Create a multilingual website with Kopage

If your website targets visitors with different languages, you can build a multilingual website using the classic Kopage Website Builder.

This involves organizing the content so that visitors can switch between the available language versions. This is of interest, for example, to Swiss companies that want to offer their website in German, French, Italian, or English.

In this guide, we will explain how to sensibly plan a multilingual Kopage website, what you should pay attention to when translating your content, and how to check the various language versions after setup.

Briefly explained: Multilingualism means that your website provides content in multiple languages. What is crucial is not only the technical language switching—each language version should also be maintained so that its content is complete and comprehensible.

When does a multilingual website make sense? #

An additional language is useful if a relevant part of your target audience actually requires this language.

In Switzerland, for example, a combination of several national languages can make sense:

German
French
Italian

For internationally oriented websites, English may additionally or instead be relevant.

Which languages you offer should be based on your actual target audience and not on being able to boast as many language versions as possible.

Better to fully maintain just a few languages #

Every additional language increases the maintenance effort of your website.

For example, if you offer four language versions and later change opening hours, prices, services, or contact details, you must check whether this information needs to be updated in all affected language versions.

It is therefore often better to offer two languages completely and up to date than five language versions, several of which are incomplete or outdated.

Practical Tip: Only add a new language once you can also ensure that the most important content is fully available in that language and can be maintained in the future.

Plan multilingualism before building #

Before you begin translation, you should determine which areas of your website should be available in the additional languages.

For example, in the case of a complete multilingual corporate website, this affects:

Home
About Us
Services
Contact
Forms
Blog or News
Legal Information
Other Important Subpages

The more extensive the website, the more important clean planning becomes.

Complete the source language first #

When creating a new website, it usually makes sense to largely complete the content in the primary language first.

This prevents you from having to change basic page structures and texts on multiple language versions at the same time.

A sensible procedure could look like this, for example:

Plan page structure
↓
Create main language
↓
Check content
↓
Set up additional language
↓
Translate content
↓
Fully test language version

We explain how to build the basic structure of your website at Managing pages, navigation, and submenus in Kopage.

Set up an additional language in Kopage #

The classic Kopage website builder offers features for multilingual websites.

Open the corresponding language or multilingualism function and set up the desired additional language there.

Which languages you activate depends on your target audience and the translations that are actually available.

After setup, check whether visitors can switch between the designated language versions.

Important: Do not prematurely activate a language on a production website if the corresponding content is not yet fully prepared. Visitors should ideally not land on half-finished language versions.

Language switching for visitors #

Visitors must be able to see that your website is available in multiple languages.

A corresponding language selection or language switching is used for this purpose.

It should be easy to find and understand.

Possible designations can be, for example:

German
French
Italian
English

The written-out language names are unambiguous and also understandable for visitors who may not be familiar with certain abbreviations.

Language names or flags? #

A language and a country are not the same.

German, for example, is spoken in several countries, as are English and French.

Written-out language names are therefore often more unambiguous than an exclusive representation via country flags.

If your chosen representation uses symbols or flags, it should still be clearly recognizable which language is selected with them.

Multilingualism does not automatically mean machine translation #

The technical capability of offering multiple languages on a website must be distinguished from the actual translation of the content.

An additional language version must also be maintained in terms of content.

Therefore, do not assume that every text is automatically available correctly in another language just because you have set up the corresponding language for the website.

Important: Check the content of each language version. A technically existing language switcher guarantees neither a complete nor a linguistically correct translation.

Translate texts meaningfully #

A good translation should convey the meaning of the source text while sounding natural in the target language.

Literal translations can sound unnatural, especially in headings, advertising claims, technical terms, or idioms.

Also pay attention to regional characteristics.

A German term that is common in Germany, for example, does not automatically have to be the best phrasing for a German-speaking Swiss target audience.

Translate navigation as well #

Not only should the actual page texts be understandable in the respective language.

Navigation elements must also be taken into account.

For example:

Home
About Us
Services
Contact

An English content page with a completely German navigation feels unfinished and can make orientation difficult.

Don't forget buttons and short texts #

During translation, large text areas are often taken into account while smaller elements are overlooked.

This may include:

Buttons
Form labels
Helper texts
Image descriptions
Contact information
Footer content
Confirmation messages
Navigation
Headings

Therefore, always review a language version as a complete website and not just based on the longer text sections.

Forms in multiple languages #

If your website has a contact form, its visible text should also match the respective language version.

This includes, in particular, field labels, notes, mandatory field information, and the submit button.

For example, French side text with German form fields looks incomplete.

We explain how to structure forms in general under Create forms and contact forms with Kopage.

Check contact information in all languages #

Phone numbers, email addresses, or the company address normally do not need to be translated linguistically, but should be present correctly in all relevant language versions.

For opening hours, directions, or additional notes, however, linguistic adjustments may be necessary.

Therefore, also check supposedly identical contact areas.

Images on multilingual websites #

Many images can be used unchanged in multiple language versions.

However, if an image contains visible text, it must be checked whether this text is also suitable for the respective language version.

A banner with a built-in German advertising message might not make sense on a French site, for example.

Practical Tip: Use important text as real website text rather than hardcoding it inside an image whenever possible. This also makes it easier to maintain multilingual websites.

