The Four Benefits of Having a Multilingual Website
Your website is often the first thing your customers see when they only know your business through the internet. It sets the tone for all users of your site to determine professionalism and standardization. If users can’t easily browse your website or find what they need, they will immediately step back and browse your competitor’s website. For global markets, multilingual websites play an important role in providing a good user experience. Here are the four key benefits of having multilingual websites:
- Extend to international markets
Having your website available in multiple languages will give a positive impression to all visitors to the site. Multilingual websites enable a better user experience that will automatically attract the attention of first-time visitors and a wider customer segment to your site. Language barriers can often be a challenge for many companies doing business in global markets. If you have sales or export operations internationally, this is a major challenge for many business owners who struggle to build the necessary trust their customers need to search or shop online. Ensuring that your buyers and resellers fully understand your products, services and technologies is an important step in leading your business to international success.
- Building trust among non-native speakers
Even though there are local businesses not expanding into global markets their customer base might not be local and/or speak the same language. However, if customers would be able to easily access and browse your website in their own language, they would more likely to be interested in learning about your services or purchasing your products.
Common Sense Consulting surveyed more than 3,000 consumers in 10 different countries and found that many users avoided using and spent less time browsing English-only websites. The survey demonstrates the importance of language to your global customers’ rich experience on your website. 70% of web users are not native English speakers indicating that multilingual websites are critical to your web success.
- Higher web traffic
When users have a positive experience browsing your multilingual website, they are more likely to be interested in your products and services. Many users question the reliability of businesses when making online shopping decisions. Multilingual sites create a high level of reliability, professionalism and demonstrate that you are actively looking after your customers. Your website caters to many different users making them feel secure and confident about the services you deliver. To increase overall trust, satisfaction and willingness to buy from your web shop, think about your customers and create the platform they are looking for!
- Take the lead in competition
Having a multilingual website can gain you competitive advantage by differentiating you from your competitors. Moreover, websites that can be accessed in different languages make your customers aware that you care about them and that your businesses is willing to adapt to an international customer base.
