Is your website truly bilingual, or just translated?

"Our site is bilingual" — we hear this often. But in most cases, what companies have is a translated site, not a truly bilingual one. The distinction matters and has a direct impact on your conversions.

The difference between translation and localization

Translating means converting text from one language to another. It's the minimum level.

Localizing means adapting the complete experience to a culture and market. That includes: cultural references, date and number formats, currency, examples used, tone of voice, and even the order information is presented.

The 5 signs your site is "just translated"

• SEO metadata isn't translated: your title tag and meta description are in French on the English version.
• Images contain text: banners or infographics with French text appearing in both versions.
• Dates and formats don't adapt: "15 novembre 2025" instead of "November 15, 2025" in the English version.
• Language doesn't remember your choice: every new session asks which language you prefer.
• URLs are identical: '/services' for both French and English (instead of '/en/services').

The technical solution

For Next.js sites, we use next-intl — a library that handles routing ('/fr/services' vs '/en/services'), JSON translation files, translated SEO metadata, and hreflang tags.

Conclusion

A truly bilingual site requires more work than a simple translation — but it performs significantly better on anglophone markets. If you target both Quebec and English Canadian markets, it's an investment that pays back quickly.