While political analysts may dwell for long on the Egyptian revolution which took place in 2011 and the trails of change it set, one difference I clearly noticed, especially when it comes to social media use, is that teenagers and youth heavily shifted from using Franco-Arabic (typing Arabic words in Latin alphabets) to typing in Arabic alphabets, which was deemed highly un-cool before.
Not only so, but did you also know that the proportion of Arabs online grew 30-fold between 2000 and 2012? And that the highest percentage of internet users on Twitter is in Saudi Arabia, at 41 percent? In addition to the statistics which say that 45.9 million internet users search in Arabic and that the Arab world has a combined population of about 340 million people.
Amazing figures, no? But guess what, Arabic online content still constitutes only 1.5% of the totally global online sphere!
As a business owner, the aforementioned is quite intriguing, and all a better reason to introduce your business to this ever growing online market packed with active users.
If we have you convinced, here are a few things you may need to bear in mind when designing an Arabic website.
1. From LTR to RTL
As you may already know, the directionality of Arabic, unlike Latin alphabet languages, is Right-to-Left (RTL). Yet it isn’t only the text that you flip horizontally, but rather the entire web page design.
,- Images
If you simply flip your images, you will end up with a Frankenstein looking layout, stitched up and weird. For that matter, it is advised that you specifically select pictures that fit the RTL layout.
,- Platform
If you are designing the website originally in English, build it on a platform that supports smooth switching from LTR to RTL while maintaining the shared content. It is also preferable if you use clickable HTML prototypes.
,- Navigation bars
In order to minimize the amount of elements that undergo the layout flip, save yourself part of the hassle and use a horizontal bar located on top.
2. Translating web content
There are several options when it comes to translating content into Arabic. The choice is usually bound by time and budget restraints.
,- Add translate widgets
Widgets like Google Translate or Babelfish allow the page visitors to translate the content on demand to the desired language. This option should not be your first resort, but provided you go for it, then make sure you avoid contextual meanings, and keep your text as straight forward as possible. Otherwise, the translated text will probably sound really funny. And always remember, any text that is embedded in Flash will not be translated.
,- Translate your copy professionally
This is a better option, and of course, advisable to use a native speaker for this task. That way, you are certain that moving from the English to the Arabic versions will carry the same tone meaning.
,- Localize the SEO
While you’re at it, make sure that the SEOs you use in Arabic are not literal translations of their English counterparts. Often, terms are searched differently across countries and cultures, so invest in a little research to maximize the website’s reach. After all, it would be such a bummer if you put all that effort in an Arabic website which people cannot find!
3. Arabic fonts
It’s no secret that designers working with Arabic web design can have all the fun getting creative, until it’s time to select fonts. Although Arabic calligraphy is very rich and diverse, this diversity has not yet been met online. The fonts used on the web for Arabic are unfortunately still limited to the default Ariel, Verdana, Tahoma. Most of the time the font used is Tahoma because it is the most legible on the web.
Nevertheless, Arabic fonts are currently available in Google’s "Early Access" program. Although you are likely to come across some pretty cool fonts there, Google will only showcase the fonts it detects are trending and considered mainstream. And that may not always last for long.
Considering the above, you need to make sure that your font choices in both Arabic and English versions of the website match aesthetically.
Even though it may sound like a job from hell to design a professional, creative and aesthetically appealing website in Arabic, below are some of the web designs which obviously managed to nail it.