A person only follows a path if they understand the questions. If they are in a foreign language, the visitor closes the tab, even when they need the service. Speak the audience's language, and for mixed groups, create separate paths for each language and provide the right link in the right place.
Why Does Language Matter?
The path relies on the fact that a person immediately understands what is being asked. A foreign language breaks this connection at the first question: the client doesn’t want to figure it out and leaves, even if they came for a purpose. The native language, on the other hand, reduces tension, and the person responds without hesitation.
This is especially noticeable where people with different languages live nearby. The same path will be convenient for half and foreign for the other half.
Before and After
Before: a Russian-speaking client clicks on an ad and sees a path in Hebrew. They are unsure if they are in the right place, don’t want to guess the questions, and close the tab, even though they need the service.
After: the same client sees a path in Russian. The questions are immediately clear, they respond in seconds, and they enter the chat feeling welcomed. The service is the same, the ad is the same; the only difference is the language.
How to Handle a Mixed Audience?
Don’t try to please everyone with one path. Create separate paths for each language and direct your audience accordingly: a Russian link for Russian ads, a local link for local ads. A person always lands on a path they understand, and you can see in the statistics which language brings in more clients. Paths in Mate can be created in different languages, so you can set up a version for each in a minute instead of rebuilding it from scratch.
What to Write in the Client's Language?
Not just a translation, but natural speech. A literal translation often sounds awkward and reveals that the text is not meant for that person. Phrase it in the audience's language naturally, using familiar words and examples. Then the path reads as their own, not as a translated form, and it builds more trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create one path in multiple languages?
Technically yes, but it’s usually worse than having separate paths for each language. A mixed path forces a person to choose a language first, which is an extra step where some drop off. A separate link in a comprehensible language is more likely to lead to completion. One path for all is justified only where the audience genuinely speaks a common language.
How many languages should I support?
Exactly as many as clients actually come in, no more. Creating paths for languages that are nearly absent in your audience means generating work without return. Start with one or two main languages of your area or niche, and add a new one when you see a noticeable influx of people needing it.
How to determine which language to use for a client?
By the channel they come from. Russian ads attract Russian speakers, Hebrew ads attract locals, and it makes sense to provide a path in their language for each source. If the channel is mixed, focus on the language of the ad itself: a person expects the continuation in the language you addressed them in.
What if I don’t speak the client’s language?
The path is short, and translating a couple of questions is easier than conducting the entire conversation in a foreign language. Ask a native speaker to check the phrasing to ensure it sounds natural. After that, you can negotiate in a common language in the chat, but the entry should be in the client's native language: that’s what determines whether they start the path or leave.
Where to start if the audience is multilingual?
Build the first path in the language of the majority of your clients and launch it. This is faster than creating versions in all languages at once and will show whether the scheme works at all. Once you confirm it brings in clients, duplicate it in a second language. You can start for free with registration, and you can see how it looks on the main page.
