In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Is a bilingual website worth it for your business?
- 02URL structure: one URL per language
- 03Hreflang and language switching, step by step
- 04Translation quality: AI drafts, human review
- 05Fonts, layout, forms and replies in each language
- 06What a bilingual website costs
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Give each language its own URL (for example /zh/ for Chinese), link the versions with hreflang tags, let visitors switch language with a visible link instead of auto-redirecting, and have a fluent person review any AI translation before it goes live.
Is a bilingual website worth it for your business?
A second language pays off when a real share of your customers search, read and enquire in it. It costs extra effort for every page you add later, so be honest about who will use it.
Worth it if
- Many customers ask questions in Chinese or Malay on WhatsApp or the phone
- Your target customers are older residents, tourists or overseas buyers
- Competitors rank for Chinese-language searches you could win
- Someone in the team can reply to enquiries in that language
Probably not yet if
- Nobody can reply in the second language
- You plan to translate only the homepage and leave the rest in English
- The site changes every week and nobody will keep translations up to date
- Your customers are mainly English-speaking businesses
URL structure: one URL per language
Google's guide to managing multilingual sites says it recommends different URLs for each language version rather than using cookies or browser settings to switch the content. It also says Google works out a page's language from the visible content, so each page should use one language for content and navigation, and avoid side-by-side translations.
| Option | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Subfolder | example.sg/zh/services | Simplest for small sites; one hosting account, one set of SEO signals |
| Subdomain | zh.example.sg/services | Easy separation; slightly more set-up |
| Separate domain | example-chinese.sg | Rarely worth it for a small business |
| Same URL, language toggle by cookie | example.sg/services | Avoid: Google may only index one language |
For most Singapore SMEs, subfolders are the right answer: /en/ or no prefix for English, /zh/ for Chinese, /ms/ for Malay.
Hreflang and language switching, step by step
Hreflang tags tell Google that pages are translations of each other, so it shows the right one in search. Google's localized versions documentation explains the rules.
Pair every translated page with its original
Keep a simple list: each English URL and its Chinese (and Malay) equivalent. Untranslated pages simply have no pair.
Add hreflang tags on every version
Each page lists itself and all its translations, for example en for English and zh-Hans for Simplified Chinese. Google ignores tags that are not confirmed by a return link from the other page.
Add an x-default
Point x-default at your main version (usually English) for visitors whose language you do not serve.
Add a visible language switcher
A link such as English | 中文 on every page, going to the translated version of that same page, not the homepage.
Do not auto-redirect by language
Google advises against redirecting users based on their assumed language; it can stop users and Google from seeing all versions.
Submit and check in Search Console
Include all language URLs in your sitemap and check that both versions get indexed.
Most website platforms (WordPress with a multilingual plugin, Shopify Markets, Webflow Localization) generate hreflang tags for you. Check the page source once to make sure they are there and point to the right pages.
Translation quality: AI drafts, human review
AI translation is now good enough to produce a usable first draft quickly. It is not good enough to publish unchecked, especially for Chinese marketing copy, where literal translations read stiffly and terms differ between Singapore, China and Taiwan.
- Use AI for the first draft, then have a fluent speaker who knows your industry edit it. Our comparison of DeepL vs Google Translate vs ChatGPT covers which tools handle Chinese and Malay well.
- Write for Singapore readers: Simplified Chinese, local terms for places and products, and prices in S$.
- Translate the whole page, including buttons, forms, error messages and image text, not just headings.
- Keep a glossary of your product and service names in each language so they stay consistent.
Source: Google's spam policies, October 2026.
Fonts, layout, forms and replies in each language
The technical side of a second language is mostly about details that are easy to miss in testing.
Second-language launch checklist
If the Chinese version is not appearing in search after a few weeks, see our guide on why a website is not showing on Google.
What a bilingual website costs
The main cost drivers are the number of pages, who translates, and how often content changes.
- Website with two languages built inIT Sorted Website Pro: up to 12 pages, blog, two languages; you supply the second-language textS$2,990
- TranslationYour staff, a freelance translator, or AI drafts with human reviewVaries
- Multilingual plugin or platform add-onDepends on platform; some charge yearlyFree to paid
- Ongoing updatesEvery new page or price change happens twiceStaff time
Typical build, excluding translationFrom S$2,990
Translation and third-party plugin fees are not included. Prices before GST.
For a wider view of website pricing, see how much a website costs in Singapore.
Do it yourself or get help?
If you already run WordPress, Shopify or Webflow, you can add a second language yourself with the platform's multilingual feature, following the hreflang and switcher steps above. Budget most of the time for translation and checking, not set-up.
Our Website Pro package (S$2,990) builds a site with two languages from the start, with correct URLs, hreflang, a language switcher and fonts that load fast. For a smaller site, Business Website (S$1,490) can be extended. If you already have a bilingual site that is not ranking, our Speed & SEO Fix (S$390) checks hreflang, indexing and speed.
Frequently asked questions
Use a separate URL for each language, usually a subfolder such as /zh/ for Chinese. Add hreflang tags that link each page to its translation and back, include an x-default, and add a visible language switcher. Avoid switching language with cookies on the same URL, because Google may only index one version.
You can use AI tools for a first draft, but have a fluent speaker review and edit before publishing. Unreviewed machine translations often read awkwardly, use the wrong local terms, and mass auto-translated pages with little value can count as scaled content abuse under Google's spam policies.
No. Google advises against automatically redirecting users based on their assumed language, because it can stop users and search engines from seeing all versions. Show the default version and a clear language switcher instead, and let hreflang guide Google to show the right version in search.
Singapore uses Simplified Chinese. You can use zh-Hans to specify Simplified Chinese script, or zh-SG to target Chinese speakers in Singapore. Use en for English and ms for Malay. Make sure every page lists itself and all its translations, and that each translation links back.
Our Website Pro package, which includes two languages, is S$2,990 for up to 12 pages plus a blog, with you supplying the translated text. Translation is the other main cost: staff time, a freelance translator, or AI drafts reviewed by a fluent speaker. Ongoing updates also take more time, since every change happens twice.