The world is a diverse place. Some people speak different languages, have different cultures, and celebrate their holidays. It’s so easy to forget about these differences when we’re in our culture bubble.
But if you want to reach out to the global market and make more sales, your website in Los Angeles must show your products in other languages. This blog post will teach you why multilingual websites are worth the investment for any business owner today!
What is a multilingual website?
A multilingual website is simply one that customers can view in over one language. What’s the point of having a multilingual website, you ask? Here are all the benefits:
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Expand your reach
The first benefit of creating a multilingual website should be obvious – it allows you to expand your customer base! Think about how many people speak other languages besides English. There are approximately 405 million native Spanish speakers worldwide.
And don’t forget that there are also plenty who speak Italian, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and others! Your business might not cater to everyone just yet, but why limit yourself by only offering content in English when there might be over 400 million potential customers out there?
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Improve SEO efforts
Another big reason for creating a multilingual website is that it will improve your SEO efforts. If you’re only targeting English speakers and someone searches for something in another language, they won’t be able to find your content at all! This could mean losing out on valuable traffic from people looking specifically for what you offer.
Your search engine rankings might also suffer because of this too. In fact, Google has stated before that when websites make changes or updates to improve their visibility in the SERPs (search engines results pages), international versions rarely get included unless there’s an official update.
Hiring a competent web development company is critical to improving your SEO efforts.
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Improve brand image
According to most web development services, almost three-quarters of people say they would view brands more favorably if their websites were multilingual.
This shows how important it is for companies to offer this option! In fact, according to CSA’s research: 88% of those surveyed said that website translation improved their opinion on a company as long as they did it right.
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Understand cultural peculiarities
By understanding your customers’ needs and addressing those specific to their culture, they’ll feel more engaged. It’s not only about the content, though! You need to consider things like the Cloud based website translation and what people expect from websites in different parts of the world.
For example, some cultures might want subtitles on everything or avoid scrolling down long pages at all costs. These are slight differences that can make a significant impact for creating an effective website for everyone.
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Outdo competitors
A multilingual website can increase your chances of outdoing competitors. This is because you’re able to reach a more significant number of people from all over the world and prove that your business cares about them.
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Cost-effective marketing solutions
Offering customers a multilingual website means you can save money on marketing. This is because your business will reach more people with less effort and boost sales and revenue for both local and international visitors alike.
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Boost local searches
Being bilingual will help with boosting local search results! It’s easy for companies who have a physical location in a country or city. Still, it also helps those who don’t yet – there are ways around this, such as using Google Business View photography which allows businesses without an address to list themselves on Maps anyway, they choose (e.g., “Google My Biz” has been used by many).
In addition, if customers want to contact your customer support, having multiple language options means more time spent answering questions instead of getting back in touch later or going through finding another solution.
Using Google Translate is also a great way to get started if you only have its budget. Still, there are limitations with this tool that might affect your business negatively, so be sure that you’re aware of these before deciding what route will work best for you!
Challenges in creating a multilingual website
Although having a multilingual website can be incredibly beneficial for your business, it also has its challenges, such as
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Making certain that translations are completely error free
Since it did most website translations using translation software, you need to know that this process is entirely automated. Often, they can introduce grammatical errors.
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Adapting the design to suit the language
Although websites can have an auto-translate function that changes all text into different languages automatically, this doesn’t mean your website will look great in every single one! If you want visitors from other countries to feel that their experience with your company is tailored for them, then having a web development company create individual designs per language would be the best practice.
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Ensuring that cultural needs are carefully considered
Having a multilingual website means catering content towards each culture’s unique preferences; even if two cultures speak precisely the same language, there will always be differences in how they enjoy being told to.
For instance, you would not want to use ‘y’all’ if your target audience is not from the southern US! Similarly, avoid using words like ‘lads’ or anything that could even remotely stereotype a group of people into an offensive generalization.
This goes for countries as well; making assumptions about what it used certain cultures to can lead customers away – who wants their business associated with ignorance?
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Guaranteeing that dates, times, and currency are accurate
Dates, times, and currency are essential factors to ensure that customers find your business credible.
If you’re offering services or products that need to be delivered by a specific date, you must display the information clearly for potential clients. Include details on how long delivery will take and when exactly they can expect their purchase – otherwise, why would anyone buy from you?
Regarding currency, this goes without saying, but if you don’t specify what type of payment options you accept, people may assume there isn’t any! It’s always worth being clear so as not to mislead potential clients who have different preferences.
Conclusion
The benefits of a multilingual website are many. If you’ve been thinking about adding more languages to your site but aren’t sure where to start, we can help. Endertech is an expert web development agency Los Angeles, and we’re here for all your ecommerce and web design needs!
Contact us today and let us know what language or languages you want on your new site so that we can get started building it right away. We provide affordable solutions for any budget with unmatched customer service as the top priority in every project.
