The English language is the dominant language on the internet. The overwhelming majority of websites are in the English language. That makes sense, as the most accepted international language has been English for a long period of time and still it is!
However, there are many users with other native languages who are not familiar with English language, so they usually struggle on the internet, when looking for something online. Such unfamiliarity with the English language, creates big opportunities for online businesses to add other languages to their websites, in order to attract non-English-speaking users. Regardless of the type of your website or online business, there are some factors to be considered to see if it’s beneficial for your website to be bilingual/multilingual or not.
There are some elements to think of when it comes to making a website multilingual. We will discuss a few of them here for you.
- Targeted Market and Audiences
If a website is operating in a multinational environment, businesses must be dealing with non-English-speaking users. Even though such users have some English language skills, they would definitely rather get their needs and required information in their native language. Therefore, having a multilingual website in such markets will add a great value to your business as you will have the upper hand in comparison with your competitors.
- International Business Partners
There are some businesses in non-English-speaking regions that need to be cooperating with international partners as well as local customers. For example, think of a commercial company who is a regional representative of some international companies in an African country. Such a company must have a bilingual website at least, in order to make communication easy for both international partners as well as its regional customers.
- Working Globally
If your business plan is not limited to a geographical area and is targeting customers from all around the world, having a multilingual website is a must. For example, think of having a tourism and travel agency in a popular tourism destination like Dubai. Obviously, your goal is to get tourists from all around the world to work with your agency, if they are looking to visit Dubai. Your website will definitely receive more visits and requests from users who find their required services and information in their native language.
Such circumstances apply to companies who produce digital products too. These types of companies are not limited to borders and their geographical location. Therefore, as long as their services have a cost advantage in any area around the globe, customers are eager to work with them. Hence, a multilingual website can be a game changing element for such companies.
Other benefits of multi-language websites
There are some other benefits associated with multilingual websites. The first and most important one is better SEO performance. Having a multilingual website can improve SEO in many ways. Firstly, such websites will not be penalized for duplicate content in different languages by Google. Besides, by increasing the number of visitors, due to finding their needs in their native language, your rank on Google will be improved. Furthermore, the more visitors you have on your website, the more conversion rate you will have and the more conversion rate you have, the higher rank on Google will be achieved.
The other benefit you can enjoy by translating your website is brand awareness. Obviously, as more users with different native languages approach your website, your business brand will be seen by more people across the globe.
Bottomline
Growing an online business has never been easy. You, as an online business owner must make hard decisions along with having consistency and persistence, in order to take your business to where you deserve. Like outlined earlier in this article, translating your website to have a bilingual or multilingual website is one of the good tactics on your way to grow your business. However, you must know your market well and understand your targeted audiences’ needs, before making such a decision. For example, if you provide English language educational service for say Indian people only, you need your website to be in Indian language and not more! As simple as that! Isn’t it?
However, making such a decision is not always as straightforward as that. If you are confident about your business needs and targeted audiences and 100% sure that having a multilingual website will add value to your business, just go for it. However, if you are not sure, you must consult with a reputable web design and digital marketing service provider to take advantage of their knowledge and market experience. One of the best companies in Dubai with a proven track record of success in their field is Websima DMCC. As a web design developer, Websima has managed to deliver quality multilingual websites to happy customers over the past ten years in Dubai. They not only provide valuable consultation in terms of multilingual websites, but also are capable of creating such websites professionally. Just ask for a free consultation meeting, so you can discuss your business needs and they will get back to you shortly with the right solution for your business.