Let your website speak foreign languages

Mutations – a relic or a good idea?

It may seem that this entire topic could be concluded by saying that every web user can manage with English. Before you do that, consider language mutations as a business decision and a service for the customer, which you are accommodating and making the decision-making process easier for them. There are many reasons to create language versions. Here are the most common:

• you want to let your customers know that you are entering or already operating in one of the foreign markets
• you have branches in selected countries and want to refer to the corresponding business representation and contacts through mutations
• statistics from the current website traffic indicate that a significant percentage of users is coming from that country or language area
• and finally, remember that you cannot be found in search engines for anything that is not on your website — and that in the language the user is searching in

5 things you should know about language versions

• You can add a language version to the website at any time — The ability to create new language versions of the website is one of the core features of content management systems. Our Kentico platform does not limit us in any way, so we can create a language version of the website at any stage of the project. If the project expands and after a year from launch you need it to speak foreign languages — no problem.
• Kentico has a database of all official languages in the world — In the selection menu for the website's language version, you also choose the locale alongside the language. English, for example, has all territories where English is officially spoken (USA, United Kingdom, Australia, etc.) available. For Switzerland, you can choose from German, Italian, and French.
• A version may contain a different page structure — Language versions displayed on one website do not have to be identical. It is quite common for a company to present a career section, news, or a blog on its domestic market. Some services and products may not be offered in certain countries for legal reasons. It is very easy to hide these pages, offers, and products in foreign language versions of the websites.
• Each language may (but does not have to) have its own domain — If this is important for you or foreign business partners, we will set up a new version on its own domain. The Czech website will run at https://domena.cz/ and, for example, the German version of the website will run at https://domena.de/. If you do not want to manage and pay for multiple domains, we will launch a new language version at https://domena.cz/de/, or on a third-level domain https://de.domain.cz/.
• E-shops with foreign currencies — If you own an online store, you can offer customers payment in different currencies alongside language versions. Besides Czech koruna, euros or US dollars are most commonly used. Such a combination can be found, for example, on our client McRace's website.

How to Switch and Target Languages

From both foreign and Czech websites that you use, you are likely familiar with the language switcher typically located in the upper right corner of the page. You can essentially use the language versions of the website in two ways:

As language versions of the website for English, German, Russian, or Spanish-speaking users
If your business operates across countries and you do not need to target specific markets, this solution will suffice. The language switcher can contain only a few items instead of dozens of versions for each country where you sell or want to start a business. We always recommend starting with a smaller solution that can be expanded at any time.

As a presentation for individual markets (regions or countries)
If you operate in a German-speaking market and want to indicate to customers that you have a separate offer for each country and display content in the appropriate version of German, we will simply create separate variations for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland together.

SEO for Language Variants

• How to Structure Your Website and Analyze Keywords

From an online marketing perspective, it is possible to conduct basic market potential research using tools such as Google Trends. This provides initial insight into the terms that local users use when searching, as well as the market potential. However, keyword analysis needs to be created for each language separately — differences between individual markets can be significant.

• The Difference Between Translation and Localization

Localization is a higher level of translation, where you do not translate text 1:1 into the language, but work with it according to the customs and expectations of foreign users. For successful website localization, having someone on your team who actually lives in the target country is most beneficial. There are many small details that may not seem important at first glance, but can significantly reduce the credibility and conversion rate of the website. 

In e-commerce projects, the most common mistake is insufficient adaptation of payment methods to the local market. URLs and preview images for social media that contain text also need to be localized. Tools like Consumer Barometer from Google help quickly obtain basic comparisons of user behavior across different markets. However, the data should be taken with caution due to its age.

• How to Handle Domains — When to Use domain.de and When to Use domain.cz/de

A variety of factors play a role in correctly choosing a strategy for working with domains and URL structures. The option of a single domain with variants differentiated only by a slash is usually simpler from a technical standpoint and typically ensures a faster website launch. In some markets, it may be difficult to appear credible with such a domain. The business aspect of the domain decision is very important and should not be overlooked.

• What is hreflang and How to Work with It

Hreflang tags help search engines determine which version of a website to display to users in search results. By correctly implementing hreflang tags, you significantly increase the likelihood that, for example, a user in Germany will actually see the relevant subpage of the website in German. Proper implementation of hreflang tags can be technically quite challenging and mistakes are often made during this process. Therefore, it is advisable to review the implementation again.

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