90% of EU internet users prefer to browse in their own language. Whether that means app localization or CMS content translation, meeting people in their language is what builds trust and gets them to convert.
Website translation affects trust, conversion, and how many people can use your site at all. Here are the business benefits worth knowing.
1. Catering to user preferences with native language content
For most internet users, native language content decides whether they stay on the page. Around 90% of EU internet users choose to visit websites in their own language whenever possible, and people simply engage more when they can read in their own tongue.
Actionable Tip: Translate your highest-traffic pages first: homepage, product descriptions, and customer service. That gets most visitors a good experience from day one.
2. Bridging the language gap
English does not work for everyone online. About 55% of EU internet users consume content in languages other than their own, and only 48% are comfortable reading in English. CSA Research found that 40% of consumers will not buy from websites in other languages, which means an English-only site excludes a real share of your addressable market.
Actionable Tip: Use multilingual SEO strategies to target specific languages relevant to your audience. Optimize your content with localised keywords in those languages to boost visibility and attract more localized traffic. This is a core part of any SEO website translation strategy. Applying multilingual SEO best practices early ensures a solid technical foundation. Read more about the main benefits of multilingual SEO.
3. Improving accessibility and promoting inclusivity
Around 44% of EU internet users report missing out on valuable information because websites aren’t available in a language they understand, which is a barrier to inclusivity as much as a missed business opportunity.
Translating your website lets a wider audience access your content, take part in online activities, and use your services.
Actionable Tip: Add a language switcher to your website so users can move between languages without friction.
4. English as a secondary option
While native languages reign supreme, English is often the fallback option. About 53% of users are willing to switch to an English version if their preferred language isn’t available. However, reliance solely on English can limit your reach, especially in regions where English proficiency is lower.
Actionable Tip: Balance the use of English with key local languages. This dual approach ensures you cater to the majority while still accommodating those comfortable with English.
5. Meeting the demand for multilingual websites
88% of EU internet users believe websites should be available in their country’s official languages, and 81% also want versions in other languages. That is a baseline businesses now need to meet, often with modern translation software to keep quality consistent at scale.
Actionable Tip: Regularly audit your website to identify which languages are most valuable to your audience. Use analytics to track user preferences and adjust your translation efforts accordingly.
Discover how language preferences impact online activities.
6. Facilitating diverse online activities
From browsing information and reading news to shopping and professional networking, users engage in various activities online. Translated content removes language barriers, making these activities more accessible and enjoyable.
Actionable Tip: Ensure that all interactive elements, like forms, buttons, and navigation menus, are also translated. This approach improves usability and keeps users engaged.
7. Addressing socio-demographic variations
Not all users are the same. Younger audiences, highly educated individuals, and full-time students might be more open to using English, while older users and those with lower educational backgrounds prefer their native language. Understanding these nuances helps tailor your translation strategy effectively.
Actionable Tip: Segment your audience based on demographics and personalize the language options accordingly. Use data-driven insights to prioritize translations that align with your target segments.
AI Glot for translation at volume
Translating content at real volume is not a job for a single plugin. AI Glot translates a whole export in one job and shows you the credit cost before you approve it. Read our guide on how AI helps with website translations, or go straight to how to translate CSV files with AI for a step-by-step walkthrough.
What changes once the volume gets serious:
- More than 35 formats, not one plugin: a CSV export, a spreadsheet, an app’s locale file, a subtitle track. “Limited to a single plugin” is the problem this removes, whatever the file turns out to be.
- A plan before a cost: the languages, the word count and the price come back before anything runs, so translating your whole site is a decision you make once you have seen the number, not a leap of faith.
- A glossary that outlives the project: the brand terms you fix once apply to the next update automatically, which is what “translating the site” actually means once it is not a one-time launch. This is the same discipline behind doing translations in bulk without tedious copy-pasting.
Conclusion
Website translation affects user experience, reach, and inclusivity, not just a checkbox for launch. Start with the pages that matter most, keep terminology consistent as you add languages, and use a tool like AI Glot once you’re translating more than you can manage by hand.
Sign up to AI Glot to get started.