If you want to connect with users from Japan or sell products globally, creating a multilingual website in Japanese and English is essential. However, building a bilingual website requires more than simple translation. In this article, we will explain the key points of multilingual website development and outline the process for a smooth project execution.
When creating a multilingual website, the following challenges may arise:
Rather than direct translation, localization that aligns with the target audience’s culture is necessary. You may have come across machine-translated Japanese on foreign websites that seem unnatural. Similarly, providing products and services to international or Japanese customers requires natural, fluent texts in both English and Japanese.
Search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be tailored to each language. For example, Japanese and English users tend to use different search keywords. Developing an SEO strategy that suits each language is crucial for increasing visibility in search results.
Since the length of text varies between languages, design issues may arise. Japanese text tends to be more compact than English, while English translations often take up more space. To maintain a visually balanced layout, spacing, margins, and sentence structure must be adjusted accordingly.
A language switch feature should be implemented to allow users to seamlessly toggle between Japanese and English versions of the website. This enhances multilingual accessibility and ensures a user-friendly experience for a diverse audience.
If the website content needs frequent updates, a content management system (CMS) should be configured to ensure that English content is updated on the English pages and Japanese content on the Japanese pages.
the basic process for developing a multilingual website:
It is important to determine which countries and regions your target users belong to and develop content and design strategies accordingly.
Plan the structure of the multilingual website and define its pages. Some examples include:
Instead of direct translation, content should be adjusted to ensure clarity and cultural appropriateness for the target audience. The tone of the English text should match your business context, and localization should be considered based on regional variations. Other factors, such as currency, date formats, and legal requirements, should also be taken into account.
Building a multilingual website requires expertise in not just translation but also SEO, design, and system implementation. Therefore, it is best to work with professionals who have specialized knowledge and experience.
At Goat WebCreation Japan, we provide end-to-end support for multilingual website development, from planning and design to translation and ongoing maintenance.
If you’re not sure where to start with your multilingual website project, feel free to reach out. Contacting us and discussing your vision is completely free, so let us know your plan, and we’ll help bring it to life!