question about different language versions for site, how best to set up...

[mac007]

hello, all: I have a question regarding setting up parallel sites for language purposes... and was wandering what would be the best way to set this up.

 

Example, we want to have our site in different language versions, in this case spanish version of it (english being main site). So my thinking was to either set this other version-site url as a subdomain of the main site, so if main site is www.mysite.com, then set up spanish version site under www.enespanol.mysite.com. Or should I just it setup as its own separate domain like: www.mysiteenespanol.com??? I have seen it done both ways, and it does help keep transactions separate from one another, so my main questions are:

 

1) what would be the advantages or disadvantages to either setup?

 

2) or what issues could come up if setup as a subdomain as oppsosed to standalone domain?

 

anyways, would appreciate any feedback. I dont  foresee any complications or pros-cons to either one, but want to double check just to be on safe side. (Actually the only downside I do see on subdomain would be where people would have to be aware to include whole subdomain url, as opposed to what somebody would expect to type straight domain name followed by the .com.

 

Thanks!