Top Picks for Multilingual Website Solutions

Creating a multilingual website is a strategic move for businesses aiming to expand their global reach. For CMOs, CEOs, and customer service managers in big businesses, choosing the right website builder is crucial. This guide highlights the best website builders for creating multilingual websites, comparing their features in detail to help you make an informed decision. Learn how to harness the power of these platforms to effectively engage international audiences.

Why Multilingual Websites Matter

In today’s global market, a multilingual website isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. By catering to customers in their native languages, businesses can significantly enhance their brand presence worldwide. Expanding audience reach is paramount, as it opens new markets and opportunities that were previously inaccessible. A multilingual website improves user experience by providing information that resonates with users culturally and linguistically, thereby increasing engagement and satisfaction. Furthermore, multilingual websites boost SEO rankings in different languages, making your business more visible on international search engines. This increased visibility can directly translate to increased international sales and customer loyalty by making your products or services more accessible to non-native speakers. Explore the benefits of a multi-language website to understand these advantages in greater depth.

Key Considerations When Choosing a Website Builder

When selecting a website builder for multilingual sites, consider these essential factors to ensure optimal performance and user experience:

Ease of Multilingual Support: Seek out built-in features or plugins that simplify the process of adding and maintaining multiple languages. Builders like WordPress, with its plugins WPML or Polylang, can offer extensive multilingual functionalities, making it easier for businesses to expand globally without extensive technical overhead.
SEO Capabilities: Opt for platforms that allow you to optimize for search engines in each of the languages your site operates in. This involves crafting SEO-friendly URLs, meta-tags, and localized keyword strategies that enhance your visibility in local search results.
Scalability: Ensure the builder can support expanding content and features as your business grows. Scalability is crucial for staying adaptive to market demands and scaling your content efficiently.
Integration Options: Assess the compatibility with essential tools such as CRM systems or multilingual live chat support. These integrations can enhance your website’s functionality and service delivery.

Top Website Builders for Multilingual Websites

1. Shopify

Best for: E-commerce businesses focusing on international markets. Shopify is a powerful platform designed to manage large inventories and streamline online sales processes globally.

Multilingual Support: Supports multiple languages, especially when integrated with translation apps like Weglot, allowing businesses to easily translate their storefronts across multiple languages and countries.
E-commerce Excellence: Shopify is equipped with robust features perfect for online stores, such as extensive payment gateway support and secure checkout options, making it ideal for international sales.
Pricing: Starts at $29/month, providing a scalable pricing model as your business grows.
Features: Extensive app store and AI tools for enhanced functionality. The presence of an AI-driven app ecosystem facilitates additional capabilities, such as inventory management and customer engagement.

Limitations: May require additional apps for comprehensive multilingual support, which could incur additional costs depending on the desired functionality and customization.

2. Hostinger Website Builder

Best for: Businesses seeking an affordable solution with multilingual capabilities. Hostinger offers competitive pricing and essential features that cater to businesses operating in multiple regions.

Multilingual Support: Allows creation of websites in multiple languages, making it a strong contender for companies looking to broaden their reach without breaking the bank.
Time Zone Control: Useful for scheduling and booking features across regions, ensuring seamless operations across geographically diverse markets.
Pricing: Competitive rates starting at $2.69/month offer incredible value for businesses running on a budget.
Features: User-friendly interface with essential tools for website building, making navigation and customization straightforward even for beginners.

Limitations: Limited subpage navigation; not ideal for large websites with complex structures that require elaborate site navigation menus.

3. HubSpot CMS

Best for: Businesses needing integrated marketing, sales, and CRM tools. HubSpot CMS combines website building with a comprehensive suite of business tools.

Multilingual Support: Supports up to three languages with SEO-friendly URLs, which simplifies content management and boosts multilingual search visibility.
Integration: Seamless connection with HubSpot’s suite of business tools, allowing for cohesive strategy execution across customer interactions and marketing campaigns.
Pricing: Starts at $23/month, scaling with additional features. This allows for tailored solutions as your requirements evolve.
Features: Comprehensive marketing and analytics tools built-in, facilitating in-depth analysis of customer data and marketing efficacy.

Limitations: The editor can be complex due to the abundance of features; costs rise significantly with added functionalities, which might complicate decision making for smaller, budget-conscious operations.

4. WordPress with Multilingual Plugins

Best for: Businesses requiring flexibility and customization. WordPress is renowned for its vast library of plugins and themes which allow for extensive customization.

Multilingual Support: Use plugins like WPML or Polylang to add multilingual functionality, providing powerful translation options and ease of site duplication for multilingual management.
SEO Optimization: Advanced SEO plugins available for multilingual SEO help maximize search engine performance across various languages.
Pricing: WordPress itself is free; costs come from hosting and premium plugins, offering flexibility in scaling expenses according to specific needs.
Features: Highly customizable with thousands of themes and plugins, enabling unique and tailored website experiences.

