This week we’re discussing how to reach a global audience by adding language translations to your website. Looking at it worldwide, about 1.35 billion people speak English as their first language, so of course, many websites and companies have it as their first language as well. But there are billions of more opportunities to be found when you speak to an audience in their own language.
Your visitors are always looking for ways to connect and relate with your business in a unique way, and speaking to your website visitors in their native language is a great way to do just that. So, today we’re going to break down three reasons why adding language translations to your website is so important, and how you can easily add it to your website or online store with Bookmark.
Every small business owner wants to make sales worldwide, even if they currently focus on local marketing. Studies have shown that 52% of websites are in English, but they only reach about 25% of the global internet users. So what can you as a business owner do to change that percentage? Consider the below to test out this quarter of your business…
Show your customers they matter
By translating your website, you let your customers know that you care about them, and that you’re willing to take the extra step to communicate your message to them in their own language. This opens your engagement rate to a higher percentage and, in turn, decreases your bounce rate as more will want to read about what your business will bring them.
Take your SEO to an international scale
To reach your audience uniquely through translating your website, you’ll start to grasp how vital SEO will be. We see it happen with large businesses that translate their products or greetings on their website in other languages. Why? Because it shows that they are willing to step into their audience’s world, even if it’s for a moment.
Many online consumers have stated that accessing information in their own language is more important than price . So, how can you make sure this is happening for your website as a business owner? When it comes to your SEO, consider adding words in that particular language as well. If you play your cards right, this will help your content reach a higher rank in the results. Many business owners literally translate their posts one by one, which may be confusing in other languages. Simply identify your visitor’s location through IP addresses to load the correct language. Ensure you have country-specific URLs along with any sub-categories you believe may be needed. This will enhance your website traffic immensely!
Increase sales and beat your competitors
In all honesty, your business goal will always be to make sales. Consider the growth that can come from translating your website. Currently, 60% of shoppers rarely buy from English-only companies, and this will continue to grow as the world is changing day by day.
Your website is the main focus; however, even your integrated social media should make some changes to ensure your website reaches every direction as best as possible. The truth is, no one will buy from you if they don’t know what you’re saying. This is shown as a significant advantage against your competitor as well. Why? Because you can end up being the only business in your niche allowing access to countries by integrating different languages. You can make new loyal supporters/customers with English as a second language and uniquely customize your different website to their liking.
Here at Bookmark.com , we are pleased to say that we have a fantastic website translation feature integrated into our platform! You can easily unlock all of the advantages we mentioned in this blog today if you just follow these simple steps!
First and foremost, you will need to have a Professional or Business account with Bookmark. You can sign up today ; getting started is super easy, and it’s the first step in unlocking your new website or online store.
Once you’ve signed up and signed in, you have unlocked many amazing features and integrations you can use to build and grow your online presence. When it comes to website translations, your features include:
- Automated website translation
- Ability to offer 5 language translations (for a one-time fee of $9.99 USD)
- Each translation is fully editable
- Easily toggle between languages
- Get a unique URL for each language
Getting started
Log into your Bookmark account and select the website you want to edit. Once you’re in the Bookmark website builder, navigate to the Features section and click Languages.
From there, you can select the language of your choice (from over 100 different languages).
Now, once you have added the language of your preference, you’re able to choose between three options for display type;
- Country Flag with a 2 Letter abbreviation — *Flag* (EN)
- A 2 Letter abbreviation of the language — ex: (EN)
- Language followed by a 2 letter abbreviation — ex: English (EN)
Ta-da! Just like that, simply save your choice, and AiDA has now created a new version of your website in a new language.
You can view all of the languages you are currently displaying on your website in the Active Languages section, along with how it appears in your URL. And if you click Edit beside the language you’ve chosen, the web builder will open your site in that language for you to make any changes you need.
Keep in mind that you can delete a language by clicking the ‘Delete’ button at any time. This will allow you to add a different language (if you don’t upgrade to having up to 5 languages on your site). Once again, save your changes, and your websites are ready to be published!
To wrap things up…
Website translation is so imperative as a business owner, and for anyone looking to reach the worldwide in a unique way, Bookmark is the way to do it! Remember, take your SEO seriously and consider your website traffic growth by identifying country-specific URLs available. Your sales will increase the moment you open your doors to other languages and cultures as a business owner!
We believe our website builder will be most helpful for anyone starting an account with us. Remember, we are always available via our website’s Live Chat if you have any questions or concerns, we are here to reduce the stress that starting websites can give. We are and will always be your one-stop-shop for all things business solutions. As always, catch us next week to tackle more business topics while providing relevant online insight as a small business owner!
Originally published at https://www.bookmark.com on January 25, 2022.
