First of all - no, you don't have to expand your website to 10 languages so that you can address all your customers in their native language. But we would like to show you why it can make sense to address your customers in their native language.
Globalization and linguistic diversity
People are drawn to new countries and cultures for very different reasons. One reason could be work in another country, love or perhaps simply the desire to travel. The spread of the internet has brought the whole world a lot closer together. This is when globalization gets its boost.
However, as the population moves in and out, not only cultures and habits mix, but also languages. A person's language is something very individual and as soon as we hear our mother tongue, we feel more at home. Do you know the feeling when you are in a country that doesn't speak your mother tongue and someone walks past you and speaks your language? You can't help but smile or look at the person for a moment. This reaction is completely normal, as language is one of our identifying features.
In Germany, German is the official language. This is not so easy in Switzerland, where there are officially 4 official languages - German, French, Italian and Romansh. The latest studies from Switzerland show that the national languages are distributed differently among the population. The majority, 62.6%, speak German as their main language. Just over a fifth (22.9%) speak French and 8.2% speak Italian. However, other languages are also spoken in addition to the official languages. For example, English, Portuguese, Albanian, Serbian, Croatian, Spanish and many other languages.1
Anyone who thinks that Switzerland is an exception because it is a fairly multicultural country and a popular place to work is mistaken. Many non-Germans also live in Germany and most of them (at least in the first generation) have a different mother tongue.
François Grosjean, professor of psycholiguistics, estimates that more than half of the world's population is bilingual or multilingual.2 In an EU study, however, they found that the proportion in the UK is just 39% and in the USA it is just under 20%. 3 This is an important reason for communicating in two or more languages: People are more likely to understand you.
Legal obligation
In some countries, it is indeed mandatory to provide information for consumers and employees in the local language. In Quebec, companies with 100 or more employees must provide this content in English and French, as this part of Canada is predominantly French-speaking.4 In Switzerland, all laws and official documents must be made available in German, French and Italian.5
Positive impact on the company
If content is displayed in the native language, this is not only a sign of appreciation, you are also addressing your customers more directly.4 Companies are also perceived as more entertaining and successful.6
Another major advantage was revealed in a study by the European Commission, which examined 23 EU countries: 42% of respondents would never buy a product that was not labeled in their own language. In addition, 56.2% of respondents stated that obtaining information in their own language was more important to them than the price.7
Habit also plays a central role. A survey has shown that 72% spend time on pages written in their own language.8
This is where the quote from former German Chancellor Willy Brandt finds its rightful place:
"If I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I am buying, then you must speak German." 9
Conclusion: If you want to win customers, it is important to address them in their own language. By making your communication multilingual, you create a stronger bond, offer a better customer experience and your customers are more likely to find what they are looking for. Ultimately, multilingualism could be an important selling point. 9,10
Calenso offers you the option of multilingualism
Scheduling appointments can be one of the most central interfaces for your company and your customers. Calenso has already designed the booking tool for 4 languages - German, French, English and Italian. When you add a quote, you can activate multilingualism so that you can translate your quote into the relevant languages. If you do not fill in these fields, your offer will appear in all four languages as you originally entered it.
Even if your website is perhaps not designed for multiple languages, you can still take a step towards helping your customers make appointments. Give them the freedom to choose the language they want to book in. Calenso has already translated all the basic words from the system for you. This makes it easy for your customer to switch languages and feel - literally - more addressed.
Register on Calenso today and offer appointments! If you have any questions about the features, feel free to contact us - we will be happy to help you!
