When a company wants to expand its business to new markets, one of the first things it should be doing is creating a website for multiple languages – at least to English but in most cases, all target countries are good to cover. In this article, we’ll go through the process of creating a multi-language website: how can you do that, what will it cost and why is it so important.
Multi-language Websites Becoming More Common
The world is getting more connected all the time so it’s not a wonder that multi-language websites are becoming very common. Creating them might seem like a very difficult thing to do, but in reality, at least when you have a good developer, it’s actually pretty simple.
First, you need to determine all the languages you need. Sometimes it takes just two languages, in other cases, you might need more than five different ones. If you are planning to create a multi-language website without the help of a developer, we suggest you have a look at different plugins and software to come up with a solution fit for your skills. If you are using WordPress to create the website, you’ll have plenty of easy plugins to choose from.
With some of the plugins, it’s possible to add different languages to your site in less than five minutes. On the other hand, this does not mean that the site will be ready to go at the same time. Instead, you’ll still need to create the content for all languages. In addition, you need to figure out where you want to place the language switcher, what kinds of changes might the language swift create, and what types of images, colors, etc. are culturally appropriate for the target market.
But what about situations where you already have an existing website and you want to add new languages to it? Is that possible? Let’s go over an example.
Example: Finnish Casino Site Expanding to Rest of Europe
A Finnish website is showcasing Finnish casinos, or suomenkieliset nettikasinot as they say in the North. The site has been running already for two years, of which both have been very successful. Now the site owners are hoping to expand to other markets as well, starting with the English language in the beginning. They are planning later to add Swedish, Russian, and Norwegian to the mix also.
They are not using a website developer but instead, they want to create everything on their own, using different sorts of plugins and free tools for images, etc. They could get everything done easily if they just hired a developer, but they want to save money and create a multi-language site by themselves. Only the future will tell if this is a good idea.
So, their website is a WordPress-based site. Can it be changed into a multi-language site just by using plugins or do they have to create everything from scratch? Yes, absolutely! There are multiple different plugins that let you add new languages to the site. However, when you are thinking of expanding to other markets, it might be good to consider the brand.
Does it need clarifying, is it clear for the new target markets as well? Should there be some sort of rebranding done or does everything work as it is? If you think the brand needs some improvement to make it at foreign markets as well, maybe it would be best to create the website from a new perspective.
How To Build A Multilingual Website Step by Step
In order to make things as easy as possible, we wanted to gather our tips for building a multilingual website. Let’s have a closer look:
- First, you need to define the expansion goals. In other words, decide all the languages you will add to the website.
- Choose a proper domain strategy. Will you use subdomains or separate domains?
- Choose the best software for your needs. The most popular ones at the moment are WordPress and Joomla.
- Choose the plugins you want to use. There are multiple out there, but we recommend Polyland and Weglot.
- Translate the content. Do it on your own if you are skilled enough, use automation tools and plugins, or hire a translator.
Best Tips From Developers
We asked four developers their views and opinions on how to make sure the multi-language site will work in the best possible way. Needless to say, they all suggested that all these types of changes in existing sites should be left for professionals to handle. “Don’t spare your money here, it might end up costing you more in the long run”, said one of them, and others seemed to agree.
If you, however, decide to do everything on your own, make sure to follow these simple tips.
- Make it easy to find the language switcher. The ideal placement for it is on the top of the page and in the sticky menu bar.
- If you use an automated text translator, please check with a native speaker that the content is actually good.
- Think about web font compatibility.
- Use only those kinds of icons and images that are culturally appropriate. Once again, use – if just possible – a native person.
- Check also that the colors you are using are culturally appropriate.
- Remember that not all countries are using the exact same dates and other formats. These should be implemented accordingly.
Localize – It’s More Important Than You Might Think
Having a multi-language website is not just about translating all words correctly. Not all languages work the same way and not all words and phrases can be translated as they are. There are underlying meanings that some terms might have in certain markets, and you need to be sensitive about this.
This is exactly why it would be best to hire translators. In other words, don’t spare your money on this part either.
Conclusion
Building a great multi-language website can be something that you do on your own, using plugins and automated tools. It’s not impossible to make a successful and fully working website with that combo, but in the end, using professionals might be easier and even cheaper in the long run.
