Even though English is still the most widely spoken language around the world, when it comes to making business online it is hard to underestimate the importance of hosting a multilingual website.

Trust is based on understanding – once the content is presented in the user’s native tongue, chances are high the visitor will choose to continue his or her activities within the particular website: sharing a post, booking a hotel or leaving a review about a product or service.

There are several businesses, which may be particularly affected by online multilingual presence.

A tourist searching for an accommodation in a foreign country will more likely use a website that contains information in his first language: it is way easier and faster to get a better view of hotel amenities, go over user ratings and evaluate the pricing options when all the details are presented in one’s native tongue. Tourist attraction websites that include descriptions of cultural and historical venues along with travelers’ comments are another niche that can benefit from multilingual display. These and other similar websites are usually visited by people from all around the world: therefore it is necessary for a tourist online business to be accessible in several commonly spoken languages.

Virtual gambling and casinos is a multi-billion industry which has become extremely popular in the last few years. The laws and legislations related to gaming activities are fluctuating and varying from country to country, yet there are European and South American governments that allow, or at least not ban their citizens from playing remotely on foreign websites. Therefore, if you decide to launch an online casino in the UK, think about the potential market opportunities all around Europe and the rest of the world as well. Brazil and Uruguay, for example, have no regulations against virtual playing in overseas gambling clubs. Italian gaming authorities are currently in process trying to restrict its citizens from accessing out-of-the country websites; however, for the time being it is impossible to predict the outcome.

Considering that there are prospective visitors outside of the UK, a gaming website available in more than one language will inevitably increase your target group and, consequently, might expand your turnover.

If your website specializes in business consulting and legal advice such as UK company formation, your potential customers will benefit a lot more from being exposed to the information in their original language. Grasping legal documentation that is required for the creation of a new company in a different country can be quite challenging even in one’s mother tongue, not to speak about foreign language. Therefore, offering multilingual financial guidelines may significantly increase the number of your prospects and improve the conversion rate: people will more likely subscribe to your newsletter or send a quote request when they feel confident and understand every single word of your website content.

***

Online competition has never been easy. It is, therefore, vital to strive and provide the best user experience possible in terms of content and performance. Despite today’s availability of automatic translation software people find it more convenient to land on a website that already contains a version in their native tongue created by professionals and not a machine. The more language options you display the more attractive you become to different markets around the world. With so many websites offering similar products and services, your multilingual pages might be the key differentiator that will help you stand out. Eventually, it may determine the future of your website and the business overall.