Separate domains or subfolders for languages?

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Multilingual URLs

A choice that depends on your strategy

For most companies, subfolders for each language (e.g. /en/, /de/) are the simplest solution to manage and concentrate authority on a single domain; country domains (.de, .ch, .fr) make sense when you want a strong, distinct local presence in each country.

There is also a middle way, subdomains (en.yourwebsite.com), less used on company websites. The choice should be made at the start, because changing structure later requires redirects and careful work to avoid losing rankings. We discuss it with companies in Como, Brianza and Milan in the initial phase of the project.

Comparison

Pros and cons at a glance

Here is how the main options compare on the points that matter.

Subfolders
A single domain, simpler management and SEO
Country domains
Strong local signal, but each domain has to be built up from scratch
Subdomains
Technical separation, but less immediate for users and search engines
Management in the CMS
With our enterprise CMS all the solutions are managed from a single panel
Managed servers and domains

We help you choose and set everything up

We host our clients' websites on servers managed by NewVisibility: we register the domains, configure DNS and certificates and set up the redirects between versions. This way you have a single contact in Cantù for website, languages and infrastructure, even if your company is in Milan or Lugano.

Domains, mail and servers

Domains or subfolders: which is right for you?

Tell us the countries where you want to be present and we will recommend the most suitable URL structure.

Services of interest

What you need is localisation: rewriting text, examples, images and practical information around how customers in each country think and search. Units, currency, formats and local contacts make each version credible. From Cantù we follow companies in Como, Brianza and Milan going abroad.

A website for the Swiss market is set up by choosing the national languages suited to your audience, considering a .ch domain, adapting content and currency, and handling privacy and cookies under the nLPD and GDPR, to be checked with a legal adviser. From Cantù, close to the border, we support companies in Como and Ticino.

For a multilingual website between Milan and Lugano you need an agency that combines development, content and SEO. NewVisibility, in Cantù in the province of Como, has the in-house team, develops on an enterprise CMS, hosts the site on managed servers, integrates ERP, CRM and PIM and has won international CSSDA awards for some sites.

In a CMS, roles and permissions are managed by assigning each user a profile that defines which sections, languages and media they can view, edit or publish. With an enterprise CMS, like those we develop in Cantù for companies in Como and Milan, they are native and suit teams with several editors and branches.

The recurring costs of a website are the domain, hosting, SSL certificate, email accounts, technical maintenance and any licences for external services. With our open source enterprise CMS there are no CMS licences to pay, and from Cantù we manage hosting and maintenance for companies in Como and Milan.

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