1. Check the cost in four parts: build, monthly fee, translation and updates
- Build fee (initial cost): a one-time cost at the start. In a quotation, check the number of pages and whether writing the Chinese text is included.
- Monthly fee: the upkeep for the server, the domain and SSL (encrypted connections). The total depends on whether post-launch changes are in the monthly fee or billed each time.
- Translation and copywriting: the cost and the quality differ depending on whether raw machine translation is published as it is or a person turns it into proper prose. Ask in advance whether proofreading is included.
- Extra pages and updates: confirm who rewrites the site, and at what price, each time products or company details change.
2. Our published prices
For our website production, a five-page site in Japanese only is 3,480 JPY a month, and the same five pages in Japanese, English and Chinese are 4,980 JPY a month. Setup is 0 JPY and prices are before tax. The monthly fee covers the domain, SSL and launch setup, and text and photo updates after launch. We write the Japanese, English and Chinese text and publish it after the client has checked it.
Each extra page is 3,000 JPY. Search and AI-answer optimization (SEO and GEO) is 29,800 JPY a month and is a separate item from the three-language site. Adding Chinese and English to a Japanese-only site therefore changes the monthly fee by 1,500 JPY. The full list is on the pricing page.
3. What to decide before adding a Chinese version
After cost, check whether the Chinese version is built so that search engines recognize it as a separate language version of the Japanese pages. Google explains that fully translated language versions are not treated as duplicates unless the main content stays untranslated. To describe how the versions relate, it recommends hreflang, and each language version must list itself and all the other versions (Google Search Central). It is worth asking at the quotation stage whether this setup is included.
- Is the Chinese text prepared by a person or left as machine translation?
- Can Japanese, English and Chinese be published in parallel with the same page layout?
- When products or contact details change after launch, who corrects all three languages, and at what price?
- Will the domain and the site be registered in your company's name?
With us, the domain contract and its administration rights belong to the client from day one. There is no minimum contract period, and no cancellation or penalty fee.
Our view What is easily overlooked in the cost of a Chinese version is not the cheap build fee but what happens after launch: when the Japanese content changes, the Chinese pages stay out of date. Without someone who fixes all three languages each time prices or product lines change, the content drifts apart within a few months, and Chinese-speaking inquirers read old information. We think the quotation should settle who handles updates after launch before anyone compares build fees. The longer a company waits, the longer a Japanese-only site stays out of reach of prospects who research and compare in Chinese. Compare prices with updates included, and decide once you have confirmed that the scope covers the volume of products you handle.
4. What to prepare first
If you know the URL of your current site and the products you want listed in Chinese too, we can list what needs rewriting. We first show one top page in the actual colors and typesetting, and publish all three languages together after the client has read and approved the text of every page. You can reach us through the contact page.
This Q&A is part of the AI Adoption Guide for Small Businesses, under Websites and multilingual pages.
Questions this article answers
How much does a Chinese-language website cost?
With us, five pages in Japanese, English and Chinese cost 4,980 JPY a month, with 0 JPY setup and prices before tax. Five pages in Japanese only are 3,480 JPY a month, so adding Chinese and English changes the monthly fee by 1,500 JPY. Each extra page is 3,000 JPY.
Will a Chinese version be treated as a duplicate of the Japanese pages?
Google explains that fully translated language versions are not treated as duplicates unless the main content stays untranslated. The relation between versions is described with hreflang, and each version lists itself and all the others. Ask at the quotation stage whether this setup is included.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Tell Google about localized versions of your pagedevelopers.google.com
Related services
If you want to try this in your own business
To see how the topics in this article would apply to your own operations, and what it would cost, send us a message through the contact form.