The verdict in three sentences
A Galway wealth firm or family office that adds a second language during its redesign needs to settle the URL structure and hreflang before design starts, because fixing them after launch costs more than building them right. In 2026 a redesign costs roughly €5,000 to €30,000 with a Galway or Dublin agency, or €4,500 (Growth) for a single-language site and €8,200 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) on Kolonell's fixed grid, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content and translations are ready. Plan redirects, language tags and compliance sign-off together, and the redesign carries little risk.
Why are Galway wealth firms rethinking their websites?
Around Eyre Square, Salthill and Oranmore, wealth firms advise medtech professionals with equity and pension questions, families running businesses across the West, and emigrants returning home after years in London, Boston or Sydney. Several of these clients read in Irish by preference, and returning emigrants often search from abroad before they land. Signs that a redesign is due:
- the site exists in English only, or an Irish page was added as a single orphan page with no clear language switch;
- the language switcher sends every visitor back to the home page instead of the equivalent page;
- regulatory status, complaints procedure and fee information exist in one language only or sit in old PDFs;
- the enquiry form collects more personal data than a first conversation needs;
- nobody in the firm can update team bios or publish an insight note without the developer.
How should the multilingual URL structure work?
Pick one structure and keep it for the life of the site. For a firm of this size, language subfolders are usually the simplest choice.
| Structure | Example | Strengths | Weaknesses | Fit for a Galway firm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language subfolders | example.ie/en/ and example.ie/ga/ | One domain, one Search Console property, authority shared | Needs a clean switcher | Recommended in most cases |
| Default language at root | example.ie/ and example.ie/ga/ | Keeps existing English URLs unchanged | Slightly less symmetrical | Good if the current site ranks well |
| Subdomains | ga.example.ie | Separate hosting possible | Authority split, more set-up | Rarely worth it |
| Separate domains | example.ie and another domain | Strong local signal per market | Two sites to maintain | Only for distinct markets |
| Parameters | example.ie/?lang=ga | Quick to add | Weak for search, fragile | Avoid |
Then add hreflang annotations so Google shows the right version. Every page lists all its language versions, including itself, and each version links back.
| Page version | hreflang value | Rule to respect |
|---|---|---|
| English | en (or en-IE if you target Ireland only) | Use en alone if you also want returning emigrants abroad |
| Irish | ga | Only on pages that are fully translated |
| Fallback | x-default | Points to the English page or a language chooser |
| Each version | self-reference | Every page lists itself as well as the others |
| Each pair | return links | If the English page points to Irish, the Irish page points back |
| Canonical tag | same-language URL | Never canonicalise the Irish page to the English one |
Avoid automatic redirects based on IP address or browser language: they block search crawlers and frustrate a client in Boston who wants the Irish version.
What does the redesign cost, and how long does it take?
The ranges are a 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages in Galway and Dublin, for 15 to 30 pages per language.
| Option | 2026 ballpark | Usual timeline | Watch point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galway freelancer | €2,000 to €5,500 | 6 to 10 weeks | hreflang often missing |
| Galway studio | €5,000 to €14,000 | 8 to 12 weeks | Second language may be priced per page |
| Dublin agency | €15,000 to €30,000 | 12 to 20 weeks | Strategy phase and retainer included |
| Kolonell Starter / Growth | €2,700 / €4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | Single language |
| Kolonell Premium | €8,200 | 3 to 4 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
| Irish translation by an independent translator (third-party) | roughly €0.12 to €0.20 per word | 1 to 3 weeks | Book early, regulatory pages first |
Kolonell's schedule: week 1 structure, URL plan and English copy; week 2 design and build; week 3 language versions, migration and your compliance review; week 4 go-live, redirects and Search Console checks. Translation runs in parallel and has to be complete before week 3. Each tier includes a project manager reachable in Irish business hours, native English copywriting and 3 months of support. A client portal, custodian or CRM integrations, booking and ongoing search work stay on quote. See the international website offer for the full scope.
Which risks deserve a line in the project plan?
- Search traffic loss. Export every URL from Search Console, map each to its new address with a 301 redirect, and keep existing English URLs where possible.
- Half-translated pages. Publish the Irish version of a page only when the whole page is translated; otherwise leave it out of hreflang.
- Regulatory pages in one language. Legal notices, regulatory status, complaints procedure, fee disclosure and privacy notice need to be reachable from every language version.
- Machine translation of disclosures. Any translated regulatory or marketing text goes through the same compliance sign-off as the English original.
- Insights archive. Market commentary keeps its date, author and risk warnings; untranslated archive pieces stay English-only.
- Forms. Name, contact details and a short message only, never account numbers or asset details, with a retention period stated in the privacy notice under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
- Downtime. DNS switched in the evening with a lowered TTL, old site kept for rollback.
Advertising stays factual under the Central Bank of Ireland's rules: no promised returns or unexplained performance figures, testimonials only if your compliance team confirms they are allowed. This is not legal advice.
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Questions to ask: how hreflang is generated and tested; whether the switcher maps page to page; who reviews the Irish text; how many compliance rounds are included; who owns the domain and content.
When a Galway agency is the better choice: if you want a bilingual brand workshop in person, an ongoing Irish-language content programme, or a portal built at the same time, a local agency with Irish-speaking staff may serve you better.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Aoife Keane leads a hypothetical Galway family office that serves founders after the sale of their business. She wants English and Irish versions of a 20-page site, about 9,000 words to translate.
- Dublin agency quote: €24,000 + Irish translation €1,350 (9,000 words at €0.15, third-party) = €25,350.
- Kolonell Premium €8,200 + the same third-party translation €1,350 = €9,550.
- Difference: €25,350 minus €9,550 = €15,800.
Her existing 26 English URLs stay at their current addresses, so only 6 retired pages need 301 redirects, and the 20 Irish pages go live with full hreflang pairs.
FAQ
Do we need an Irish version at all?
It is optional for most private firms and a choice driven by your clients. If only 2 or 3 pages would be translated, a short Irish welcome page outside hreflang may be enough.
Which hreflang codes should we use?
Usually en and ga, plus x-default pointing to English. Use en-IE only if you deliberately target Ireland and not emigrants abroad.
How long does a bilingual redesign take?
3 to 4 weeks with Kolonell once English content and translations are ready. Translation of 9,000 words usually needs 1 to 3 weeks in parallel.
Will our rankings drop?
A fluctuation of 2 to 4 weeks is common. Keeping existing English URLs and 301-redirecting the rest limits it.
Is the client portal rebuilt in two languages?
No, the portal stays on quote or with your current provider. The €8,200 Premium site links to it from both language versions.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your page count, languages and launch date, and we will confirm a fixed price from €4,500 and a 3 to 4 week plan with URL and hreflang mapping. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
