Plan a bilingual website that helps customers buy
A useful website brief starts with a customer action: request a quote, book an appointment, buy a product or evaluate a portfolio. Design, copy and technology should make that action understandable in each language. This is the framework we use to turn a broad website request into a scope that can be reviewed.
Write two customer journeys, not just two menus
Identify who the English and Spanish pages serve. A Dallas service business may receive local inquiries in both languages, while a software product can serve customers remotely. Record the actual service area, contact language and delivery method. Do not add city pages for places where the business cannot provide the advertised service.
For each audience, write the question they need answered before contacting you. A first-time buyer may need a plain explanation of the service; a technical buyer may need compatibility, integration and handover details. Those differences determine the content. Translating every sentence word for word does not guarantee that either customer gets the information they need.
Give every page a distinct commercial job
Start with a home page that explains the business, a page for each genuinely different service, relevant project examples and a clear contact route. A service page should explain the problem, deliverables, process, limitations and next step. A project page should show what was built and what the visitor can inspect. Do not invent revenue results or customer endorsements to fill a case-study template.
Collect the real assets before estimating production: approved logos, photographs, product specifications, existing copy and account ownership. For 3D or video, choose a lightweight preview and an intentional loading action. A visitor should be able to understand the offer and contact the business before opening an interactive demonstration.
Specify the work behind the page
A contact form needs an agreed destination, required fields, delivery confirmation and a recovery path when delivery fails. A booking flow needs availability rules. A customer portal needs roles and access boundaries. List these behaviors separately from visual pages so an attractive design does not hide an unfinished operational requirement.
Agree who updates content after launch and which recurring services the business will own. Ask the quote to separate initial production, hosting, external services and ongoing maintenance. A fixed price is meaningful only when the included pages, integrations, revision process and acceptance criteria are explicit.
Review the English and Spanish release together
Test the language switch on a service page: it should open the equivalent service, not send the customer back to an unrelated home page. Check translated headings, page descriptions, form errors and confirmation messages. Confirm that canonical URLs and language alternatives point to the final published pages. Review mobile navigation and keyboard use in both versions.
Before your next step
- One primary action and a named audience for each page.
- An approved content and asset inventory in both languages.
- A working contact journey, with delivery and error checks.
- Ownership, recurring costs and handover responsibilities documented.