for which customers.
2. The texts
I write the texts for each language, adapted to its market, not translated word for word.
3. Review
You read the version in your language and can show the others to staff or customers who speak them.
4. Live
The site goes live in every language, with hreflang and a sitemap for each.
5 common mistakes with multilingual websites
Just an automatic translate button
The button translates the page in the browser, but Google usually doesn't see those versions, so you don't appear in searches in other languages. And machine-translated text reads oddly. For real customers from other countries you need separate pages for each language.
The switcher goes to the home page
A visitor reads your services page in German, clicks EN and lands on the home page. Now they have to search again. The language switcher has to take them to the same page in the other language.
Contact details for one country only
A phone number without a country code, or an address without the country, confuses customers from abroad. Write the number with +40 or +36, add the country to the address and say which languages you answer in.
The same text for different markets
A customer from Austria has different questions from one in Arad: travel, delivery across the border, payment in euros, invoicing. Don't just translate the words. Adapt the examples and the information to each market.
Everything else stays in one language
The site is in three languages, but your Google Business Profile, Facebook page and WhatsApp auto-reply are only in Romanian. Add at least a few lines in each language there too.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an extra language?
€99 per language, on top of the package you choose. A site in English, German and Hungarian therefore costs the package plus €198.
Do you use machine translation?
No machine-translated text goes on the site. I write English, German, Hungarian and Romanian myself. For other languages I work with a professional translator, and you get the price up front in a separate quote.
How does Google know which language to show?
From the separate addresses and the hreflang tags. Google sees that the Hungarian page is meant for Hungarian-speaking readers and shows it to them, and shows the German one in Austria and Germany.
Can I add a language later?
Yes, on a site I built. It's set up from the start to take new languages, and an extra language still costs €99.
Who answers customers in their language?
You or your team. State clearly on the site which languages you answer in by phone and on WhatsApp, so nobody gets a surprise.
Which language does a visitor see first?
People who come from Google land straight on the version in the language they searched in. People who type your address see the main language you choose, with the language switcher at the top of the page.
Does it work for an online shop?
Yes. A shop can have several languages too, with its own pages for each. Tell me at the start how many products you have and which languages the descriptions need, so we can plan the texts properly.
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Written by Raul Gabriel Nagy
Founder of RAGANA Studio, web designer since 2009. I hand-build websites and online shops for businesses in Romania, Hungary, Austria and Germany, and run my own online shop, raganadesign.shop. My story →
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Want your website in more than one language?
Tell me which languages you need and who your customers are. I'll reply on the same working day.