Thanks to the ever-evolving digitization of our world, there are more internet users gaming, working, and shopping online than ever before. And this presents a unique opportunity for brands that already have an online presence in English-speaking countries. But to be successful online, you need to offer your audience a great user experience (UX). And if you plan on taking your brand global, you’ll need multilingual UX design!
The concept of multilingual website design isn’t a new one. However it’s becoming more beneficial to businesses as the digitization trend keeps rising. In order to create an optimal user experience and engage your customers in an array of different languages, mere translation simply won’t cut it.
Whether you’re optimizing for new languages or starting from scratch on a multilingual website, you need localization weaved into the design process.
Why? Because localization goes above and beyond translating written content.
Based on regional and cultural nuances, localized multilingual websites offer user experiences that feature appropriate images, currency, units of measure, overall design, site speeds, functionality, and content that reads like it was written by humans, not Google Translate.
Still not sure why you need to incorporate localization into the UX design?
Here’s a look at the benefits that it can bring to the table!
Benefits of Multilingual UX Design
Higher Engagement Rates Across Multiple Target Language Options
When you localize your multilingual website and its elements with professional software localization services, you have a better opportunity to give your audience a localized experience.
Although the task might seem tedious, it’s a means of ensuring your brand message resonates better with your regional audiences.
Integrating localization with the UX design allows for cultural aspects of the audience to be included as part of their version of your website. Using local landmarks instead of international attractions adds a more local feel to your multilingual site and generates more positive responses from the target demographic.
Indeed, localizing your website’s UX design is a significant step, but the journey doesn’t stop there. Should you want to take it a step further, consider working with a webflow design agency, as they could offer more bespoke solutions tailored to your regional needs. With their expertise in design and cultural sensitivity, your website will not only be multilingual but also multicultural, profoundly resonating with every region your brand touches.
Better SEO Results and Higher Organic Traffic Rates for Different Languages
Search engine optimization has always been important. But with smart UI design and localization for each target language, you can rank better on the search engine results pages!
You already know that website translation makes your content available to a much larger audience. And when you localize it individually for each target market, you’re effectively laying the foundations for an increase in organic traffic.
For each native language you cater to, your site will rank for the related keywords in the original language as well as in the foreign languages.
So, as you multipurpose your content, you gain more exposure to the search engines at the same time. And with that said, here’s what we mean by multi-purposing your content…
Multilingual Websites Can Use Multipurpose Content
When you have multilingual sites, every piece of translated and localized content can rank for all the relevant keywords. And because you’re ranking for all your target languages, you become more visible on the search engines.
Since all your content will already be translated, you can easily use that content for podcasts in every one of your target languages.
You no longer have to sift through endless lists of keyword planners to find the best content ideas for your niche because you’ve already got stock in hand from your source language!
It’s estimated that a fight of all internet traffic originates from outside of the USA. This means that if you’ve got a winning website at home, 80% of the world isn’t seeing it. Yet, people share similar wants and needs across the world.
Promoting your message and offerings in multiple languages gives you access to a broader audience that are probably equally as interested in what you have to sell on a local level. All you need is an intelligent strategy to talk to them in their language using the content you already have!
Increased Conversions and Sales Across Multiple Languages
The ultimate goal of localizing your multilingual website is higher conversion rates and increased ROI. About 73% of consumers get frustrated when website content isn’t personalized.
And if you can adapt your site and UX design according to the user’s location and language preferences, you’ll tap into a proverbial goldmine.
When you localize your website, you’ll be able to add features that speak specifically to specific customers. Have you heard about Airbnb’s strategy?
Once they allowed customers to log into their accounts through WeChat or Weibo, Airbnb’s Chinese traveler customer base grew by a whopping 700%!
A few small details like these might not seem like a big deal during the UX development stage of multilingual website design, but they can make a world of difference in your user conversion and ROI figures.
Promote Brand Consistency
You’ve already spent time building your brand in your own language, and that’s why it’s essential to get it right in the other cultures and languages you’re targeting as well. All the best multilingual websites have consistent looks in terms of their brand’s core features, regardless of which language their audience uses look them up in an online search.
You need consistent brand imaging, values, visuals, and services, and without multilingual UX, you risk inconsistency in these areas.
One of the best ways to build your brand in other languages is through your multilingual website. When top UX agencies design with local users in mind, they’ll instantly understand what your brand is about.
You might have to reorganize some ideas, images, references, and colors that might have different meanings in certain countries when building your multilingual website. But this will ensure the website’s content resonates with your new audience in all the right ways.
There are many cultural implications that can affect your brand image in the eyes of online shoppers. But with smart information architecture and localization backing you up, you should get a positive response in terms of UX from your user group.
Wrapping Up the Importance of Multilingual Website Design
With the great benefits of localizing your multilingual website, it’s a no-brainer. Brands that trade internationally and those wanting to break into new markets need a multilingual website that walks and talks like a native.
Professional software localizers have the expertise to ensure your multilingual website design works the way it was intended to. The translation process for user interface elements goes beyond literally translating a web page into the native language.
For a multilingual UX to be effective, it needs to be done correctly by a professional team of localizers. If you want to ensure effective implementation of your localization practices and see your multilingual site soaring to new heights, get in touch with Day Translations right now!