Multilingual applications with localised content, currencies, dates and formats – one system serving several markets without duplicating code. Translation is only the first layer; the real work is that every market has its own prices, shipping, legal texts and sometimes a different product range.

What actually needs localising

Interface strings and page content, date and number formats, currencies and whether prices show with or without tax, address forms and phone validation, terms and legal documents. It also includes deciding what is not translated – product names, brands and technical specifications are usually better left as they are.

How we build it

  • Language and country as separate dimensions – one language can serve several markets.
  • URL structure and hreflang so search engines pair the right variants.
  • Translation management outside the code, editable by a non-technical person.
  • Market-specific prices, taxes, shipping and product availability.
  • Fallback to the default language instead of a blank space on a missing string.

Why it matters for SEO

Badly configured language variants behave like duplicate content in search and the markets cannibalise each other's visibility. Correct hreflang with reciprocal return tags and a self-referencing canonical for every variant is therefore part of the solution, not an afterthought.

We use the same approach on this site and in projects running simultaneously across several European markets.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need the whole site translated at once?

No. The system can fall back to the default language where a translation is missing, so a new market can launch with the core translated and the rest filled in over time. What matters is that a missing translation never leaves a blank space.

How do we add another market later?

If language and country are separated from the start, adding a market means adding translations, prices, shipping and legal texts – not copying the site. You can equally add a country that reuses an existing language, for example the same language version for two different markets.