Breaking language barriers: Tips for creating multilingual websites

Your audience isn’t just local to you—it’s everywhere. So, if you’re not catering to a multilingual audience, you could be leaving a significant chunk of potential customers out of the conversation. But building a multilingual website isn’t just about hitting Google Translate and calling it a day. It’s about making your content accessible, culturally relevant, and user-friendly in multiple languages.

Here are some essential tips for breaking those language barriers and creating a multilingual website that truly resonates across borders.

Prioritise localisation over direct translation

Translation is important, but localisation is the real game-changer. A word-for-word translation might capture the meaning, but it can miss the cultural nuance. Localisation involves adapting your content, imagery, and even tone of voice to fit the local context of your target audience.

For example, humour or idioms in English may not land the same way in another language. Similarly, images that resonate with a Western audience may not make sense in an Asian market. Tailoring your content and visuals to reflect the cultural preferences of each market ensures that your message connects on a deeper level.

Choose the right platform and tools

When building a multilingual website, it’s crucial to choose a content management system (CMS) that can handle multiple languages seamlessly. WordPress, for example, has plugins like WPML and Polylang that allow you to manage translations and localisation easily.

Consider the following when choosing your platform:

• Language flexibility: Ensure your CMS can support multiple languages, including right-to-left scripts (e.g., Arabic, Hebrew) and special characters.
• SEO capabilities: Some platforms offer better tools for multilingual SEO, such as hreflang tags and region-specific URL structures.

Don’t forget about multilingual SEO

Speaking of SEO, simply translating your content won’t cut it if you want to rank well in multiple regions. You need to optimise for each language and region individually.

Here’s what you need to pay attention to:

• Hreflang tags: These HTML tags tell search engines which language version of your content to show to users in different countries.
• Localised keywords: The keywords people use in different languages often vary. Make sure your keyword research accounts for local search habits and terminology.
• Regional URLs: Use country-specific domains (e.g., .fr for France) or subdirectories (e.g., /fr/ for French) to ensure Google indexes the right language for the right region.

A strong multilingual SEO strategy ensures that your content is discoverable to the right audience, no matter where they’re searching from.

Think about user experience

Creating a seamless user experience across multiple languages is key to ensuring visitors stick around. If navigating your website becomes a puzzle of switching between languages, you risk losing users before they even start engaging with your content.

Here’s what to consider:

• Language switcher: Make it easy for users to switch languages. Ideally, place the language switcher in a visible, intuitive spot on the page, like the top right corner.
• Automatic language detection: For a smooth experience, consider implementing automatic language detection based on the user’s location or browser settings. This way, users are immediately directed to the most relevant version of your site.
• Consistent design: Ensure that your design elements—like fonts, spacing, and navigation—stay consistent across languages. Some languages take up more space than others, so make sure your layout is flexible.

Localise payment and contact information

If your website involves e-commerce or lead generation, you’ll need to localise more than just the content. Payment methods vary by region, so offering local payment options can improve the customer experience and reduce cart abandonment rates.

Similarly, providing region-specific contact information, such as local phone numbers and addresses, helps build trust with your audience. If a customer in Spain can see a local contact number on your site, they’ll feel more confident in reaching out.

Don’t underestimate the importance of testing

Once your multilingual website is set up, testing it across all versions is critical. This goes beyond just checking for spelling errors—it’s about ensuring the user experience is consistent and the translations make sense.

Test the following:

• Functionality: Ensure that all elements, from navigation to forms, work seamlessly across different languages.
• Content accuracy: Have native speakers review your content to check for cultural relevance and accuracy.
• SEO performance: Monitor your site’s performance in each region and language to ensure your SEO strategy is working effectively.

Summing up

Breaking language barriers is about making your website feel like it was built for each market. By prioritising localisation, optimising for multilingual SEO, and providing a seamless user experience, you can build a global website that speaks to your audience, no matter where they are.