The online world is more multilingual than ever

The experts, it turns out, were right. The internet continues to spread across the world with incredible fervour. Nowadays, internet access can be found in even the most remote corners of the world.

Deep in the Philippines lies the tropical island of Boracay, which until only recently relied on a single power generator for the entire island. Today however, high speed wireless internet can be accessed from just about any bar, restaurant, hotel or café on the island.

Walking along the beach, one notices not just the tourists logging on, but many of the local Filipinos, anxious to see who’s written on their Facebook wall, and browsing to see what they can purchase from a store not otherwise accessible to them.

People prefer to search and interact online in their own language: it’s natural and comfortable. And the more relaxed a potential customer is when they’re browsing an online store, the more likely they will make a purchase. That is, of course, if they even find your site in the first place.