You're looking to expand your website's reach. How can you make it accessible to a global audience?

If you have a website that offers valuable content, products, or services, you might want to reach a wider and more diverse audience. However, language barriers can prevent many potential visitors from accessing your website and engaging with your brand. How can you make your website more accessible to a global audience? Here are some tips and tools to help you translate your website effectively and efficiently.

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1 Choose your target languages

The first step to translate your website is to decide which languages you want to offer to your visitors. You can base your decision on several factors, such as your target market, your competitors, your budget, and your goals. You can also use analytics tools to see where your current traffic comes from and which languages are in high demand. Ideally, you should choose languages that match the needs and preferences of your audience and that align with your business strategy.

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Silvi Nuñez

Multilingual Localization & SEO for Websites & eCommerce | Helping brands reach wider audiences🌏
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Before selecting your target languages, conduct thorough market research for optimal strategy outcomes. Focus on key aspects such as the target market and language, product suitability, competitor strategies, economic factors, and any restrictions. Utilize search trend reports, analyze your website and social media analytics, employ marketing insight tools, and refer to language industry research for valuable insights into market dynamics and international business."

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2 Select a translation method

The next step is to choose how you want to translate your website content. There are different methods available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. You can hire professional translators, who can provide high-quality and accurate translations, but they can also be expensive and time-consuming. You can use machine translation, which is fast and cheap, but it can also be inaccurate and unreliable. Or you can use a combination of both, which can balance quality and efficiency, but it can also require more coordination and management. You should weigh the pros and cons of each method and decide what works best for your website.

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Ivan K.

Founder/CEO at Autoglot WordPress Translation 💠 Expert in Multilingual Websites & Automated Website Localization
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Professional translators offer a depth of accuracy and quality, ensuring your content resonates authentically. Yet, this path may require an investment of both time and resources. On the flip side, machine translation unfolds as the swift and economical contender, but it raises the specter of potential inaccuracies. The key lies in aligning your method with your website's unique needs. Are you conveying sensitive information or sharing routine updates? Does your content require the eye of human translators, or can it benefit from the speed of machines? By reviewing these considerations, you're not just selecting a translation method; you're creating an experience for your global audience.

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Silvi Nuñez

Multilingual Localization & SEO for Websites & eCommerce | Helping brands reach wider audiences🌏
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If opting for a combined translation approach, consider engaging a human translator for important and high-traffic pages, while employing machine translation for less important or lower-traffic content. For transparency when using machine translation, consider notifying your audience (with a pop-up, for example,) as done by companies like Airbnb and Booking. This will enhance trust with your audience.

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David García Ruiz 🌍

Driving Organic Growth | SEO | Strategy | Content Creation | Translation
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You will often find that many companies choose Machine Translation Post Editing for the less important pages, while they rely on human translation for the most important pages such as the Home Page or Service Pages. Probably this is the best option if you are on a tight budget.

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3 Use a translation API

One of the most convenient and flexible ways to translate your website is to use a translation API. A translation API is a service that allows you to connect your website to a translation engine via code. This way, you can automate the translation process and integrate it with your website's design and functionality. You can also customize the translation output and adjust it to your specific needs and preferences. There are many translation APIs available, such as Google Translate API, Microsoft Translator API, Amazon Translate API, and more. You should compare their features, prices, and performance and choose the one that suits your website.

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4 Optimize your website for multilingual SEO

To attract and retain a global audience, translating your website is not enough. You need to optimize your website for multilingual SEO, which means applying SEO best practices to each language version of your website. This can help with ranking higher on search engines, driving more organic traffic, and increasing conversions. To do this, you should use hreflang tags to tell search engines which language and region your website is targeting. Additionally, use subdomains, subdirectories, or domains to separate language versions and avoid duplicate content issues. Be sure to use keywords relevant and popular in each language and market, as well as meta tags, titles, and descriptions optimized for each language. Finally, use local links and citations to build authority and trust in each market.

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5 Test and improve your website translation

The final step to translate your website is to test and improve your translation quality and user experience. You should review your translated content for accuracy, clarity, consistency, and cultural appropriateness. You should also check your website's functionality, design, and performance in each language. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google PageSpeed Insights to monitor and measure your website's performance and identify areas for improvement. You can also ask for feedback from your visitors and customers and use it to enhance your website translation.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You're looking to expand your website's reach. How can you make it accessible to a global audience?

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1 Choose your target languages

2 Select a translation method

3 Use a translation API

4 Optimize your website for multilingual SEO

5 Test and improve your website translation

6 Here’s what else to consider

Translation

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