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Research shows that 76% of online shoppers prefer product information in their native language [1]. Yet the evidence does not show that small B2B firms generate more qualified leads or revenue by publishing in two languages [2]. The relevant question is not how much content you can translate. It is whether that content helps buyers understand your offer and decide whether to choose you.
We started our blog with this article because this question matters to us, too. Spanish is our native language at Deiji, but we serve a market where English is the main language. Many of our potential clients speak Spanish as well. We faced the same decision we are asking you to consider: does publishing in Spanish give us a genuine advantage, or does it simply create more work?
We decided to test it. English will remain our primary language, while certain parts of our website will be available in Spanish. We want to learn whether Spanish content helps us connect with Spanish-speaking buyers and supports sales, or whether it adds little commercial value.
Language removes a barrier. It does not create demand.
You could argue that publishing in two languages is a sensible precaution when entering a new market. After all, 40% of online shoppers said they would never buy from websites in other languages [3].
For online stores, this can present a real barrier. If buyers cannot read a product page, they may leave before considering a purchase.
Complex services involve a different decision. Consider a company looking for help managing business risks. Before choosing a provider, the buyer must assess its skills, experience, and approach.
Language helps the buyer understand the offer. It does not establish whether the provider can solve the problem.
Research indicates that language can influence buying preferences [1], [3]. It does not tell us how many B2B buyers reject a firm solely because of language.
Buyers need local knowledge, not just translated words.
A study of 351 business-software buyers across eight countries found that more than nine out of ten preferred products and information in their native language, adapted to local needs [4].
The second part matters. Buyers did not simply prefer words they could read. They preferred information suited to their local needs [4].
Consider a commercial cleaning firm entering a new country. Its website emphasizes attention to detail. That claim might work well in its home market.
A local office manager, however, may have different concerns. They may need to understand how the firm handles staff rules, prevents work delays, or manages contractors.
A direct translation will not answer those questions. The firm must explain how its service addresses the buyer's needs in that market.
Think of a building with signs in two languages. The signs help people navigate the space. But if the corridors lead to the wrong rooms, the signs have not solved the problem.
Content works the same way. Translation makes a message readable. Local knowledge makes it relevant.
Familiar language can build trust. Expertise still matters.
Research from an experiment found that using a more familiar language was associated with greater trust and trustworthiness in social interactions [6].
One possible reason language matters is that people can focus on the message when understanding the words requires less effort.
But familiar language does not establish professional expertise.
Consider a buyer choosing between two advisers. One presents polished marketing in the local language but offers broad, familiar advice. The other uses plain language to explain an overlooked risk and shows how to address it.
The second adviser gives the buyer a reason to trust their judgment. The value lies not only in how the advice sounds, but also in what the adviser understands.
Language helps buyers follow the argument. Practical knowledge gives them a reason to take it seriously.
Two languages can also mean twice the work.
For a small firm, publishing in two languages requires time and attention. Each version may need research, writing, review, and adaptation to the market.
Available research does not establish whether bilingual publishing generates more qualified leads or revenue for small B2B service firms [2]. Nor does it measure the additional cost of maintaining both versions.
The commercial question remains: will the extra work help your firm reach buyers who would otherwise miss its offer?
Consider a ten-person software agency that translates every article, case study, and social post. Soon, the team spends much of its time reviewing translations and updating both versions.
Yet the agency has learned little about its new market. It does not know which questions local buyers ask or which parts of its service require further explanation.
The result is more content to maintain, without clear evidence that it helps buyers choose.
Publishing in two languages is not inherently a bad decision. Duplicating the same work without understanding what the second market needs is the problem.
If your firm already struggles to identify useful topics in one language, adding another may increase the workload without addressing the underlying issue.
Test the need before committing.
You do not need to translate your entire website to determine whether another language belongs in your content plan.
Start with what you know about buyers in the new market. Review sales calls, emails, and questions from current or past prospects. Identify what they struggle to understand, which risks concern them, and what they need to know before choosing a provider.
Then select one question that matters to those buyers. Develop a useful answer in their language, drawing on your firm's actual experience. Adapt the answer to local needs rather than translating an existing page word for word.
Share that piece with prospects during real sales conversations. Ask whether it addresses their question and helps them evaluate your offer. Look for signs that they understand your approach more clearly or ask better questions.
One test will not establish that bilingual publishing drives revenue. It can, however, help you determine whether the content serves a genuine need before you invest in a larger program.
At Deiji, we start with the questions buyers need answered. The same principle applies when a firm enters a new language market. The objective is not to reproduce every existing message. It is to connect the firm's knowledge with what local buyers need to understand.
Judge the value, not the volume.
The strongest argument for publishing in two languages is straightforward: it can give buyers access to information in a language they prefer and understand [1], [4]. The evidence does not yet establish that this decision alone generates more qualified leads or revenue for small B2B service firms [2].
The number of translated pages tells you how much content you have produced. It does not tell you whether the investment is worthwhile.
The more useful question is whether your content helps buyers in the new market understand something that matters to their decision.
If it does, you have a reason to continue and learn from the results. If it merely repeats what you already say, you have expanded your publishing workload without strengthening the case for choosing your firm.
Sources
csa-research.com (November 2019 to January 2020): https://csa-research.com/l/media/Consumers-Prefer-their-Own-Language
csa-research.com (Review conducted October 11, 2026): https://csa-research.com/l/blog/article/do-b2b-buyers-value-localization
csa-research.com (November 2019 to January 2020): https://csa-research.com/l/media/Consumers-Prefer-their-Own-Language
csa-research.com (September 2008): https://csa-research.com/l/media/businesses-prefer-local-language-purchasing
csa-research.com (B2B survey conducted in 2020; exact field dates not establis): https://csa-research.com/l/blog/article/do-b2b-buyers-value-localization
sciencedirect.com (Not established from the accessible page): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167487017301435