Limitations: Requires more technical knowledge; managing multiple plugins can be complex, particularly when ensuring compatibility and updates across different tools.

5. Squarespace

Best for: Design-focused businesses with a need for stunning visuals. Squarespace is ideal for showcasing creative portfolios.

Multilingual Support: Limited built-in support; requires workarounds for multilingual sites, such as manually creating duplicated pages and custom navigation.
Design Templates: Offers beautiful, professionally designed templates that can elevate brand image through aesthetically appealing web design.
Pricing: Plans start at $16/month, offering good value relative to the quality of design tools provided.
Features: Strong for portfolio, art, and design websites, making it a perfect choice for industries where visual storytelling is key.

Limitations: Not ideal for extensive multilingual functionalities; fewer third-party integrations limit the adaptability for diverse business requirements.

6. Wix

Best for: Small to medium businesses wanting ease of use. Wix is known for its user-friendly interface.

Multilingual Support: Offers a multilingual app, but may be cumbersome for larger sites due to limitations in management and scalability once language offerings become complex.
User-Friendly: Intuitive drag-and-drop editor with over 900 templates makes it easy to build visually appealing websites quickly.
Pricing: Plans start at $17/month, providing a wide range of functionality for businesses with basic requirements.
Features: Wide range of apps and add-ons for customization, enhancing the ability to tailor site functionality to specific business needs.

Limitations: Limited scalability for more complex multilingual needs, potentially causing challenges as businesses grow.

Enhancing Your Multilingual Website with Askly

Building a multilingual website is only part of the equation. Providing exceptional customer service in multiple languages is equally important. That’s where Askly’s multilingual live chat support comes in. This tool empowers businesses to offer exceptional, localized customer support, which is a differentiator in today’s competitive global market.

Why Integrate Askly?

Real-Time Translation: Communicate with customers in over 100 languages instantly, bridging communication gaps and fostering positive customer interactions regardless of language barriers.
Automation: Streamline customer inquiries with automated responses, reducing response times and enhancing operational efficiency.
Customization: Match the chat interface with your brand’s design to ensure brand consistency across all customer touchpoints.
Analytics: Gain insights with comprehensive analytics and statistics that inform you about customer behavior and engagement metrics critical for strategic decision-making.
Seamless Integration: Easily add to your website without the need for extensive development, allowing for immediate enhancement of your customer support capabilities.

By incorporating Askly, businesses can break language barriers and enhance customer satisfaction. Learn more about the importance of multilingual customer chat support.

Best Practices for Creating a Multilingual Website

Professional Translation: Invest in high-quality translations to maintain brand integrity. It is essential to use professional translators or tools that can ensure accuracy and contextual relevance.
Cultural Localization: Adapt content to resonate with different cultural contexts, ensuring that the messaging is not only understood but also meaningful to local audiences.
SEO in All Languages: Optimize keywords and meta tags for each language to ensure your website ranks well across different search engines worldwide.
Consistent Branding: Ensure your brand message is consistent across all languages to maintain brand integrity and recognition regardless of geographical location.
User-Friendly Navigation: Provide easy language selection options for users to switch languages seamlessly, ensuring a smooth user experience.

For a deeper dive, check out our guide on how to make your website multilingual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I have multiple languages on my website without starting from scratch?

A: Yes, many website builders allow you to add new languages to your existing site. Tools and plugins can duplicate your site structure, allowing you to insert translations easily. With platforms like WordPress, you can use plugins that facilitate multilingual site creation, enabling smooth transitions into new language territories.

Q: Is Shopify suitable for multilingual websites?

A: Absolutely. Shopify, especially when combined with translation apps, is a strong choice for multilingual e-commerce sites. Learn more about creating a multilingual Shopify store.

Q: Does using multiple languages affect my site’s SEO?

A: Implemented correctly, multilingual SEO can significantly boost your site’s visibility in different regions. It’s essential to optimize each language version for local search engines, ensuring the right use of hreflang tags and localized keyword strategies. The result is improved global search performance and audience reach.

Q: How can I provide customer support in multiple languages?

A: Utilizing tools like Askly’s multilingual chat support enables real-time communication with customers in their preferred language, ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion

Selecting the right website builder is a critical step in creating an effective multilingual website. Consider your business’s unique needs, the features offered by each platform, and how they align with your global strategy. Don’t forget to complement your site with tools like Askly to provide outstanding multilingual customer service. For inspiration, explore these multilingual website examples and see how businesses effectively engage a global audience. Consider how embracing multilingual capabilities can propel your business to new heights, enhancing international relationships and fostering brand loyalty across diverse markets.