{"id":182481,"date":"2025-04-02T01:55:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T05:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.motionpoint.com\/?post_type=blog&p=182481"},"modified":"2025-04-02T15:39:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T19:39:16","slug":"best-practices-for-multilingual-websites-with-examples","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.motionpoint.com\/blog\/best-practices-for-multilingual-websites-with-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices for Multilingual Websites with Examples"},"template":"","blog_categories":[10,11,15],"resource_categories":[37,34,33],"targeted_localized_audience":[],"document_categories":[146,155,170,164,166,171,161],"class_list":["post-182481","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry","blog_categories-marketing-strategies-customer-experience","blog_categories-marketing-strategies-international-seo","blog_categories-website-translation","resource_categories-content-type-blog-post","resource_categories-business-goal-brand-experience","resource_categories-business-goal-global-expansion","document_categories-blog-post","document_categories-brand-consistency-challenges","document_categories-business-leader","document_categories-discovery","document_categories-evaluation","document_categories-marketer","document_categories-no-international-websites"],"acf":{"article_word_count":"2777","article_read_time":"11","blog_short_description":"Discover top tips for creating multilingual websites to help designers, developers, and content creators improve localization, multilingual SEO, and user experience.","news_inline_styles":"","blog_video_id":"","article_body":"

Why You Need Multilingual Site Localization<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The world is more connected than ever before, thanks mainly to the evolution of the internet. People anywhere and everywhere can connect through the clicks of a mouse. However, an increased need for connection comes with its own set of challenges, namely, the removal of potential language barriers.<\/p>\n

Multilingual websites are critical for global businesses. The need to \u201clocalize\u201d your brand means focusing your web pages on the audiences you want to reach. Nearly 63% of all websites are in English<\/a>; however, those websites only reach about 25% of all internet users.<\/p>\n

Localization opens up vast opportunities in the fast-growing global marketplace. A study found that 76% of online shoppers prefer purchasing products in their native language, and 40%<\/a> will never buy from websites in other language. Therefore, it allows businesses to reach more customers, build their brand presence, and increase sales.<\/p>\n

How Do Multilingual Websites Work?<\/h2>\n

A multilingual website is a website that\u2019s available in multiple languages. This doesn\u2019t mean the website offers a translation feature such as Google Translate. Instead, a multilingual website features completely separate, localized sites for different languages.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One well-known example of an effective multilingual site is Ikea. On the Ikea website, users choose their country, which displays Ikea pages in the language of that region. Designing a multilingual website so that your audience feels like they\u2019re reading content written by a local is essential for engagement and conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of a multilingual website is to seamlessly engage communication with customers while simultaneously placing the brand top of mind. Learn more about MotionPoint\u2019s explanation of website translation<\/a> in more detail.<\/p>\n

Best Practices to Create an Engaging Multilingual Website<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

While word-for-word content translations are essential, they often leave out important contexs, cultural differentiation, and branding concerns. Therefore, to design a successful multilingual website, it\u2019s important to focus on several specific areas of content and design techniques. Here are a few best practices to consider when designing multilingual web pages:<\/p>\n

Make Page Templates Fully Dynamic<\/h3>\n

Fully dynamic web page templates are critical to accommodate word growth in translation. Some languages require up to 20% more space than English<\/a> due to text expansion. Some written languages are also more concise than others. As the text is translated from one language to another, it may alter the spacing and size on pages, and the length of the original text and the resulting translation can be different. Additionally, some written languages are more concise than others. For example, Japanese and Chinese may use fewer characters to convey a piece of information, whereas other languages require multiple words.\u00a0If there\u2019s more text in one language than another, you\u2019ll need to ensure it still fits on the page and doesn\u2019t interfere with other web page elements.<\/p>\n

View this MotionPoint’s infographic<\/a>\u00a0about word growth due to professional translation.<\/p>\n

Separate Text from Multimedia Resources<\/h3>\n

Separating or \u201coverlaying\u201d text instead of embedding it in images ensures that translated text is detectable and indexable for multilingual SEO. Search engines rely on text-based content, so externalizing text from images improves localization efforts and search visibility.<\/p>\n

Organize Sprite Images Vertically<\/h3>\n

Sprites are two-dimensional images that combine several smaller images to create one larger image. Vertically organizing sprite images allows for word growth when translating web pages in multiple languages and offers an easier way to move pictures around if necessary.<\/p>\n

Implement Hreflang Tags for Multilingual SEO<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Localize your sitemap or use hreflang attributes to help search engines understand which pages are designed for specific audiences. Local domains also signal to users that your brand is tailored to their market, improving trust and engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Externalize Text from Video Files<\/h3>\n

To ensure text on web pages can be simply translated and detected by local search engines, make sure to externalize text from video files by using .sub (subtitle) or .xml files. Avoid videos with embedded text to make the translation process more efficient because you won\u2019t have to redesign the graphics from scratch just to ensure text is available in the appropriate language.<\/p>\n

Key Design and Development Mistakes to Avoid<\/h2>\n

While there are many \u201cdos\u201d to consider when designing and developing multilingual web pages, there are also development mistakes to recognize and avoid. Here are just a few:<\/p>\n