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Not too long ago – 50 years or so – businesses didn’t have to worry much about different languages. Unlike domestic marketing, international marketing was a fledgling practice, held back by the lack of technology. Most companies operated locally, serving a familiar community where everyone spoke the same language.
Today, the internet allows even small businesses to operate on a global scale. Without setting foot in a foreign country, your business can reach customers thousands of miles away. This global reach opens up incredible opportunities, but it also brings new challenges — one of the biggest being language. You have a few options:
- use a tool like Google Translate
- use machine translation with AI-based tools
- hire a translator
- or learn to speak the languages of your clients.
Does your website speak to your international customers?
Building an international website is one of the most effective ways to tap into new markets. Your website becomes a hub for your brand’s identity, message, and products for each geographic location. But to succeed on a global level, you’ll need to keep cultural differences and language accessibility in mind. Here’s how to start your multicultural website off on the right foot.
Don’t let your brand get lost in translation.
If your website targets multiple countries, it should at least offer a few major languages. This means translation is essential, but how you handle translation can make or break your marketing campaign, or even your brand’s reputation.
Translation can be done using software (like Google Translate or AI-driven tools), human translators, or a hybrid approach. Many companies combine AI-based machine translation with human editors to ensure cultural and contextual accuracy. While translation software is cheaper and faster, it can produce awkward interpretations that confuse or even offend users.
Google Translate has improved significantly for popular languages, but it still struggles with technical jargon, slang, and cultural idioms. AI-powered translation tools like DeepL offer more contextually accurate translations for business purposes.
On the other hand, human translators cost more but deliver accuracy and context. Professional translation services are “you get what you pay for” situations. A skilled translator understands cultural nuances and will ensure that your content reads naturally in other languages. The result is a polished, professional look that builds trust with global audiences. Every part of your website — from product descriptions to calls-to-action — is clear, accurate, and culturally appropriate.
Take time for localization.
Localization goes beyond simply translating your website’s text from one language to another. It takes adapting every aspect of your brand’s experience to meet the cultural, regional, and technical standards of each target market.
While translation focuses on words, localization addresses the broader context of how your brand is presented. This includes essential elements like:
- Currency: Displaying product prices in the local currency of the region.
- Time Zones: Showing accurate times for events, shipping estimates, or support availability.
- Units of Measurement: Converting measurements (like inches to centimeters or pounds to kilograms) for local relevance.
- Payment Options: Supporting local payment methods, like Alipay and WeChat Pay in China, iDEAL in the Netherlands, Paytm in India, and Klarna across Europe.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Adapting images, colors, and messaging to fit the cultural norms of each market.
Localization ensures a seamless, familiar experience for users, increasing trust, reducing confusion, and improving conversions. It demonstrates that your brand understands and respects its diverse audiences — a crucial factor in building customer loyalty.
By prioritizing localization, you create a global presence that feels local. This personalized approach sets you apart from the competition, showing customers that you’re ready to meet their needs wherever they are.
Make sure your site can handle multiple languages.
If you’re relying on a website builder or a template, you may face technical limitations when adding multiple languages. Of course, modern site builders like Squarespace and Wix have added better multilingual support in recent years. While they still have limitations, many now offer features like language switchers and multi-language support, especially with third-party plugins or extensions.
However, site builders still have limitations compared to custom websites. Switching to an in-house design or custom development approach offers more control. You’ll have the flexibility to customize layouts, optimize user navigation, and support multiple languages with ease. Custom design can be costly and technically challenging.
Language is optional, but visibility isn’t.
You never know where your visitors are coming from. Even if your site defaults to one language, visitors might arrive from other regions and struggle to understand the content.
To avoid frustrating users, make language selection easy to find. Many websites use a drop-down menu in the header, but you can also add flags or buttons for quick language changes. Another option is to ask first-time visitors to select their preferred language when they land on the site. This simple change can significantly reduce your bounce rate and improve user experience.
Pay attention to detail.
Sometimes, it’s the small details that leave the biggest impression. For example, your font must support different character sets like accents, diacritical marks, and non-Latin scripts. Additionally, text direction matters. Languages like Arabic and Hebrew read from right to left, requiring adjustments to your design and layout.
Other essential details to consider include formatting dates and phone numbers correctly for different countries. If your website displays an address, make sure it’s in the correct format for local users.
Cultural sensitivity is also critical in global marketing strategies. Certain images, idioms, and colors may have different meanings in different regions. What’s considered funny or casual in one culture could be offensive in another. This is another reason why relying on machine translation alone is risky.
Get technical with your international marketing strategy.
The technical side of creating a multilingual website is where things get really complex. Here are a few technical considerations to keep in mind:
- One language per page: Mixing multiple languages on one page can confuse search engine crawlers and hurt your SEO.
