Wazzup Pilipinas!?
If the motto of a business is to run an online store or website while attracting customers from all across the globe, having a multilingual website is a must. According to a survey, 72% of customers worldwide, when they open a website, try to browse it in their native language. Therefore, any business that wants to create a global brand should shift its focus to creating a multilingual website. Even though English is the most widely spoken language, a massive percentage of the population can neither read nor speak English. Furthermore, even if they can do so, they still seek content in their native language for comfort. Here is a list of seven benefits of a multilingual business website.
1. A Wider Audience Reach
Firstly, a multilingual website helps the business to expand its audience reach. Only 25% of internet users are native English speakers. In other words, there is a possibility to reach 75% of the global audience through a multilingual website. When businesses offer their customers the option of multiple languages, like converting the content from English to Tagalog, they create an opportunity to work with a new customer segment. It directly gives a positive boost to the revenue of the business.
2. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Localized websites boost customer satisfaction by indicating that the business cares about its needs. When a customer sees the effort a company is putting in to create a multilingual website to help meet their needs, it increases their satisfaction and results in customer loyalty. Furthermore, customer loyalty brings a ton of other benefits with itself, like better reviews for the business and more clients.
3. Improves Search Engine Visibility
While showing results to their users, search engines consider the language in which the user has made an inquiry. Internet users prefer to search in their native language because they are familiar with the terminologies. In such a scenario, businesses selling their products or services in a global market can benefit from improved search engine visibility. Of course, a user should have the option to convert any native language like Tagalog to English, but at the same time, creating content in the vernacular language is essential to improve the website's visibility across the globe.
4. Low Advertising Costs
As English is the most widely spoken language, advertising in English is expensive compared to other languages. In addition, it also gives rise to stiff competition, and subsequently, the advertising and marketing costs associated with it are higher. Similarly, the advertising cost of a multilingual website is comparatively cheaper because of the low competition in the same niche. An additional benefit is that this reach-oriented approach also reduces marketing costs.
5. Increased Conversion Rate
People prefer to purchase from a brand that they can understand. If they need help understanding the language used on a website, they will refrain from making a purchase. It reduces the conversion rate of the website and increases the bounce rate. Foreign customers who stumble across a website running in one language would often turn away to another website that provides multilingual support. Hence, having a multilingual website can increase the conversion rate and reduce the website's bounce rate.
6. Builds Trust
Customers prefer browsing websites and trusting brands that provide information in their language. When customers can understand the website's content, they trust the brand. However, while creating a multilingual website to build customer confidence, it is crucial to keep other factors in mind, like the design and functionalities of the website. Creating a multilingual website is an excellent way of removing cultural barriers as a hindrance to gaining international customers' trust.
7. Provides Competitive Advantage
A business can only be successful or create a legacy when it has a competitive advantage or unique selling proposition. Many websites run either in one or two languages. When the internet is flooded with such websites, having a multilingual website automatically gives a competitive advantage. It also improves the brand image compared to other companies. Additionally, multilingual websites are an excellent way of creating brand credibility.
Most large eCommerce businesses and other enterprises run multilingual websites for the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, any business that wants to flourish locally and internationally should invest in creating a multilingual website.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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