Language: Precision and Register
French has a clear distinction between formal (vous) and informal (tu) address. In B2B and service environments, the polite form is standard – a too casual tone quickly comes across as unprofessional. Anglicisms are used more cautiously than in German; where an established French equivalent exists, it is preferable. Also pay attention to correct accents and typographic details such as the non-breaking space before colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points.
Legal Framework: Loi Toubon and More
The French Language Law (Loi Toubon) requires that consumer information, product descriptions, and advertising aimed at customers in France be available in French. English claims are permitted but must have a French equivalent. Additionally, standard EU obligations such as GDPR-compliant data processing, provider identification, and transparent pricing apply. Legal texts should be reviewed by a qualified professional – a guide does not replace legal advice.
SEO: Think local, don't translate
Google is the dominant search engine in France. It is crucial that keywords are not translated from German or English, but researched based on actual French search behavior – French users search with different terms than a direct translation would suggest. Technically, clean hreflang tagging, localized meta data, and a clear URL structure are needed so that Google shows the French version to the right audience.
Culture and Design
French users appreciate clear, high-quality design and comprehensible information. Trust is built through complete contact details, transparent delivery terms, and cultivated language. Formats such as date (DD/MM/YYYY), decimal comma, and the notation of amounts differ from the German standard and should be consistently adapted.
The pragmatic way to get started
For most companies, the most sensible starting point is a fully localized core website: homepage, key service or product pages, legal texts, and contact channels in French, technically correctly marked up. From there, the presence can be gradually expanded – for example with additional content, campaign landing pages, and ongoing maintenance.
