Why are Multilingual Websites Important?

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Last updated on the

12th December

An exploration of the significance of multilingual websites

The Essence of Multilingual SEO and Localization

Having an online presence is crucial for businesses today, enabling them to showcase products, reach wider audience and build customer relationships. In multilingual countries, a positive online experience involves providing content in multiple languages. This article delves into the importance of website localization and multilingual search engine optimization (SEO).

Translate – Speak Your Readers' Language

More than half of consumers, according to a Common Sense Advisory survey, are willing to pay more for information in their language. Businesses, especially in multilingual regions, recognize the importance of offering content in various languages. Translating a website involves localization, ensuring adaptation to the target market's cultural nuances.

Multilingual SEO – Ensure Visibility on Search Engines

Attracting visitors and search engines is essential for the success of multilingual websites. Strategies such as keyword research and transcreation drive targeted search traffic. Tailored keyword optimization for different linguistic groups is crucial.

How to Code a Multilingual Website?

Please follow these steps below to create a multilingual website.

HTML

To start, create your HTML file. Use HTML elements with unique data-i18n attributes inside. These attributes are used to translate your content.

						
<h1 data-i18n="demoTranslate" id="demoTranslate">Hello World</h1>

JavaScript

Start by creating your JavaScript file.

First, define a JSON object. For each language, create keys with one or more data-i18n keys and their corresponding translated texts. Remember to repeat the translations for each language.
Next, find all elements with data-i18n attributes/texts using querySelectorAll inside your function. Replace your HTML content with the content from the JSON object.
Finally, call your function to start the translation process.

						
							// 1.
							var translations = {
								"en": {
									"demoTranslate": "Translate me to french!",
								},
								"fr": {
									"demoTranslate": "Traduis moi en anglais!",
								}
							}

							// 2.
							function updateContent(selectedLanguage) {
								document.querySelectorAll('[data-i18n]').forEach(element => {
									const key = element.getAttribute('data-i18n');
									element.innerHTML = translations[selectedLanguage][key];
								});
							}