Top Considerations When Optimizing Your Website Content Across Cultures
Adapting your corporate website to reach customers around the world presents multiple challenges. It’s important to optimize your design, translate, approach SEO from a multilingual perspective, be mindful of cultural differences, and more.
Whether your aim is to serve customers in your current country where multiple languages are spoken, break into new global markets, or make your site more accessible across cultures, perfecting your website’s messaging and appearance can ultimately lead to better customer conversion.
Here’s what you need to know to ensure your international website content performs.
Website page design and navigation best practices
Visuals and design are an important part of any website, but they're even more significant when you're creating a site that will be visited by people from all over the world.
Images, videos, and illustrations can help audiences understand what you're trying to say or sell much faster than text alone. However, there are cultural factors to weigh in which images you choose to include in your translated sites. This can even come down to color choices and how they’re perceived by different markets. Consider the associations that different colors and images may have in the countries you’re targeting and adjust accordingly.
This type of consideration should also extend to aspects of your site like seasonality representations. A snowy winter scene for holiday promotions may work well in Europe, but, on the other side of the world, Australia will be basking in the sun during the same time of year.
Site navigation elements, such as the placement of your language switcher (how your website visitors can select their preferred language), also play a role. Your language switcher should be on a visible part of your site, such as your menu, using the native language name (for example, French should be listed as Français.)
You’ll want to avoid using country flags to symbolize languages. While it may look nice visually, a flag cannot be representative of one particular language.
Translating your website content
You can only optimize your multilingual content after you’ve translated your site. Fortunately, translating your Squarespace site is convenient with the Weglot extension.
The Weglot extension can translate your site content into 100+ languages and can then display the translations (and you don’t have to manually add new pages). Plus, it gives you full control over managing and editing your translations.
Being mindful of cultural sensitivities
When adapting your website content for new global audiences, it's important to understand the specificity of cultural nuances within each language.
Using native languages is a powerful tool to communicate ideas and concepts in ways unique to each culture. But when you're translating your website, these cultural differences need to stay top of mind so that you can communicate with your target audience the right way.
When localizing your content, it’s helpful to enlist the services of a professional translator who's experienced in the market of your choice to edit your content for maximum effect.
For example, in Japanese writing, using complex sentence structures and honorifics are common. This is due to the Japanese cultural tradition of showing respect and politeness.
Furthermore, the same language spoken in multiple countries may also convey very different cultural nuances (such as the differences between Spanish in Spain and Latin America). Grammar and vocabulary may vary considerably, and you need to reflect these differences in your site copy.
How to optimize multilingual SEO
To improve your website’s SEO rankings in different countries, you’ll want to carry out keyword research in your target markets. A direct translation of a keyword isn’t always going to be accurate, and understanding the correct colloquial terminology for search intent will help make your site more visible in search rankings.
Once you’ve researched the best keywords for your target market, you can replace them throughout your translated content. Don't forget about the importance of link-building either. Building out links to your site in international markets will boost your chances of ranking higher.
To simplify handling the more technical aspects of multilingual SEO, Weglot takes care of your translated metadata, hreflang tag implementation, and language URL structure. This allows you to spend more time on the strategic part of SEO.
Additional considerations
To optimize your translated website content even further, here are some other, smaller considerations.
Units of measurement. Adding the right unit of measurement will depend on what country you’re targeting.
Date formats. Dates may be displayed differently. Take the UK, for example, where it’s common to write the day/month/year (while in the US, it’s month/day/year.) Using the incorrect format could be confusing for your new site visitors, especially if you’re running time-sensitive campaigns.
Local currencies. If you’re selling internationally, then you’ll want to ensure your site allows customers to pay in their preferred currency, as well as use their preferred payment method.
Payment options. While one country might prefer paying by credit card, it’s possible that another prefers different payment technology. Offer options that reflect the regional preference.
Fonts. Don’t overlook what font you’re currently using on your Squarespace website. Your default font might work in one language but become unreadable in another.
Emojis. Again, cultural nuance comes into play here. Emojis have very different meanings in countries across the world. If keeping track becomes too complex, consider removing them entirely from your translated website.
Optimizing your corporate website content for global audiences is not only important, but it’s necessary in order to grow your international customer base. By following the tips and strategies outlined, you'll be well on your way to creating a website that appeals to people from all cultures.