A Belgian business website needs the language of the customers it serves: Dutch for Flanders, French for Wallonia, Dutch and French for most Brussels businesses, and German only if you serve the German-speaking east around Eupen. Whatever the language, the site must also show your name, address and 10-digit enterprise number (KBO in Dutch, BCE in French), and ask before setting analytics or advertising cookies. Below is a region-by-region language plan, how a two-language site is built and priced, the legal footer, and a worked example for a florist in Brussels.
Which language should my website be in? A plan by region
| Where your customers are | Languages to publish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flanders only | Dutch | Use Belgian wording; add English only for tourists or expats |
| Wallonia only | French | Belgian French wording reads more local than copy written for France |
| Brussels | French and Dutch | Both official there; many firms add English for the international crowd |
| Several regions or nationwide | Dutch and French | One site with two language versions, not two separate sites |
| German-speaking Community (east) | German, often with French | Only if you actively serve the area |
| Mostly international or B2B | English plus one national language | Keep a local language for credibility with Belgian buyers |
The common mistake is to launch in three languages because it feels inclusive, then let two of them go stale. A French page with last year’s prices does more harm than no French page. Publish only the languages you can keep current.
How is a bilingual Dutch–French website built?
One website, one domain, with each language in its own folder, for example yoursite.be/nl/ and yoursite.be/fr/. Each page has a partner page in the other language, and a small tag in the code called hreflang tells Google which version to show to which searcher. A language switch sits in the header on every page and takes the visitor to the same page in the other language, not back to the home page.
Write each version for its readers rather than translating word for word. A Flemish customer searching “loodgieter Gent” and a Walloon customer searching “plombier Namur” use different phrases, mention different towns and sometimes expect different services. Have a native speaker read every page before launch; machine-translated text is easy to spot and quietly costs trust.
Your Google Business Profile can carry one main description, so write it in the language most of your customers use and make sure the name, address and phone match the website exactly.
💡 Two languages means roughly twice the pages to write, check and keep current. Budget for the page count, not just the design.
Must the KBO/BCE enterprise number be on my website?
Yes. Book III of the Code of Economic Law (Wetboek van economisch recht / Code de droit économique) requires businesses to make their enterprise number available, and commentators note criminal fines of €26 to €10,000 for breaches. The number has 10 digits and starts with 0 or 1. Your VAT number is simply “BE” followed by the same 10 digits.
Alongside it, the EU e-Commerce Directive (Article 5) requires every business site to show, easily and permanently:
- 1Your business name, exactly as registered.
- 2Your geographic address.
- 3An email address and other contact details that allow quick, direct contact.
- 4Your enterprise number and, where relevant, VAT number.
- 5Your professional body or supervising authority, if your activity is regulated.
The neat solution is a footer that repeats in both languages with the same numbers, so nothing is missing whichever version a visitor lands on. The exact article in Book XII on online information is worth confirming with your accountant or the FPS Economy if you sell online.
What are the cookie rules for a Belgian website?
Belgium follows the EU opt-in rule. Before your site stores analytics, advertising or social media cookies on a visitor’s device, the visitor must agree through a clear action, such as clicking a button. Only cookies that are strictly needed to deliver what the visitor asked for, for example a shopping basket or a secure login, can run without consent. Belgian guidance treats analytics as needing consent, so analytics tags wait for a yes.
The authority is the Data Protection Authority, called APD in French and GBA in Dutch. In practice your banner needs equal “accept” and “refuse” buttons in both languages, a settings option, and a footer link that lets visitors change their choice. The privacy page, also in both languages, explains what your forms collect and why.
Worked example: a florist in Brussels that delivers to the suburbs
Picture a three-person florist in Ixelles. Walk-in customers speak French, Dutch and English; delivery orders come from both Brussels and the Flemish towns around it. The owners want to take bouquet and funeral-flower orders online for same-day or next-day delivery.
The site is published in French and Dutch, with English on the home page only. Each language has the same structure: occasions (birthdays, weddings, funerals), the shop, delivery areas with a short list of communes in both their French and Dutch names, and contact. Delivery areas are written as text, not a map image, so search engines and AI assistants can read them.
Because the florist now sells online to consumers, EU consumer law applies. Normally online buyers get 14 days to withdraw without a reason, but goods that can deteriorate or expire rapidly are one of the exceptions, and fresh flowers fit that description. The terms page should say so plainly in both languages rather than leaving it to an argument at the door. The footer carries the business name, address, email, enterprise number and VAT number.
On Adyft Sites this is Shop Starter: room for 50 products, payments by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, a login and order history for buyers, and an alert for each order on WhatsApp and by email. It costs $3,999 to build and $129 monthly. With two language versions, the owners should confirm the page and product plan with us on WhatsApp before ordering. A florist that only wanted to show bouquets and take orders by phone would need just the five-page Starter plan.
