Multilingual Website or International?
“International” and “Multilingual” are two words that are sometimes used interchangeably, but when it comes to websites, they can have very specific meanings. It’s important to clearly distinguish between these two concepts. Understanding the differences can help you plan and define the requirements of a site more accurately. There are very specific requirements based on design, development, and deployment, and these requirements may call for different technical solutions.
Multilingual Website
Localized Site
If you have a multilingual website or are considering making your website multilingual, let us guide you. Using a plugin to translate your text from one language to another is not enough. Sending a secondary message that is average, incorrect, or unclear does not lead to conversions. However, do you know what will? Forcing your potential buyers to embrace your competition.
So, before you dive headfirst into translating your website, take a moment to pause. There are many benefits to multilingual websites, but only when done correctly and considering much more than just words. Properly localized websites will also localize:
– Images
– Currency units
– Weights and measurements
– Date and time
– Functionality
– Design
– Site speed
– Text that appears human-written
Now that you know what kind of websites we’re talking about, let’s delve deeper and look at why proper website localization is crucial. Here are at least 9 benefits of multilingual websites (when localized correctly):
1. Enhance Communications:
It might be surprising, but multilingual websites enhance communications! While English may still dominate the web, it doesn’t mean everyone prefers to shop from English-language websites. A survey by Common Sense Advisory showed that 75% of online shoppers who are not native English speakers prefer to purchase products in their native language.
Another 60% rarely visit English-language websites. When you consider the world at large and the fact that over half of internet users are located in Asia/Pacific, starting to think globally and acknowledging that more than half of internet users are located in Asia/Pacific, starts to make sense. Localizing your website into other languages improves global communications.
2. Reach a Broader Audience:
Less than one-fifth of all internet traffic comes from the United States. That means if you have a popular product or service at home, 80% of the world’s population won’t see it! However, people worldwide have similar wants and needs. The French take showers, Russians need productivity apps, Chinese customers like to stay fit. The list of similarities goes on. Tastes worldwide are converging. Speaking in multiple languages allows you to reach a broader audience who might be just as interested in what you’re selling.
