By Endri Hasanaj
With support for over 290 languages, Wikipedia has unseated Google as the Best Global Website of 2018 on the Web Globalization Report card produced by Byte Level Research. But no matter the size of your organization, expanding your offering into different geographical territories requires careful strategic planning. And depending on your business model, your website might be the main, or only, point of contact between your brand and the new local customers you hope to attract and retain.
With that in mind, here are five effective marketing strategies for multilingual websites.
Translate currency options
If your site is genuinely optimized for ecommerce in each territory, your currency and postage options should be properly translated. If they appear in the wrong currency, customers might think your products or services aren’t really available and abandon their transactions right at the point of purchase.
Similarly, localized postage options will convince them that your service is fast, flexible and efficient in their region. This is a simple fix that has a big effect on your website being perceived as user-friendly.
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An effective marketing analytics tool is an excellent investment when you’re operating in different language markets. Investing in analytics is fundamental to any firm that wants to integrate their website, social and offline campaigns and tweak them for peak performance.
You’ll have to research different SEO keywords for new territories and the personas you develop to effectively segment your marketing efforts will change according to different socioeconomic conditions. Staying on top of analytics will help you market effectively from the start and keep a close eye on how you’re performing in the longer term.
Functionality
The features and functionality on your website should offer the same excellent user experience for visitors from each language group. So if you’re expanding from domestic to international real estate, the 3D virtual tours you offer to commercial property clients on your UK or US website should be available to every potential customer.
And the same applies to chat features, social media links and podcasts — if they aren’t available in all languages, customers in different markets might get the impression they aren’t valued equally.
Native content writers
Automated translation services are available, but they’re usually not effective for any business that wants to be taken seriously in every language. The difference between native level proficiency and fluency is automatically thinking in the language you grew up with — this means communication is more smooth, seamless and natural.
Using native content writers might cost more money, but it’s the safer option. They’ll not only understand the best techniques for precise and effective translation, but also the cultural nuances that take years to absorb. So it’s worth investing in this service for your initial onsite content and having local writers available for regularly refreshed content like blogs.
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If your budget can stretch to hiring an experienced marketer in your new operational territory, it might be money well spent. They’ll be able to tweak your social media output appropriately according to local events as they occur, making customers feel much more involved in your mission and engaged by your brand.
And as well as monitoring and generating electronic content, they can attend networking events in person — bringing a crucial human touch that’s missing if your business operates solely online. Investing in a local brand marketer means that your web presence will feel dynamic and proactive to customers, which might allow you to integrate and start making your mark more quickly.
Follow these five effective marketing strategies for multilingual websites to spell out ‘success’ in any language.
What are your favourite multilingual marketing strategies? Share your tips in the comments section.
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Endri Hasanaj is a trilingual marketing professional, he has diversified experience in start-ups, business ideas and their process of integrating with marketing.
