The eCommerce and online awareness boom in the middle east has created a niche for Arabic website design. More than 30% of web traffic today comes from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Unfortunately, the percentage of Arabic website designs and multilingual websites are less than one percent of all the current web pages online.
Basically, there are a few points every effective website design should cover. These include,
- The best design and layout to encourage easy usage
- Added advertisement and marketing support
- The right look for each client
- Mobile and multiple device friendly website
But, when it comes to multilingual, especially Arabic website design, it can’t be assumed that the only extra effort is the translation of the written content. When taking up this task, you’re not just designing for a different language but for a whole different culture. So, apart from these points, there are additional points to be kept in mind while creating an Arabic website design in Dubai or Saudi Arabia.
Page Outlook
The main challenge of a multilingual website is that when you convert it from one language to the other, the page layout should look just like the original. If not, your website will look confusing and incomprehensible. In the Arabic language, the script goes from right to left while English is the opposite. This means you will have to arrange the layout in a way that will suit both the versions without messing up the entire look of the website.
Cultural Aspects
The designs and imagery you use for western pages will not be entirely applicable for middle-eastern users. You need to pay attention to the cultural aspects to enhance user experience. Use images that include people and monuments of that region. Also, avoid the images which portray the things which are deemed inappropriate for middle-eastern viewers.
Language
As mentioned above, the conversion of a multilingual website from one language to another should be coherent and effortless. The main problem when it comes to using the Arabic language online are the fonts. If you’ve used the latest fonts in the English version of your website, then there’s a chance that you won’t get a font the has the same look in the Arabic font options. So, when creating a multilingual website design you should make sure that the typography and font you use for all the languages look similar. This will help avoid confusion and give your website a professional, aesthetic, look.
The best Arabic website design companies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, tackle this problem by keeping an eye on details with a team of language and graphic design experts. Keep these points in mind and your website will work wonders in multiple regions of the world.