Although English is a popular language worldwide, its status as lingua franca is a little bit overestimated. There are above 6,900 languages in the world; the biggest language group is Chinese. The other widespread languages include Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, and many others. In fact, around 60 percent of the people in the world don’t speak English. Thus, when the potential customers, clients, or followers from abroad reach your English-speaking page, they quickly leave because they get confused about the unknown letters and words. For them, English is not a lingua franca, but the language they do not know. To solve this problem, you may build a multilingual HTML page, which allows adding many languages to your site. Here is some advice which you may consider.
1. Pay attention to programming
In HTML, it is hard to have a built-in multiple language switch. You may create different language pages, but still do not know how to put them together. Here is some information. If you are proficient with programming and building HTML, you may try to change the code. Experts say that using JavaScript and JQuiery inside the script tag will help you to build a multilingual site. However, if you know little or none about the terms above, remember that a good specialist can link numerous pages to the switch buttons if you have the page translated.
2. Avoid Google Translate
This is the “golden rule” of the site-building of all times. Of course, you may embed the Google Translate button into your site, but no one can be sure of the accuracy of such translation. Have you ever bought Chinese goods from authentic sites through Google Translate? It sounds like a challenge. Thus, consider the other ways of conversion. Alternatively, you can try Isaccurate to be sure that everything in the right place. You may also translate the site by means of Google and ask the native speaker to proofread the site to avoid confusing mistakes.
3. Have a recognizable design
Design is a crucial part of your site’s message. Some people recommend building different color schemes and site versions to different languages and cultures. However, modern design experts advise a consistent multi-language website, even if you are using a customized theme. For example, Airbnb has the same layout in different languages. There is a calming picture of a house in the mountains, and a white interface window where one can book a ticket. The site has a simple interface that appeals to people with different worldviews and cultures due to its universal message of travels and new experiences. Thus, remember to use the design and imagery that appeals to people around the globe.
4. Think about UI/UX
UI and UX are, simply put, user interface, and user experience of your website. If one of them fails, the site is likely to be a flop. For example, you may build a site using four languages and put them all on the same page simultaneously by using different columns. It sounds like a great deal from the UI perspective, but it turns the UX into a nightmare. When the users look for their languages on the overcomplicated page, they get frustrated, and their overall site experience worsens. Meanwhile, the companies are often about the experience, not the product or service only. There are many other options for building a multilingual site. For example, you may serve the language page depending on the user’s location, or have “change the language” buttons with different flags on the top of your page.
In a world where every culture is connected, businesses are becoming aware of global perspectives. A part of the global outlook is building a multilingual website that welcomes the citizens of all the countries worldwide. This approach is right for the business and convenient for site visitors. However, making a multilingual HTML site does not always go as planned. To have a great result, you need to think about design and imagery that would appeal to any culture. More, user interface and experience required to be the top quality to attract people. Programming should be one of the top concerns of the site builder, too. And most importantly, there needs to be an accurate proper translation that would appeal to the needs of your audience.
Bio
Henry Mcdowell is a specialist in translation and essay writing. He has a blog, where he aims to help those who want to translate their pages, write accurate texts, or conduct research. Henry’s main passion is traveling, while sport remains one of his favorite daily activities.