It is undeniable that the internet has brought us closer together. Nowadays we are aware of events happening across the globe, just seconds after they occur. We navigate content from different and diverse origins. This multiculturality infiltrates our daily life, for instance, through the use of words and sentences in a foreign language. Although it may not be as noticeable for English natives, English words have infiltrated dictionaries across the world. 

Faced with this development, does it make sense to have a multi-language website? The answer can only be one: YES. Your website is accessible from anywhere in the world and it is important to be ready to welcome different visitors.

English has taken a role as a “universal language” and it should be your first language of your website, after your country/ market native language. However, analytics can reveal a country or region with a particular relevance amongst your visitors, so a third language such as French or German can prove useful.

This approach might be a good way to enter a new business market. In some cases, Mandarin has revealed itself as a big advantage for companies with a presence in the Asian market or looking to achieve it.

For online stores, users are very aware of this difference and the language has played a major role in winning over clients in foreign countries. Most of all, if a user finds his native language in a shop he feels as if the store already has experience in sales and shipping to its country. For companies based in Portugal, translating your website to Spanish might be a great way to boost your sales and exports.

Simultaneously, translations may lead to an improvement of search engine results. Your international clients search for products or services in their native languages and as such, if you have translations setup, they will be shown results in their native idiom, something very valued by search engines as Google.

Above all never forget it is very important to keep your site dynamic and updated. If you have multiple languages implemented it might be necessary an additional effort to achieve it. Resist the temptation to use automatic translators for long texts and information. It might lead to significant translation errors and a false sense of security in the message you are trying to convey.

In a time where we are every day closer and borders are dissipating, it is essential to be aware of international opportunities and ready to serve the global market.