Design & Build of a Multilingual Website
Restructuring of a cluttered website for a Japanese language school. Simple, accessible, and multilingual (Japanese/English/Chinese). Result: more visitors.
Challenge: "Not responsive, too much information"
Japanese websites tend to display a lot of information in one place, which can look cluttered. This specific site had multiple problems:
- Too much information; visitors didn't know where to start.
- Poor readability on mobile devices.
- It was built so complexly that the staff neglected the site.
As a result, the number of international visitors lagged behind.
Solution: "Simple and multilingual"
The goal was a calm, clear site that also works well on mobile devices. I first determined the information structure, followed by a light, visual design.
- Cleaning up information structure: Clear categories like 'Admissions', 'Courses', and 'Life in Japan'.
- Multilingual support: My own translation from Japanese to English and a provided Chinese translation.
- Simple design: Clear headings, lots of white space, and light visuals (little text in images).
- Easy management: Built on WordPress so staff can update the site information themselves.
Technical details
- Optimization with Cloudflare: Image compression and caching to shorten load times.
- WordPress implementation: A structure set up so that content can be updated intuitively without technical knowledge.
Result: "More international visitors"
- An increase in the number of visitors from abroad.
- The site's bounce rate improved by 20%.
- Staff can now update the site themselves, keeping the information current.
- Positive feedback from international students ('information is clear and easy to find').
By simplifying, the message became clear again.