A Brussels company's website is its most public-facing asset - and its most visible measure of linguistic respect for the city's two communities. Website localisation in Brussels means genuine Dutch, French, and English versions, not perfunctory translations that alienate half your audience.
Why Brussels companies need multilingual websites
Brussels' business environment is defined by three overlapping realities. First, it is Belgium's official bilingual capital, where both Dutch and French have equal status in public and commercial life. Second, it is the institutional centre of the European Union and NATO, creating a dense ecosystem of international organisations, embassies, and professional associations that operate in English. Third, it is one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities, with a resident population from over 180 nationalities. A Brussels company that publishes only a French website is invisible to Flemish-speaking clients, partners, and recruits. One that offers only French and Dutch may miss the significant English-speaking professional community that represents high-value business opportunities.
Technical localisation: beyond content translation
Website localisation encompasses far more than translating content. Technical localisation for Brussels sites includes: configuring hreflang tags to signal to search engines which language version serves each community; localising metadata - page titles, meta descriptions, and Open Graph tags - in each language; adapting forms and contact information for language-specific conventions; ensuring that CMS language switching works seamlessly without breaking URLs or losing SEO equity; and translating any embedded media - video subtitles, image alt text, and infographics - into all three languages.
TranslateBE
Website localisation for Brussels companies
TranslateBE localises Brussels websites into Dutch, French, and English - content, metadata, CMS integration, and multilingual SEO - for companies that want to engage every community.
CMS integration and workflow
TranslateBE works with all major content management systems used by Brussels companies: WordPress (with WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress), Drupal, Contentful, Sanity, and custom platforms via API export. For organisations that update their content regularly - news sections, blog posts, event listings - we offer ongoing localisation retainers that ensure new content is translated and published in all three languages within an agreed turnaround window. This prevents the common failure mode where a company launches a beautiful trilingual website but then publishes all subsequent updates in one language only.
Multilingual SEO for Brussels
A localised Brussels website that does not rank in both Dutch and French search results has wasted a significant portion of its localisation investment. TranslateBE's multilingual SEO service for Brussels sites begins with separate keyword research for the nl-BE and fr-BE markets - the two communities use different search terms, metaphors, and information hierarchies. We then optimise page titles, headings, body copy, and internal linking structures for both communities independently, ensuring that the Dutch version of your site competes for Dutch search terms and the French version competes for French ones, rather than both cannibalising each other.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should a Brussels company have one website with language switchers or separate domains?
Both approaches work, but they have different technical and SEO implications. A single domain with language subdirectories (example.com/nl/, example.com/fr/) is generally preferred for SEO consolidation. Separate domains (example.nl, example.fr) may be appropriate for very large organisations where brand identity differs by region. TranslateBE advises on the optimal URL structure as part of every website localisation project.
How do you handle content that differs between the Dutch and French versions?
Some content is legitimately different between language versions - regional legal requirements, community-specific events, locally relevant contact details. TranslateBE can manage divergent content across language versions, maintaining translation memories that track which content is translated and which is independently authored for each community.
Can you localise our Brussels website's blog and news section on an ongoing basis?
Yes. We offer ongoing content localisation retainers for Brussels companies that publish regular blog posts, news items, and case studies. Articles are translated and reviewed within an agreed turnaround (typically 24-48 hours for a standard post), and published directly into your CMS if you grant us the necessary access. We maintain your brand glossary across all content.