Find the Best Available Multilingual Solutions for Your Web Site

Last week, we talked about the benefits of translating your Web site into multiple languages, particularly those that are spoken by many of your customers. This week, we are discussing the best available options for translating your site from English. You want to ensure your translated text is cogent and readable in the languages you choose; the last thing you need is your multilingual clients reading page after page of gibberish!
Following are some of the best options we've found:

1. Using Google Translate
   Google Translate is a handy add-on for any site because it creates a drop-down menu that allows visitors to select an alternate language into which each page is automatically translated.
2. Translating only one "important" page of your site (i.e. Services)
   The one page on your site that contains the most valuable information is translated into another language. You can accomplish this by having a native speaker translate the text. Keep in mind that your CMS platform must support Unicode for this option.
3. Multilingual options are mandatory
   Here in Canada, federal, provincial and local government Web sites must provide access to users in French and additional languages. The alternate languages must be accurate translations to accommodate a wide variety of users.
4. The site owner is fluent in more than one language
   When the site/business owner is comfortable speaking to his or her clientele in more than one language, it makes sense to translate the site into those languages. The site owner can choose to translate one page, a selection of pages or the entire site.
5. When you want to attract a specific clientele
   Many online businesses need to focus on attracting a certain clientele for their products and services. Some examples would be restaurants specializing in ethnic foods, real estate agents/lawyers who may cater to immigrant clients, hotels in tourist destinations like Cuba or Mexico looking to entice Canadian customers.

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