For many, localising a website is no longer an option - it's a necessity. With 76% of consumers preferring to buy in their mother tongue, adapting content to local markets has become crucial for any company aiming for an international presence.
Webflow has understood this by natively integrating Webflow Localization into its platform. This solution now makes it easy to manage the translation and adaptation of your site's content, without relying on third-party tools.
At Digidop, we regularly help companies with their localisation strategy. Recently, we managed the migration of Credial's website from Weglot to Webflow Localization.
In this article, we'll take you step by step through the process of localising your Webflow site. From the initial setup to optimization tips, including our feedback with Credial, you will discover how to fully leverage the capabilities of Webflow Localization to effectively reach your target markets.
The challenge of internationalisation for companies
Internationalising a website is a complex challenge for companies. In addition to simple translation, an entire digital strategy needs to be rethought.
The first obstacle is technical management. Companies need to maintain several versions of their site while guaranteeing a consistent experience. This means managing different URL structures, adapting dynamic content and synchronising updates between languages.
Then there's the cultural challenge. Each market potentially has its own codes, browsing habits and expectations. Companies need to adapt not only the text, but also the visuals, the tone and sometimes even the structure of the pages to resonate with their local audience.
Finally, multilingual SEO requires special attention. You need to manage hreflang tags, optimise content for local search engines and implement an SEO strategy tailored to each country.
Faced with these challenges, having a robust technical solution like Webflow Localization becomes a major asset. It enables companies to focus on their content strategy rather than on the technical aspects of internationalisation.
Why localise your website?
In the digital age, localising a website is much more than just translating it. It's a strategic investment that has a direct impact on the performance of your online presence. Here's why localisation has become essential.
Impact on engagement and conversions
The figures speak for themselves: 76% of Internet users prefer to buy products presented in their mother tongue. This preference is easy to explain - users feel more confident when browsing in their own language they understand your offers and conditions better, and are more inclined to take action.
Localisation also allows you to adapt your message to the cultural specificities of each market. Content that resonates with local values and habits naturally generates more engagement. The result: longer sessions, lower bounce rates and, ultimately, better conversions.
Improving local referencing
Google and other search engines favour local content in their results. A well-localised site has a significant advantage in terms of SEO: optimised indexing for each language version, better positioning on local keywords and increased relevance for geolocalised searches.
This increased visibility translates into more qualified organic traffic, precisely targeting users in each geographical area.
Competitive advantage in international markets
In a globalised world, localisation is becoming a key differentiator. It demonstrates your commitment to your target markets and sets you apart from competitors who are content with a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
A localised site allows you to:
- Establish a credible local presence.
- Build a relationship of trust with your audience
- Tailor your offering to the specific needs of your target market
Improving the user experience
Localisation also has an impact on several aspects of the user experience: customising visuals according to cultural sensitivities, adapting date, time and currency formats, and optimising navigation paths according to local habits.
This attention to detail creates a fluid and natural experience, as if the site had been designed specifically for each market.
Growth and scalability
Finally, investing in the right localisation also means preparing for future growth. A well thought-out multilingual architecture makes it easier to :
- Adding new languages and markets
- Consistent content management on an international scale
- Rapid adaptation to market opportunities
- Deployment of localised marketing campaigns
With Webflow Localization, this scalability is natively integrated, allowing you to evolve serenely at the pace of your international ambitions.
Ultimately, localisation is not just a cosmetic option, but a strategic lever for growth. It enables you to turn international visitors into customers, by offering them an experience perfectly adapted to their expectations and cultural context.
Localization: a Webflow native solution for localising your website
Managing multilingualism on Webflow has not always been so simple. For a long time, it was necessary to turn to third-party solutions such as Weglot to translate and adapt a website. While some of these solutions, such as Weglot, have responded very well to the need to internationalise websites, Webflow now offers its own localisation solution, integrated directly into the platform.
This native integration offers several major advantages:
- Centralised management of translations directly from the Webflow interface
- URL structure and slugs that can be easily localised for better referencing
- Real-time synchronisation of content between different languages
- Live preview of translations in the Designer interface
- Advanced control of content and styles for multilingual versions
- Optimised performance without additional JavaScript code
Naturally, Localization integrates perfectly with Webflow. This technical consistency simplifies site maintenance considerably and reduces the risk of errors. The tool also enables fine-tuned management of language redirects based on visitor geolocation - a valuable feature for offering a personalised experience from the very first visit.
Step-by-step guide to localizing your site with Webflow Localization: Credial's case study
Project background and objectives
Credial's migration project is a perfect illustration of the challenges faced by many companies when it comes to web localization. Their site, initially available in French and English, relied on Weglot as a translation solution.
While this approach worked, it had a number of limitations that became more apparent as the company grew: decentralised content management that complicated updates, a lack of flexibility in URL customisation and constraints in SEO optimisation of the different language versions.
Faced with these challenges, the objective was clear: migrate to a solution offering Credial's teams greater flexibility, while guaranteeing a seamless transition for users. Our approach was structured in several phases:
1. Preparing and auditing the existing site
To begin with, good preparation is essential to the success of a localisation project. In Credial's case, we began with an in-depth audit of the existing site: identification of target languages and inventory of content to be localised (static pages, dynamic CMS content, interface elements, etc.).
2 Installation of Webflow Localization
Activating Localization on a Webflow site is just a few clicks away, directly from the Designer. Once activated, the functionality allows you to define the source language (in our case, French) and add the desired target languages (English for Credial).
We started by activating Localization on the staging environment only The flexibility of Webflow Localization enabled us to gradually implement the various localization elements without impacting the site in production.
3. Localization of static content
Once Webflow Localization was activated, we started the process of translating the static content of the site.
We were able to quickly translate the content of each page thanks to the semi-automatic translation functionality - this included textual content, visuals and even components.
SEO optimisation is also an essential factor in successful localisation. For each page, we have therefore localised slugs, SEO metadata (titles and meta-descriptions) and alt texts.
4. Locating dynamic content (CMS)
We were then able to move on to dynamic content (CMS). Webflow Localization considerably simplifies the management of dynamic content thanks to its functionalities:
- Automatic synchronisation of the structure of collections between languages
- A unified interface for managing different language versions of the same content
- The ability to translate fields individually or in batches using semi-automatic translation.
For Credial, this approach has also made it possible to rapidly localise the entire CMS (blog, service pages, etc.) while maintaining the integrity of the relationships between content.
5. Reviewing translations and putting them online
Finally, the translation review phase proved to be particularly efficient thanks to the native integration of Webflow Localization. Unlike third-party solutions that require you to juggle between several platforms, Credial's teams were able to work directly in the Webflow environment, which they were already familiar with. This familiarity with the interface considerably accelerated the validation and correction process.
The proofreaders were able to examine the translations in their real context, browsing the site as end users would. This hands-on approach meant that any necessary adjustments could be identified quickly.
Once all the translations had been validated, they were seamlessly put into production, again from the Webflow interface. This continuity in the workflow, from initial translation through to publication, avoided the technical complications sometimes associated with deploying a multilingual site. The transition to the localised version was therefore seamless, with no disruption to existing users.
Conclusion
Localizing a website with Webflow is now more accessible than ever. With Webflow Localization, companies have a powerful native solution that is easy for marketing teams to use to localise their website and reach their international audiences.
Localization is now the solution of choice for multilingual web projects, combining ease of use with technical power.
Ready to internationalise your online presence? At Digidop, we can support you at every stage of your localization project, from initial audit to go-live. Contact us to discuss your needs and find out how Webflow Localization can serve your international ambitions.
