If your small business is building a website for a multilingual or international audience, you may be wondering: Should you add a language switcher? While a language switcher is often considered a best practice for user experience, it isn’t always necessary. In some cases, simpler options like browser-based translation or hreflang tags may be sufficient.
A language switcher allows users to change the site’s language (like from English to Spanish), and a country switcher lets users select their location (like the U.S., Canada, or Germany) to see region-specific content, pricing, or currency. Many small businesses assume that every multilingual site requires a language or country switcher—but this isn’t always true. In some cases, hreflang tags alone are sufficient to manage multilingual content.
While a language switcher might seem like a simple solution, it can introduce technical, design, and maintenance complexities. For small businesses, this can mean higher costs for third-party tools or custom development. If hreflang tags are enough to manage content, skipping a switcher can save significant time, effort, and money.
Do You Actually Need a Language Switcher?
Not every site requires a visible language switcher. When supporting multilingual users, small businesses often choose from three main approaches: (1) passive browser-based translations, (2) SEO-driven hreflang tags, and (3) user-driven language switchers. Each approach varies in complexity, effort, and user experience. Here’s a look at these approaches in order of effort and control:
1. Browser-Based Translations (the easiest approach): Why start here? Browser-based translation is the easiest option—you don’t have to do anything. It requires no technical setup or development, as many modern browsers like Chrome and Safari already offer users an automatic “Translate this page” prompt. This approach can be sufficient:
If your primary goal is user comprehension, not SEO.
If you’re a small business with limited international or multilingual traffic.
If your business does not rely on global search rankings or language-specific SEO.
If your business serves customers exclusively in one language and cannot provide support in other languages.
Example: A local business with only English-speaking staff may not benefit from creating Spanish-language pages if the business is unable to support Spanish-speaking customers. Instead, they can rely on Chrome’s automatic translation feature, giving Spanish-speaking visitors a chance to read the content in their own language—without the cost of creating and managing new pages.
2. Hreflang Tags (more control for SEO): Why use hreflang tags? Browser-based translation works well for basic comprehension, but it doesn’t support SEO or give you control over which version of your site users see. Hreflang tags give you more control, allowing you to signal to search engines which language version of a fully translated page users should see based on their language or location. Hreflang tags can be enough on their own:
If your site offers only a few key translated landing pages.
If most of your visitors arrive from search engines like Google.
If you prefer a clean, simple site without visual distractions like language toggle buttons.
Example: Suppose your site has a “Contact” page at /contact (English) and /es/contacto (Spanish). With hreflang tags, when a Spanish-speaking user searches for your business on Google, they should be directed to /es/contacto automatically. In this case, a manual language switcher isn’t necessary, as Google serves the correct translated page.
3. Language Switcher (more control for UX): Unlike browser-based translation and hreflang tags, which serve users passively, a language switcher allows users to actively select their preferred language or region. This approach gives users direct control over their experience, and is usually paired with hreflang tags to maximize SEO. This is ideal for:
Sites where users frequently switch between countries or languages, such as e-commerce or travel sites.
Sites where offering a manual language toggle significantly improves user experience.
In these cases, it’s worth the extra cost and effort.
⚠️ Note: What about a “switcher-only” approach? Some small businesses use switcher-only tools like Google Translate widgets for quick translations. This approach has major drawbacks. Translations are often low-quality, which can hurt brand credibility, and it doesn’t create unique URLs or hreflang tags, which are key for SEO. Avoid a switcher-only approach if SEO, professionalism, or user experience matter.
Browser-based translation offers a better user experience than a widget but lacks SEO benefits. For public-facing sites where multilingual content is a priority, it’s best to create unique URLs for each language (like /es/ or /fr/) and, at a minimum, add hreflang tags so Google can index your site properly and users land on the right language page.
Language Switcher Options for SMBs
If you determine that your site needs a language switcher, the right setup depends on several factors. These considerations can help you choose the best option for your business:
The type of site: Content sites (like blogs) may benefit from context-aware switching to keep users on the same page, while large global ecommerce sites often link users to a homepage for simplicity.
The number of pages requiring translation: More pages mean more complexity and maintenance, which may make manual options less feasible.
Whether the site is dynamic or fairly static: Static sites are easier to manage manually, while dynamic sites with frequent updates may benefit from automation.
The number of target languages: Handling 2-3 languages manually can be doable. Supporting 3+ languages requires a scalable approach to avoid headaches. You’ll also consider other factors such as the size of the site and your resources.
Your available resources (time, budget, translation support, and technical skills): Limited resources favor simpler or automated solutions, while businesses with dedicated teams can handle more custom approaches.
The Simplest Option: Basic Language Switcher
Manually create translated pages, add hreflang tags to guide search engines, and offer a basic language switcher that links users to the homepage of each language.