Do Belgian accessibility duties cover every language version of a site?
Since 28 June 2025, the EU’s accessibility law has reached online shops and a handful of other services offered to consumers. Firms with under 10 staff whose yearly turnover, or balance-sheet total, stays at or below €2 million count as microenterprises and do not have to meet the service requirements, so the three-person florist sits outside them. A business that is covered should expect every language version to need the same care, since each one is part of the same service; check the detail with an adviser. Building accessibility in from the start, with readable contrast, labelled fields and text alternatives for photos, costs far less than retrofitting two or three versions later.
How much does a website cost in Belgium?
One Belgian agency’s 2026 price guide gives €500–1,500 for a basic business-card site of 5–10 pages, €2,000–6,000 for a professional site of 10–20 pages and €4,000–15,000 or more for a webshop. By sector it suggests €1,500–3,500 for local service businesses, €2,000–5,000 for restaurants and €3,000–8,000 for B2B firms, with hosting and domain at €50–300 a year and maintenance at €200–1,000 a year.
Ask every supplier whether the price covers one language or two, and who writes the second one. That single question explains many of the gaps between Belgian quotes.
In US dollars, Adyft Sites costs $1,499 to set up and $69 monthly for the five-page Starter, while the 25-page Growth plan is $3,499 and then $129 monthly. Counted page by page, 25 pages is room for a site of about twelve pages in each of two languages; agree the language plan with us on WhatsApp before you order. Each month’s fee pays for hosting, the SSL certificate, security patches, edits you request over WhatsApp, search and AI-assistant set-up and a visitor report. You own the domain (roughly $12–20 yearly) and FAQ, Contact and Privacy pages cost nothing extra.
When should a Belgian business choose something else?
Three situations point elsewhere. A business that needs its site wired into Belgian back-office software, say accounting or a sector booking platform, will be better served by an agency working from a full specification. An owner who likes writing and building, and is fluent in both languages, will spend less on a DIY website builder. And anyone who wants to sit across a table from their designer every month should hire someone local. Our service is built for the owner who wants a site written, live and kept current without managing the project; if you need both Dutch and French versions, agree the language plan with us before you order. We add the footer details and privacy page you give us; the legal wording should be checked by your accountant or adviser.
Belgian website questions owners ask
Does my Brussels business website need to be in Dutch and French?
There is no rule forcing a private business to publish both, but Brussels is officially bilingual and customers come from both language groups. Most Brussels businesses that want local customers publish French and Dutch.
Where should the KBO/BCE number go on my website?
In the footer of every page, in every language version, together with your business name, address and email. The VAT number is “BE” plus the same 10 digits.
Is it better to have two websites, one Dutch and one French?
Usually not. One site with a language folder for each version, linked with hreflang tags, is simpler to manage and keeps your search strength in one place.
Can I translate my Dutch pages into French automatically?
You can start from a machine translation, but have a native speaker rewrite it. Customers notice stiff translations, and search phrases differ between the two languages.
Do I need consent for analytics cookies in Belgium?
Yes. Belgian guidance treats analytics as not strictly necessary, so it needs the visitor’s consent first. Offer equal accept and refuse buttons in each language.
Can customers return flowers ordered online in Belgium?
The 14-day EU withdrawal right does not cover goods that can deteriorate or expire quickly, which normally includes fresh flowers. State this clearly in your terms in each language.
How much does a bilingual website cost in Belgium?
One Belgian price guide puts a basic site at €500–1,500 and a professional site at €2,000–6,000. Check whether the quote covers one language or two, and who writes the second.
Sources: Book III Code of Economic Law, transparency duties — https://www.lexgo.be/nl/nieuws-en-publicaties/2156-boek-iii-wetboek-economisch-recht-legt-aanzienlijke-transparantie-en-informatieverplichtingen-of-aan-ondernemingen · Enterprise number on websites — https://blog.forumforthefuture.be/nl/article/bedrijfswebsite-en-accounts-op-sociale-media-verplichte-identificatiegegevens-/19596 · VAT number format — https://www.cleartax.com/be/FR/vat-registration-number · e-Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC, Art. 5 — https://lawplayer.com/eu/act/32000L0031 · Belgium cookie rules (Baker McKenzie) — https://resourcehub.bakermckenzie.com/en/resources/global-data-and-cyber-handbook/emea/belgium/topics/cookies-online-tracking-and-direct-marketing · EDPB members (APD/GBA) — https://www.edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en · Your Europe, returns and withdrawal — https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/returns/index_en.htm · European Accessibility Act, Art. 4 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/2019/882/article/4 · A Belgian web agency’s price guide (February 2026) ·StatCounter, Belgium search engine share — https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/all/belgium
A Belgian business site, written and run for you
Tell us about your business on WhatsApp. We write each page, add your enterprise number to the footer, host the site and keep it current. Plans start at $1,499 setup and $69 monthly.