Your digital brand in two languages? Learn the advantages of having a multilingual website
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In a country where there is a great mix of cultures and a significant number of people who speak Spanish, or any other language other than English, it is important to connect your business with the largest number of customers, so that they can understand your message clearly and directly, without difficulties due to the language barriers. In this article, we tell you why you should be thinking about producing your content in two or more languages to create a multilingual website.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from 1980 to 2018 the percentage of people communicating in Spanish increased from 5.3% of the total population of the country to 13.5%. This translates to a total of 41,460,427 people over 5 years of age, who by 2018 were using Spanish in their daily environment.
In fact, if you count not only people who speak Spanish as a native language, but also those who have learned it as a second language, the figure rises to a total of 56 million, which places the United States as the second country in the world with the largest number of Spanish speakers, surpassed only by Mexico, and Spanish as the second most spoken language in the country, after English.
Need help creating a multilingual website for your brand? At Primitive Agency, we can do it! Call us now at +1 (646) 377 9470, or email us at [email protected] so we can start expanding the reach of your business in a new language.
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What is a multilingual website?
Before we explain the advantages of offering your content in multiple languages, let’s first set the record straight. A multilingual website is an online platform that is available in multiple languages. This allows users visiting the site to view the content in their native language, which will undoubtedly improve the user experience and increase the likelihood that they will return to the site for more information, or even purchase your product or service.
In addition, a multilingual website can also help a company expand its global reach and attract non-English speaking customers, which would be a winning move in a country where there is a large percentage of Spanish-speaking users who might also be interested in your brand.
What are the advantages of creating a multilingual website?
There are many advantages to offering your brand’s content on a multilingual website, starting with the possibility of connecting with a large number of people who, while they may not speak your native language, may also be interested in your brand.
Some of the most important advantages that creating a multilingual website can offer your business are:
- Expanded global reach: A multilingual website allows businesses to reach a wider audience, especially those who speak languages other than English.
- Improved user experience: Users can view content in their native language, which can increase the likelihood that they will become customers of your brand.
- Increased sales: A multilingual website can help companies attract new non-English speaking customers and increase sales.
- Improved brand image: Offering a multilingual website can demonstrate greater engagement with international customers, which will undoubtedly improve your brand perception.
- Increased visibility in search engines: An SEO strategy for each language can be an essential technique to improve website visibility in search engines, through keywords in different languages.
- More efficient communication: By being available in several languages, it will be much easier to communicate, sending a clear and direct message to your customers and suppliers in their native languages.
- Greater flexibility and adaptability: By having a multilingual website, it will be possible to adapt your brand to the needs and cultural characteristics of the different markets and regions where your product or service is available.
As you can see, offering your content in different languages can provide you with a great number of advantages, even leading you to surpass your competitors in sales, thanks to the extension of your business reach to a sector that speaks a different language than yours.
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How to create a multilingual website?
There are several ways to create a multilingual website. One of the most common ways is to use a WordPress plugin or a browser extension. These allow the user to select their preferred language from the site’s navigation bar. Another method is to use subdomains or directories for each language. For example, example.com/es for Spanish and example.com/en for English.
But, the most important thing of all is, without a doubt, to have the capacity to produce content in the languages you select for your brand, always responding to the needs of your audience. Primitive Agency can help you with this.
Call us now at +1 (646) 377 9470, or write to us at [email protected]. Our team will take care of studying your target audience very well, in order to determine in which languages it would be ideal to produce your brand’s content, and finally create the marketing strategy that will allow you to expand your reach to levels you never imagined.
FAQs
What aspects should I consider when creating a multilingual website?
You should choose the right URL structure, implement hreflang tags, make comprehensive translations, place the language menu in a visible site and keep a similar website structure for each language.
Disadvantages of having a multilingual website
- It can be more expensive and complex to create and maintain a multilingual website than a monolingual one, as it requires translating the content, adapting it to each language and culture, and updating it regularly.
- There can be problems of quality or consistency in the translations, especially if automatic tools or non-professional translators are used.
- There can be technical difficulties to implement a suitable URL structure, hreflang tags, automatic redirects and other functionalities that improve the user experience and the SEO positioning of a multilingual website.
- There can be limitations in the design or customization of a multilingual website, especially if a platform like Squarespace is used that does not offer native support for multilingualism.
The Primitive writing team is comprised of a group of skilled professionals who specialize in different areas of marketing, from brand design to web development and audiovisual production. Each team member boasts extensive experience in their respective field, and they are dedicated to providing the best possible strategy and content for every business that aligns with their unique needs.