The Internet is constantly growing and has become the information point where companies and individuals look for products, services and information. For companies that want to stay ahead of the competition, a multilingual website is the fastest and most efficient way to expand their customer base and increase their sales. When implementing an internationalization strategy, having a multilingual website is essential for any company.

Here are 10 reasons why it is worth it translating your company’s website

1. Don’t focus only on national or English-speaking customers

Having your website in English might significantly expand your market. But having your website content only in English is not enough to reach a wider audience. It is true that the Internet is an invention of English speakers and that there are countless websites in English. But times are changing. Access to the Internet is becoming more democratic and countries that until recently were lagging behind in Internet matters now have a network connection. According to some studies, the best business opportunities are found in countries with lower user-website ratios.

There are other factors to consider, such as the fact that 70% of the population does not understand English. Still, 57% of the sites are in English only. Moreover, more than half of the searches on Google are not in English.

At a European level, 90% of Internet users say that if they have the option of choosing the language of a website, they rather navigate in their own language. Only half of them would read on the English version if they had no choice.

2. Translating into different languages improves our search engine optimization

Search engines are what bring users to us. In some countries such as China, Japan or Russia, Google is not the main search engine and we need to tell those search engines that we are there. But whether it’s Google, Yandex or Bing, search engines recognize when a website is translated or offers multiple language versions. This improves the positioning because they are taking into account that we are offering a good user experience.

Search engines allow you to search in several languages. Unless we offer a multilingual website, these engines will not find your website when users search in their native language.

3. It’s a very profitable marketing strategy

Being able to communicate, in your own language, with a completely new international audience will not only have a decisive impact on the economy but will also help improve our marketing strategy and enhance the perception of our brand, service or product.

At the end of the day, a multilingual website is probably one of the most profitable marketing strategies for your company: attracting new users, creating links with new clients and giving your brand an international reach.

4. Translating engages new customers

Ultimately, what a multilingual website does is bringing over new clients. By exposing your site to thousands and thousands of people, your company will be reaching every corner of the world. When you translate a website into the language of your potential users, your are automatically attracting their attention.

5. Translating increases your sales

For every language into which you translate your company website, the chances of sales increase by 100%. Only by translating your website into the most common languages in your environment (for example, Spanish, French, German and Italian), sales can boost up to 400%. Few strategies can achieve so many sales for so little investment.

6. Translating shows that you care for your client

A multilingual website is an indication that your have an interest in your potential customers. With this action you show that your clients are very important to you and that your care about offering your site in their language. Like almost everything in the business world, if customers see that we care about them they will want to buy our products or services again.

7. Translating inspires confidence

For many cultures, shopping on the Internet is, in most cases, a matter of trust, especially if they are buying in a language they do not master perfectly. Offering a website in multiple languages makes customers feel secure because they know what they are buying and from whom they are buying.

8. We adapt to the client’s culture

A multilingual website, if well designed, overcomes any possible cultural barriers and will allow you to address your customers in their native language. This allows the user to automatically enter their “cultural comfort zone” as they can navigate, understand and interact with the web in their own language.

9. We’re ahead of the competition

These days, being competitive means making the difference. Many companies are trying to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Let’s study the competition: if they have a multilingual website, why don’t we? But if they don’t have it, why not establish ourselves as market leaders and establish the company outside our borders?

10. We present ourselves as an international brand

Image is everything. A multilingual website shows that we think, work and operate on a global scale.

Conclusion

Business strategies employed by companies are changing over the years. Some time ago, only multinational companies had websites in several languages. But today, thanks to content management systems such as WordPress or Joomla and technologies such as translation proxies, having a web presence in several languages is within the reach of any company. The initial investment does not have to be very expensive. And if we see that the impact is positive, we can always expand to other languages or translate the entire website.