Further information on images can be found under Creating images, photo galleries, and sliders in Kopage.

Blog and News in multiple languages #

If you run a blog or news section, you should determine whether new posts should also appear in all languages.

This can significantly increase the editorial effort.

With multiple fully maintained language versions, a new post may also mean multiple translations and checks.

Plan, even before launching, which content you want to publish in which languages.

We explain the blog feature at Create and manage a blog and news with Kopage.

Take FAQ and other modules into account #

Content from additional apps or modules can also contain language-dependent texts.

Therefore, an FAQ section, event calendar, or any other feature should not be forgotten when checking the language versions.

We will cover further functions under Apps and modules in Kopage: FAQ, calendar, newsletter, downloads & co..

Do not simply translate legal content without review #

Special care is required with legal texts.

Privacy policies, contract information, or other legally relevant content should not simply be translated word for word without review.

Whether a translation is content-wise and legally suitable depends on your specific use case and the applicable regulations.

Important: A linguistically plausible translation is not automatically a legally verified translation.

Check dates, numbers, and prices #

Multilingualism is not exclusively about words.

Depending on the target audience, the formatting for dates, numbers, or other information may also differ.

Especially regarding prices, you should also make sure that accidentally different or outdated information does not appear in individual language versions.

When a price changes, all affected language versions should be checked.

Keep content in all language versions up to date #

The biggest challenge of a multilingual website is often not the initial translation, but the subsequent maintenance.

For example, if you update a German text, you should check whether the same information also needs to be changed in other languages.

A simple editorial workflow can help:

Change content in main language
        ↓
Determine affected language versions
        ↓
Update translations
        ↓
Check all versions
        ↓
Complete change

Avoid outdated translations #

Particularly problematic are language versions that look complete at first glance, but contain older information.

A visitor might not realize that, for example, a price, a phone number, or a service description is no longer current.

Therefore, include all active language versions in your regular website maintenance.

Multilingualism and site structure #

The various language versions should be organized in a way that is as comprehensible as possible in terms of content.

A visitor who changes the language on a specific page normally expects to receive the corresponding content in the other language – provided it is available.

Avoid language switching where possible, which leads visitors to completely different content for no apparent reason.

Multilingualism and SEO #

Multilingual websites can provide search engines with content for different language groups.

However, simply publishing the same text multiple times under different language designations is not enough for this.

Each language version should have complete and linguistically appropriate content.

Also pay attention to meaningful page titles, descriptions, and other available SEO settings of the respective content.

We cover the SEO functions in detail under SEO with Kopage: Page titles, metadata, URLs, and search engine optimization.

Do not artificially translate search terms #

A term that German-speaking users search for is not necessarily used in the exact same literal way in another language.

If search engine optimization is important for your website, you should therefore also consider which terms your target audience actually uses in the respective language.

This is especially true for technical terms, services, and regional designations.

Check language version on smartphone #

Translated texts do not always have the same length.

A short German label can be significantly longer in another language.

This allows navigation, buttons, headers, or other areas to change on smaller screens.

Therefore, check every important language version on smartphones and tablets as well.

You can find further information at Responsive Design: Optimizing Kopage website for smartphones and tablets.

Test the navigation especially on mobile devices #

Longer translated menu items may require more space on a smartphone.

Therefore, check after translation:

Is the language selection visible?
Does changing the language work?
Are all menu items legible?
Do submenus work?
Do buttons fit within the available area?
Do headings wrap appropriately?

What to do if a translation is not finished yet? #

If a language version is not yet fully prepared, you should avoid presenting visitors with an obviously unfinished website.

Therefore, check before activation whether at least all important pages and navigation elements are fully present.

For large websites, it can be useful to carry out the translation work in a structured, page-by-page manner and only make the new language fully available after a final review.

Common mistakes on multilingual websites #

Among the most common problems are incomplete translations, mixed languages within the same page, and outdated content in individual language versions.

Even untranslated buttons, forms, navigation elements, or footer content are easily overlooked.

Another mistake is offering too many languages at once, even though the resources for their ongoing maintenance are lacking.

Checklist for a new language version #

Language set up?
        ↓
Home page translated?
        ↓
Navigation translated?
        ↓
Important subpages translated?
        ↓
Buttons and forms checked?
        ↓
Contact information correct?
        ↓
Images with text checked?
        ↓
Blog and modules taken into account?
        ↓
Legal content checked?
        ↓
SEO settings checked?
        ↓
Mobile display tested?
        ↓
Language switching in browser checked?

What's next? #

In addition to standard corporate and informational websites, you can also use the classic Kopage Website Builder to set up an online store and offer products through your website.

Therefore, we continue with Create an online store with Kopage and manage products.

Summary #

With the classic Kopage website builder, you can provide a website in multiple languages and allow visitors to switch between the language versions.

First, plan which languages you actually need and make sure you can maintain them in the long term.

When translating, consider not only longer page texts, but also navigation, buttons, forms, blog posts, modules, and other visible content.

Check every language version completely after setup and test, in particular, the navigation and language switching also on mobile devices.

A good multilingual website is not about having as many languages enabled as possible, but rather about fully maintained language versions with accurate and comprehensible content.