Translating websites into foreign languages is a demanding task, but companies often make a crucial mistake, one that could be very easily avoided. Check whether you might be making it too.

How should you design the language menu when translating a website?

In September 2017, Amidas’ new website was launched. We had been preparing it for a long time and worked hard to present to our visitors, clients, and potential clients who we are, what we do, and how we do it.

We’re sure that you too have invested a great deal of effort and energy into your company’s website. In today’s business world, it’s the place where we invite visitors in. Those who find what they’re looking for and feel welcome will stay with us, and that’s when business can begin.

Website Translation – A Key Element of Success in International Business

Many companies doing business abroad are aware that a good translation or localization of their website into the languages of their target markets is essential for success. They don’t decide to do it just because it sounds nice, they know what research has shown: the vast majority of people choose to view a website in their native language if that option is available.

Research has also shown that the likelihood of a purchase or cooperation is much higher if visitors can view the website in their own language. Don’t just take our word for it, you can see the results of two such studies here and here.

We’ll discuss the importance of having a truly high-quality website translation another time. Today, however, we want to highlight one small but significant mistake that many companies make, a mistake that can actually hurt them.

Are you making this mistake too?

Many countries are multilingual, and many languages are spoken in more than one country. Companies that translate their websites into English most often use the flag of the United Kingdom to symbolize the language. What they don’t realize is that this can potentially alienate all other native speakers of English, from Americans to Canadians, Irish, and others. The same goes for other languages.

Because you want to clearly show them where to click, you decide to use small icons in the language selection menu. What could say “click here for German” more clearly than a German flag, right?

No.

Unfortunately, flags are a poor choice as symbols for languages. Do you know why?

Let us illustrate this with an example.

If you decide to translate your website, never use a flag as the symbol for a language.

Imagine that you want to do business in German-speaking markets. Your product (or service) appeals to German-speaking audiences, so you decide to invest in translating your website into German. You want potential German-speaking customers to visit it and find what they need.

Franz from Salzburg, who is your ideal customer, finds your website. But when it comes to choosing a language, you show him the German flag. Franz will understand that it represents his language, but at a subconscious level, he might get the impression that you would prefer Franz from Frankfurt as a customer instead of him.

Why is a subconscious impression important?

We don’t make decisions purely with our rational mind, as our subconscious, like the hidden part of an iceberg beneath the water, has a major influence on our choices.

When we form an impression at the subconscious level, it strongly affects our “feeling” about people (and companies), even if we can’t explain how or why.

Franz from Salzburg will understand your website, what you offer, and that you have what he wants. Yet somewhere deep down, he might feel that something isn’t quite right. That he doesn’t quite like you.

If you ask him why, he might not even know himself, but his subconscious will. You’re subtly signaling to him that you don’t respect his nationality, because Franz is Austrian, and you’ve shown him a German flag.

Flags are not symbols for languages, but for countries.

Many countries are multilingual, and many languages are spoken in more than one country. Podjetja, ki se odločijo za prevajanje spletnih strani v angleščino, najpogosteje za simbol jezika uporabijo zastavo Združenega kraljestva.Companies that decide to translate their websites into English most often use the flag of the United Kingdom as the symbol for the language. They don’t realize that this can potentially alienate all other native English speakers, from Americans to Canadians, Irish, and others. The same applies to other languages.

So how should you design the language menu?

If you’ve already decided to translate your website to attract foreign customers, we advise against using flags in the language menu.

Instead, we suggest two good alternatives:

1. Use the full word for the language, such as slovenščina, English, Deutsch, etc. Make sure that the language menu is visually distinct from the rest of the navigation bar. This way, someone who doesn’t understand Slovenian will clearly see that they can select a language there.
2. Use abbreviations: SLO, DE, EN, etc. We chose this option ourselves, as it’s visually simpler but still clearly indicates that these are languages.

Naturally, there are other possible solutions as well. Regardless of which option you choose, we hope this article has helped you understand that flags are not the best choice and has guided you in turning your website visitors into customers.