In the age of digital technology and the technological world, having an online site that is multilingual is an absolute requirement for entrepreneurs who are looking to expand the potential customer base and increase their revenue.
With the assistance of digital design software businesses can create an international website that meets the needs of users from all over the world. However, making errors while creating the multilingual website is unavoidable.
In this article, we will discuss four common errors that designers make and offer solutions for each error that we believe will aid in providing the most enjoyable experience for visitors visiting a website of a business.
The Benefits of Having a Multilingual Website
Multilingual websites allow content to be presented in a variety of languages. Users can select the language that they are proficient in according to the region or country they reside in. The general rule is that a designing website that are multilingual is a crucial task to assist companies in attracting increasing numbers of visits to their websites from international visitors. Recognizing the benefits websites that are multilingual can bring to profit for businesses, a lot of businesses are investing in a multilingual websites. Here is a list of the 5 advantages of a multilingual website that we would like to share.
A large percentage of international clients
If you want to buy something from an online store, but your native language is not on the website and you can’t even notice the switch to a different language do you keep buying goods from this site? It is possible that you should not, as it could lead to an unpleasant shopping experience in the event that you purchase the product without fully understanding the features. Therefore, a website that is designed with multiple languages is in a position to assist the company gain more customers, not just locals, but also foreign shoppers.
Marketing campaign of the company
A multilingual design for a website is thought of as to be a powerful marketing tool advertising a marketing campaign of a business. Today, the website represents your brand’s image on the marketplace online. It’s that allows you to showcase your services and products to potential customers in a professional and appealing manner. Marketing on the internet is usually less expensive as compared to traditional advertising, however its efficiency is higher. So, a professional multi-lingual website can bring you closer to your clients and while at the same time increasing the number of customers who understand the messages you send out to them.
Giving customers the impression that you are concerned
If you offer users relevant content that is in their native languages, then they’ll appreciate your company more and appreciate the service of your company over other. This means that customers will come to your site often and spend more money buying items or products. Your customers will feel an experience of satisfaction visiting a site that is accessible in their own local language.
Establishing trust between the public and the company
If your business has websites that are multilingual, this will make local customers believe that you are trustworthy that operates across several countries, and they’ll be impressed by the credibility of your company. The more trustworthy your business is, the better your potential for purchasing and the loyalty you earn for your business. According to a Google survey, as high as 82% of people are likely to buy products if the information on it is in their language of choice.
Improve the SEO ranking of your site
The ability of a website to rank highly in search results is one of the most important factors that contribute in the growth of a company. If the multilingual website is correctly set up, Google will rank it higher in results of its search. It is much more effective to have your website ranked highly on the top search engines worldwide and not just Google. Thus, a multilingual website will improve SEO on many various search engines which will help to boost the ranking of your website.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Designing a Multilingual Website
Making use of an automatic translator machine
This is among the most common mistakes made when it comes to creating websites that are multi-lingual. To reduce the cost of translating websites, organizations make use of automated translation tools accessible on Google like Google Translate, Bing Translate and DeepL.
This method does not guarantee the accuracy of information that a company is trying to provide to customers because Google Translate only translates correctly ordinary phrases, but not technically. A website with multiple languages heavily relying on machine translation can cause confusion and can be uncomfortable for visitors when they access the site.
To ensure that your website is able to give users a pleasant experience, you must engage experienced freelance linguists or the translation and localization services from a reputable agency that has a team of highly-qualified translators who have years of experience in the field. It is said that they play an important part in connecting cultures from across the world. So, don’t focus solely on reducing the initial cost but don’t forget the long-term benefits of getting potential clients for your business.
Pay attention not to the unit system and the format of time and date.
In the present, the majority of nations around the globe have opted to adopt International System of Units (SI) which is commonly referred to by the name of the metric system. However, there are three countries that continue to use the imperial system in everyday life. These are those of the US, Myanmar and Liberia. The people of these countries have a greater understanding of ounces inches and feet than with kg cm or m of the majority of the world.
Alongside the unit’s system Web designers must not overlook the possibility of changing the format of time and date in accordance with the language of the countries they are targeting. This is due to the fact that each country will have its own method of showing chronological order.
To avoid making errors when making the necessary changes to the system of units as well as the format for dates and times in the design of the multilingual website It is essential to work with an expert team that specializes on web–based localization. They can help you create a multilingual website that follows the common format for every country.
Place the switcher’s language in an inappropriate location
This switcher plays a significant part in determining if the website’s accessible to users or not. Every when a customer from outside the country visits your site, the first step they take is to locate the switcher for their language. If your website doesn’t have that feature, or the button is in a hidden location and the user isn’t aware of it, they will go elsewhere immediately.
So, when you design websites that are multilingual You must determine the ideal location for your language-specific selection boxes. The best position is in the upper right-hand corner of your website since it’s easy for users to identify when they visit the site.
Additionally, if the website is using English as well as Vietnamese simply put in the name or flag. In particular, to improve efficiency, businesses must develop a browser that will automatically detect users to offer the appropriate language to them.
Utilizing the same web layout across all nations
When creating a product, we always consider the user’s satisfaction first. Similar is true for designing multilingual websites. Using the same web design for every country will cause frustration for users since the different nations don’t share the same web layout preference.
We have therefore listed three aspects of the user’s aesthetic preferences that web designers must be aware of when designing the site.
01. Colors:
One of the things for designers to understand is the importance of color and how it influences an individual’s mood and behavior. Each color has its own significance and impact on a person. In addition, the meaning behind the color may change based upon the cultural background of your intended viewers. Therefore, it is important for companies to be aware of the cultural context of the country before creating the site in the country’s language. For instance, when McDonald’s in Norway predominantly use green and yellow for their website due to the Norwegian respect the environment, the main colors for McDonald’s websites of other countries are yellow and red.
02. Style preference
In many regions of Asia Web design tends to be denser, with content that is heavier in the initial page, accompanied by smaller images. Consider Japanese websites as an illustration. Japanese websites contain a lot of words. The website’s interface is brimming with diverse information, and titles as well as small and low-quality images. The Japanese keep space aside for details. This is due to the fact that Japanese customers require more details about services and products to make an informed decision before buying items rather than buying goods due to the vivid images. Therefore, it‘s unnecessary for web designers to design their websites with the best quality images and large banners. It is better to concentrate on providing more information on the site to appeal to Japanese customers.
Text orientation
A majority of nations around the world have their web content organized using a left-to right flow and countries in which Arabic is the primary language design their websites using a right-to-left font for text.
We hope that these frequent mistakes, as well as suggestions will help you develop a multilingual website which will provide the best experience to users from around the globe.
