Before we start with the benefits of Multilingual, we have to know about what is Multilingual Website why and who needs one. A multilingual is a website that provides content in more than one language. For example, English, French, and German. In some cases, only a few sections of the website need to be accessible in more than a language.
An organization can have many reasons to develop a multilingual website:
- Desire to get into new markets. This gives a reason for companies that are not internationally established yet but plan to split into new markets.
- The need to provide products and services information to international customers. In this case, the organization is already a player in the international market and hence needs to keep a communication channel with customers from different nationalities.
- Many countries have more than one official language, therefore providing content and information in different languages is a need.
Except for this, we can mention government institutions, public services, NGOs, tourism-related companies, language schools, and many other business activities that can take advantage of a multilingual website. In some cases, there are even legal obligations. However, this is just a corporate view. With the popularization of the internet, small companies and even bloggers can take advantage of a multilingual website. Providing content in different languages may increase significantly the site or blog traffic and potentially increase their results.
Benefits of Multilingual Website
People prefer to browse websites for obtaining information or others that are in their native language. English may be the universal language, but that doesn’t mean everyone understands it. According to a research, 72.0% of consumers spend most or all of their time on websites in their own language and that 56.0% of consumers said that the ability to receive information in their language is more important than price. Yes, you heard that right, over half of the consumers surveyed said they are willing to pay more if the information is in their native language.
A multilingual website helps build trust.
For many, making online purchases from a website in a foreign language requires an important leap of faith, particularly if the website is written in a language the user is not skilled in. People lead to feel more comfortable with and place more trust in brands that give information in their language. Being able to read and comprehend what is written on the website greatly increases a user’s trust in the website. Plus, the truth you have gone out of your way to provide to their native language proves to them you are customer-focused and truly do care.
A multilingual website offers the potential for improved sales.
Every language you add to your website has the potential for dramatically improving your sales. Besides targeting your local market having a multilingual website will attract Internet users from other nations as well. While Internet entrance in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany have nearly reached saturation, other countries such as Italy, France, Japan, and many others are seeing consistent growth in Internet use including online shopping. This is an enormous opportunity for anyone interested in doing business across.