This approach is often used by small sites or ecommerce stores where users browse from the homepage, but it may feel disruptive on blog-style websites where users expect to remain on the page they’re viewing. Smaller sites with limited budgets or staffing might leave blog content in a single language.
A More Advanced Option: Context-Aware Language Switcher
Implement a context-aware switcher that takes users to the same page (not just the homepage) in their chosen language.
This option is more technically complex because it requires linking each page to its language-specific counterpart. Maintenance increases as a site grows, especially if content changes frequently. Manual implementation suits smaller, static sites, while 3rd party tools are better for larger, dynamic sites with frequent updates.
An Automated Option: Multilingual Site Management Tools
Use a third-party multilingual solution like Weglot or WPML.
Tools offer automated translation, manual translation control, hreflang tags, and context-aware switching, all with minimal setup for non-technical users. Note that there are usually monthly or annual fees for these platforms.
Simple vs. Context-Aware Language Switchers
Language switchers can follow two main approaches: simple redirection or context-aware (or same-page) navigation. Here’s how to decide which is right for you.
Simple switchers. Use this option if you want to redirect users to the homepage of the selected language, regardless of the page they were originally on. This approach is common on sites where services or products differ by region. This type of switcher is easier to implement, but it can disrupt the user experience by forcing visitors to manually navigate back to the page they were originally viewing.
Context-aware switchers. Use this option if you want to keep users on the same page they were on when they switch languages. For example, if a user lands on the “About” page in French (/fr/a-propos) and switches to English, they are redirected to the equivalent URL (/en/about). This approach provides a smooth, user-friendly experience, especially for users already engaged with specific content. Context-aware switchers require more technical effort or a 3rd-party solution to maintain URL mapping, but they offer a significantly better user experience.
Language Switcher Best Practices for UX
Make it prominent and intuitive: Place the switcher where users can easily see it, often in the header or main navigation. Note that major brands often place switchers in the footer to avoid cluttering the main navigation. However, for smaller businesses, placing it in the header increases visibility and improves user experience.
Use a recognizable icon: To make the language selector easy to spot, consider using a globe icon or another familiar symbol that’s universally understood.
Represent languages properly: Avoid using flags to represent languages. Flags are often used to indicate various languages, but only use flags to represent languages if the content is country specific. Here’s why:
Flags represent countries, not languages—a language can be spoken in more than one country.
Some countries have more than one official language—such as Canada.
Visitors might not recognize a flag or they might be confused by similar flags.
Refer to a language in its own language: For example, use “Deutsch” instead of “German.”
Use full language names: Such as “Español” instead of “ES.” For long lists, sort languages alphabetically to make it easier for users to find their preferred option.
Use a context-aware switcher where appropriate: If you want users to stay on the same page after switching languages, use this option for better user experience.
Examples from Major Brands
To see how language switchers are implemented in practice, you can look at how major brands handle multilingual and international user experiences.
Apple uses a subdirectory approach (/es/, /pt/, etc.) for its international SEO strategy. They offer a region selector in the footer linking to the homepage of the chosen country or region.
Nike provides a country and language selector in its footer. Selecting a new country or language redirects users to the homepage of the chosen regional site.
IKEA allows users to change the language within their current country or switch to a new country via the footer. Product availability varies by country, so users who switch countries also see their shopping cart emptied.
IBM places a region and language selector in the footer and supports context-aware switching.
Airbnb provides a globe icon in the main header navigation where users can change either their preferred language/region or currency. Airbnb uses a combination of both country-specific domains and language-specific subdomains to serve different regions and languages.
Wix uses a globe icon in the header to enable context-aware language switching. However, the Wix Studio site remembers the user’s last-selected language, which can feel restrictive for users expecting session-based behavior.
Squarespace uses a subdomain setup (es.squarespace.com, pt.squarespace.com) for its international sites and supports context-aware switching.
Key Takeaways
By understanding the role of a language switcher in your site’s user experience and SEO strategy, your small business can make an informed decision.
You may not need a language switcher. If your site has limited international traffic, browser translations or hreflang tags may be enough. This approach saves you from having to install a language switcher or translation tool.
Small sites can avoid complexity. For sites translating a few key pages, use hreflang tags and let Google handle the rest—skip the switcher entirely.
Sites with diverse audiences will want a switcher. A context-aware switcher provides a better experience by taking users to the same page (not the homepage) in their chosen language. A simple switcher is used when regional differences in content, availability, or regulations make context-aware navigation impractical.
Third-party tools make it easy. For a hands-off approach, third-party tools offer automatic translation, hreflang tags, and context-aware switching. Tools can be a smart choice for businesses with limited development resources.
