How to design a website language selector

Effective website localization doesn’t end after you’ve translated content. Your audience must be able to find that translated content easily.

That’s where website language selectors (aka language pickers) come in. These helpful user interface (UI) elements let visitors navigate your site in their preferred language.

Language selection plays a crucial role in how users experience a website. A clunky or hard-to-find language selector can drive visitors away, whereas a simple and intuitive tool supports a smoother user experience, boosting engagement and conversion rates.

This guide explains why a well-designed language selector is essential for global growth and provides tips for choosing the right approach for your multilingual website.

What is a website language selector?

A language selector is a UI component that allows a website’s visitors to switch between different languages. Language selectors play a crucial role in website localization, ensuring international audiences can seamlessly navigate content in their preferred language.

A well-implemented language selector makes websites more accessible and welcoming to users worldwide. It eliminates confusion and enhances the user experience, building brand trust and engagement with the product or service.

Language selectors are also beneficial for SEO, both directly and indirectly. They help Google and other search engines crawl and index the website, increase visitors’ time on the page, and reduce bounce rates.

Best practices for adding a language selector

A seamless multilingual experience promotes customer trust and drives sales in global markets, and the language selector is an essential part of that experience. It’s one of the first elements international users interact with. 

When designing a language selector, businesses should consider usability factors like placement, format, and accessibility. Visitors should be able to find and use the selector effortlessly, whether they’re browsing on a desktop or mobile device.

Follow these best practices to design a user-friendly website language selector:

Make it easy to find

Users shouldn’t have to search for the language switcher. If it’s difficult to find, they may assume the website doesn’t support multiple languages.

Position the language selector in a highly visible spot—ideally, the top corner of the page or the main navigation menu. On mobile sites, consider putting it within a hamburger menu. Wherever it goes, ensure the appearance is intuitive and accessible. Many websites use a globe icon as a visual cue that transcends language. 

Use native language names and formats

Always display language options in their native form (e.g., “Español” instead of “Spanish” and “Deutsch” instead of “German”). This helps visitors immediately recognize their preferred language option.

Native language names also add credibility to your localization efforts. They show attention to detail and consideration for international audiences. To improve readability, use a clear, legible font and ensure proper spacing between options.

Avoid using flag icons

Flags represent countries—not languages. Using country flags in a language selector can be misleading, as some languages are dominant in multiple countries, and some countries have multiple official languages. For example, assigning the Spanish flag to represent the Spanish language overlooks users from Latin American countries.

Text-based language selector options offer a safer approach. In addition to listing language names in their native format (e.g., English, Español, Français), consider using ISO language codes (e.g., EN, ES, FR) to represent languages without associating them with a specific country.

Use redirects with caution

Some businesses sidestep language selectors and instead auto-redirect users based on their geographical location or browser language. Although this approach can be convenient, it doesn’t always support a positive user experience.

Geography isn’t the only factor that determines users’ preferred language. For example, a visitor located in Portugal may not want Portuguese content. They may be in the country on vacation, or they could be an immigrant who’s more comfortable using another language. In addition, many countries (like Switzerland and the Philippines) have multiple official languages that are widely used.

If you implement automatic redirection, your website will still need a language selector for these cases.

And once users land on the correct version of your site, they need to find accurate and natural-sounding content in their preferred language. Smartling’s website translation services help brands provide high-quality localized web experiences without breaking the bank.

Allow users to select the currency separately

Online shoppers must be able to change your website’s language and currency independently. Automatically linking these items can lead to frustration. For example, Canadian visitors may prefer either English or French content, but they’ll still want to pay in CAD.

Key considerations for language selector design

A language selector should be functional and easy to find. A well-designed selector can significantly enhance the user experience, boost website traffic, and drive sales.

There isn’t a single correct approach to language selector design. The proper solution depends on your business’s needs and target customer base. Consider these popular design approaches and their strengths and limitations:

Language selector dropdown

A dropdown menu, typically found at the top or bottom right of a page, allows users to select multiple languages in a compact and organized list. Clicking on the dropdown opens a list of available language options.

Here is Amazon’s language dropdown:

Dropdown menus are particularly useful on websites that support content in many languages, as they neatly condense the list into a compact space. Designers should ensure the language dropdown is easy to locate and use on both desktop and mobile devices. A search bar helps users avoid excessive scrolling if the language list is long. 

Language buttons

Clearly labeled buttons enable visitors to switch to their preferred language with a single click. This approach is best for websites with only a few language options, making it particularly useful for organizations targeting specific multilingual markets.

The U.S. government’s primary website provides an example. Notice the Spanish language button in the top right corner.

Because buttons are required for every supported language and take up a relatively large amount of space, designers must carefully consider their placement to avoid crowding content and navigation elements. Buttons pose additional design challenges on mobile devices, where visual space is more limited.

Text links

Some organizations prefer to present supported languages through simple text links in the website’s header or footer. This approach offers a middle ground for websites that support too few languages to warrant a dropdown menu but enough that buttons would overwhelm the UI.

Facebook’s front page provides a valuable reference. It prominently displays popular languages while offering additional options with the “+” button.

Be wary of putting text links in the footer if your website’s front page is lengthy and requires scrolling to reach the bottom. Visitors may reach for the back button before they see the language options. 

Modal windows

A modal window displays all available languages in an expanded and visually appealing view. Modals are smaller windows that appear over the web page’s primary content. You can set them to trigger after specific actions, such as when a visitor first arrives on the website or clicks a button.

Airbnb uses a modal window approach, as seen here:

This format delivers a clear overview of all language options while minimizing UI clutter. Modal windows are hard to miss, guaranteeing visitors immediately understand your website offers multilingual content. They’re also spacious enough to include contextual information like regional language variations, as seen in the Airbnb example.

Localize smarter and more efficiently with Smartling

Your website should make visitors feel comfortable and engaged, regardless of location or language preference. Language selectors are a crucial part of that experience. An intuitive and well-placed language selector significantly enhances SEO and user satisfaction, leading to increased conversion rates. It’s the first step toward building a strong brand reputation in global markets.

However, selecting the right design is just one piece of the puzzle. To succeed in international markets, businesses need a scalable and efficient localization strategy—one that ensures high-quality translations without slowing down expansion efforts.

That’s where Smartling’s cloud-based translation management system can help. With our automated workflows, advanced AI-powered tools, and expert human linguists, you’ll improve translation quality and consistency.

For more tips to optimize your website localization efforts, download “10 Strategies to Boost Translation Efficiency.” This free eBook is packed with insights and actionable tips to help you reach more global consumers and international markets without increasing your translation budget.