10 Good Reasons Why You Need a Multilingual Website
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So you’re thinking of adding an extra language to your site? Maybe you are evaluating the financial benefits to present a business case to the boss.
In the post-pandemic environment, businesses are racing to get there sites online and open up as wide an online market as possible: which means multilingual websites.
Here are some convincing reasons why you need a multilingual website:
Why you need a multilingual website
1. You get a larger market
Suppose you add Italian and German to your website, you immediately expose your business an enormous market of about 60-80 million internet users.
2. You can tap emerging markets
Online markets such as the United Kingdom are relatively mature and even saturated in some sectors.
Competition is tough.
Eastern and even southern European markets such as Italy are still “coming online”, shoppers are only waking up now to the reality of buying online.
Targeting emerging markets, you can ride the wave of growth.
3. A second language is cost effective
Compared to opening up offices in another country, adding a second language to your website is extremely cost effective.
4. Beat your competitors
Face it: if you don’t expand, your competitors will.
Successful businesses stay one-step-ahead of their competitors. A great way to differentiate your business from competition is by entering international language markets.
5. You achieve economies of scale
You are already running a business, maintaining a website, producing content and marketing your company. Replicating in a second language only requires a fraction of the effort.
6. Reduce your exposure to a single market
By targeting international clients your business becomes diversified, you no longer have all your eggs in one basket. Just because your home market dries up, having exposure to say French, German or Chinese markets may actually help your business grow.
7. Gain customer trust
Many European internet users can get by with an English language website. But nothing beats browsing in your native language. Customers feel more at home in their native language and this creates an added trust – an essential factor in online sales.
8. Search engines will love you
Content is still King.
Optimizing your multilingual website for search engines such as Google, Baidu (China’s favourite) and Yandex (Russia) will increase your website visibility.
9. Clear sign of ambition
Set your stall out!
A multilingual website not only looks professional, but sends a clear sign of ambition to customers, investors and search engines.
10. You become a customer orientated business
A personal touch can make a big difference.
Serving personalized language websites to each market shows that you care.
It also allows you to market your website to regional tastes. You can tailor your texts, images and blog posts to reflect local culture.
How do we get a multilingual website?
We already have a website can we add a language?
Most website CMS offer ways to add extra languages (WPML for example on WordPress). Your webmaster may be able to do this, but it is advisable to get the services of a multilingual web expert.
We need a new multi-language site – please help!
Just starting out? You in the right place.
We’ve worked on hundreds of multi-language websites and can advise you in minutes on complicated issues such as multilingual domain names, website structure, and regional targeting.
Contact us for professional advice and a non-binding quote:
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