- Language-specific URLs: Language-specific URLs: Use subdirectories (e.g., /es/ for Spanish) or subdomains (e.g., es.yourwebsite.com), and use hreflang tags to indicate the language. For SEO, it’s also essential to use canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.”
- Geo-targeting: Allow users to choose their language instead of relying completely on geotargeting-based redirects. Google recommends showing a language selector instead of auto-redirecting.
- Accessibility: Ensure that assistive tools like screen readers can recognize language changes and support users with disabilities.
It’s a lot to juggle. While DIY solutions exist, this level of technical detail often calls for a professional hand. International website design can be overwhelming, but it’s also an opportunity to grow your brand on a global scale. From managing translations to adjusting layout for right-to-left languages, every step you take toward localization builds a more inclusive, accessible, and profitable website.
This brings us to the next step: crafting a marketing road map.
Build a marketing road map with international marketing.
Expanding your business internationally is a double-edged sword. On one side, you open the door to a wider customer base and higher revenue potential. On the other, you face new challenges in connecting with that target audience. Translating your website isn’t enough. You need a strategic approach to marketing.
Here’s where the concept of international marketing comes into play.
At its core, international marketing is about promoting your product or service to a global audience. But it’s more than that. Marketing to an international audience requires your efforts to be culturally relevant to your target market. It requires understanding local regulations, cultural sensitivities, regional privacy regulations compliance (GDPR, CCPA, etc), and the unique market forces at play in each specific country.
What are the benefits of international marketing?
If the cost or complexity of international marketing has you second-guessing, consider these key benefits:
- Tap into new, untapped markets. Expanding internationally gives your brand access to fresh customer bases that may have limited exposure to your products or services. Each new market introduces a wealth of potential customers, increasing your revenue opportunities. By positioning your brand in regions where demand is high but competition is low, you can claim a larger share of the market.
- Build global brand authority. A global presence signals prestige and credibility. Companies with international reach are often seen as more established and trustworthy. When customers see that your business operates across multiple countries, it enhances your reputation as a leader in your industry. This perception of success can lead to stronger partnerships, greater media exposure, and an increased ability to charge premium prices.
These benefits aren’t just theoretical. Businesses that expand internationally often see a significant boost in brand recognition, sales, and influence. If you’re ready to tap into the power of global growth, a strategic international marketing plan is the key to success.
The importance of choosing the right partner
International marketing is not a task you should give to just anyone. Missteps in cultural sensitivity, language, or design can lead to costly mistakes. There’s a reason the internet is filled with stories of embarrassing branding errors from global brands.
Choosing an experienced marketing partner with international know-how can save you from these pitfalls. Level343 can help you build a marketing strategy tailored to your target countries.
What can an international marketer do for you?
As an international marketer, Level343 works with your company from top to bottom, starting with market research and insights. The foundation of every business is an understanding of consumer buyer behaviors , habits, competitors, and other factors that can affect your bottom line. Sound research is the basis of any marketing strategy, whether local or international.
However, the most significant contribution is bridging your company with a specific audience. To connect with a new market, it does not work to simply translate A to B. Instead, your campaign needs to have an impact on the new audience through its content, appearance, and message delivery. For example, does the new market favor browsing using a mobile device? Are there colors or numbers that are culturally significant or hold superstitious meaning?
When you work with an international marketing expert like Level343, you get access to a range of vital services:
- Market research: Understand local consumer habits, competition, and other factors that affect your entry into new markets. AI tools for consumer insight collection, sentiment analysis, and data-driven decision-making make this process much faster. Tools like Sprinklr, SEMrush Market Explorer, and Brandwatch offer the ability to analyze market trends, identify competitor strategies, and assess regional opportunities. However, it’s important to double-check the data for accuracy and relevance.
- Brand translation: More than just language, this includes cultural context, local idioms, and branding that resonates with a new audience.
- SEO and keyword research: Different countries use different search terms. As well, regions often use local search engines (like Baidu in China or Yandex in Russia), not just Google. A proper international SEO strategy will work to put your brand at the top of local search results.
We bridge the gap between your business and a new global audience. By helping you identify the best markets for your brand, we make sure your expansion efforts are targeted, efficient, and profitable.
The wrap up…
Expanding internationally isn’t just adding a few new web pages or translating product descriptions. True expansion requires localization and brand adaptation — ensuring your brand feels relevant to new audiences by aligning with their language, cultural norms, and purchasing behaviors. DIY can get you part of the way there, but true success requires expert guidance.
Our international marketing experts understand the nuances of global branding. From technical SEO to localization, we can help your ensure your brand resonates on a global level, helping you avoid common pitfalls and capitalize on opportunities.
Whether you’re just starting to think about international expansion or you’re ready to launch your multilingual site, Level343 is your partner for growth. Let us help you expand your reach, capture new audiences, and become a truly global brand.
