Building a website for an international market can be daunting. It is important to create a website that appeals to the sentimentality of the local population. This requires understanding the culture and principles of the target population.

In this blog post, you will learn some tips from Huntsville website design experts to create the perfect website for the foreign market.

1. Use Local Language for Website

An international website should have two versions. The one should be in the English language since it is an international language. The other should be in the local language of the target population. This will result in getting the message across to the maximum number of individuals in the international market.

But you should not just use a translation app to create international versions of your website. The apps don’t always create a perfect translation of a website. It is recommended to hire individuals proficient in the local language to create a website for the foreign market. The result will be a professional website that will make a positive impact on the target audience.

2. Globalized Design with Localized Content

The design of a website will impact the appeal of the website. The visual information should be customized for people from different cultures and nationalities.

Consider creating a globalized template for different versions of the website. You can create a single theme that can be adapted to different regions and countries. The design and layout of the website will remain uniform but with a different language and cultural elements.

A globalized template will save a lot of cost in designing a website for different regions. A single corporate theme for different regions will also result in a consistent brand image. It will allow you to project a uniform brand value to the target audience.

An example of a globalized template for international audiences is the IKEA website. You can see below the IKEA websites for Netherlands and Latvia.   The logo, layout, and colors remain the same for different regions. But the content and images of the websites are different.

3. Allow Users to Select a Language

You should also create a menu for users to easily choose between different languages. The benefit of showing the strategic navigation is that some users prefer to read in English, French, or other international languages rather than in the local language.

Giving attention to the reading preference of users will create a positive browsing experience. You can create a menu on the horizontal navigation bar for users to select their preferred language. This will result in a better understanding of your message and a positive online user experience.

5. Select Localized Colors

Every culture has specific color preferences. Chinese prefer the color red, while most western countries prefer the color white. You should localize the content with appropriate colors.

Colors influence a group of people. They have a specific psychological effect that varies from one group of people to another. So, it’s important to select colors that are preferred by the target demographics.

6. Use Localized Images

Using localized images will also have a positive impact on the local users. You should include images of products with the localized theme. Avoid using images that are considered offensive in the target region. You should also ensure that the individuals in the image belong to the same race and color you are targeting.

As an example, you should consider including Japanese models for a website that is targeted to Japanese audiences. This is an example of the localization of images that will have a positive impact on the target audience.

7. Select Local Keywords

Selecting the right keywords is important for search engine ranking. You must select keywords for international versions based on their popularity in the target country.

Google Keywords Planner shows popular keywords based on locations. You should select those keywords and translate them when creating a version of your website in an international language.

8. Choose an Appropriate Website Structure

You have two options when creating international versions of a website. The first option is to create a different URL for different countries. For instance, you can create a website with the domain address www.shoes.es for the Spanish version and www.shoes.de for the German version of the website.

Another more cost-effective method is to create subdomains for each version of the website. The benefit of using this approach is that it will help in ranking your website in search engines. The website’s authority and popularity will transfer to different websites. So, you need less time and effort in link building and other Huntsville SEO strategies to rank your website.

The third option is to create a directory for languages. The advantage of this option similar to creating subdomains is that it will make it easier to rank your website. You will have one domain for ranking instead of different domains for the localized version of the website.

An example is the Nike website that has the address ‘www.nike.com/es’ for the Spanish version of the website and ‘www.nike.com/de’ for the German version of the website.

9. Ensure High-Quality Content

A common mistake is not focusing on quality when creating an international version of the website. You need to hire professional linguists to ensure that the content is professional with no errors.

The quality of the website should remain consistent across different website versions. Make sure that you don’t overlook the subtle details such as date formats, measurement metrics, and other differences.

10. Avoid Duplicate Content Issues

Websites that target different countries may have the same content. Google and other search engines may penalize the websites for duplicate content. You must use the hreflang tag to avoid the duplicate content issue.

Conclusion

Creating a website for international audiences requires paying attention to details. It is important to adapt your website to the different cultures and preferences of your international audiences. All the different versions of the website should reflect professionalism and quality.

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