With an increasing amount of businesses operating in the region, harnessing the power of digital communications has never been more important. Offering Arabic language support not only aids in user experience, engagement and usability but also provides businesses with the tools to better market to the Arabic-speaking population in the MENA region: Arabic language support could improve businesses’ bottom line by as much as 25 percent over the next decade.

Our exploration in this piece will focus on the importance of Arabic language support in digital marketing and user experience, why businesses operating in MENA should offer Arabic language support and the best practices for offering Arabic language support in digital marketing and UX design.

What is the Importance of the Arabic Language?

With over 300 million native speakers, Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages globally. It's the primary language in over 22 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Arabic united diverse cultures through a shared written and spoken language. Its rich literary history dates back centuries.

For businesses, excelling at Arabic user experiences and digital marketing unlocks immense opportunities, and companies who engage this large demographic in their preferred language gain an edge. Offering Arabic language support shows respect while building trust and affinity.

What is the Prospect of Online Arabic Content?

Arabic is one of the fastest growing languages online driven by rapid internet adoption across the Middle East and North Africa. Yet local Arabic content lags behind this growth with less than 1% of online content in Arabic. Thus, there is a huge gap between demand and availability of quality Arabic digital experiences.

Is Arabic A Good Business Language?

Absolutely. Arabic is the official language of multiple rising economies (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman) covering strategic sectors like oil, real estate, finance and more. It is also the official language of influential organizations such as the Arab League and OPEC.

Leading global enterprises are already localizing for the Arabic market.  Companies that follow this emerging Arabic language use, gain positive brand recognition and relationships in this high potential region, as the Arabic language opens doors and builds trust.

What are the Basic Factors to Consider in Arabic Digital Marketing?

Reaching Arabic audiences requires nuanced digital marketing approaches. Here are key factors to address:

• Localization - Messaging and content must be culturally appropriate and professionally translated. DON’T rely on automatic translation tools.
• Mobile-first - Over 70% of Arabic internet users go online primarily through mobile so optimization is crucial.
• Video marketing - Online video engagement rates amongst Arabic audiences are highly promising for education and brand-building.
• Influencers - Partner with regional social media influencers to build credibility and organic reach.
• Regional media - Advertising via Arabic language publications and broadcasts expands brand awareness.
• SEO - Optimize sites for Arabic keywords and improve local search visibility.

How to Maximise Your Online Arabic Presence Successfully?

Success lies in quality execution, so businesses must:

1. Build an intuitive, localized Arabic website properly mirroring English content.
2. Ensure excellent Arabic language copywriting across owned media properties.
3. Create engaging Arabic social media profiles and consumer touchpoints.
4. Leverage analytics to sharpen Arabic content and campaigns continuously.
5. Feature case studies of successful Arabic customer deployments.
6. Run paid campaigns on key regional platforms like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn.
7. With consistent investment and iteration, brands can thrive digitally in Arabic.

Best Practices for Offering Arabic Language Support in UX Desig

An intuitive, seamless Arabic UX signals value for customers. So, to delight the Arabic language users, UX design and web development should adhere to best practices like:

• Display content right-to-left following Arabic script directionality.
• Allow input of Arabic text with proper keyboard support.
• Ensure the platform is mobile responsive given Arabic mobile usage.
• Mirror key site navigation and IA into Arabic to ease findability.
• Support Arabic identifiers like names, addresses and phone numbers.
• Visuals should represent regional culture and diversity WITHOUT stereotypes. 
• Follow local date, time, calendar and number formats.
• Enable site language toggle between English and Arabic.

Measuring the Impact of Arabic Language Support

These data points quantify impact and inform continual optimization. Here are the key metrics to track Arabic language support include:

1. Arabic visitor traffic and engagement on your platforms.
2. Bounce rates for Arabic vs English versions.
3. Conversion rates from Arabic landing pages.
4. Arabic social media followers and engagement.
5. Sentiment analysis of Arabic user feedback.
6. Multilingual search engine rankings.
7. Arabic SEO traffic and keywords.

All in All

The Arabic digital opportunity is immense given rising internet adoption across the Middle East and North Africa. However, merely translating English content is not enough. Brands must invest in high-quality localization, culturally resonant UX design, and tailored digital marketing. When done right, an end-to-end Arabic language strategy fosters trust and loyalty with one of the world's fastest-growing audiences. Now is the time for forward-thinking brands to get ahead in the Arabic space.

With deep Arabic language capabilities spanning strategy, design, development and marketing, we at Bit68 enable enterprises to engage this high-value audience successfully. Our multilingual talents allow us to design online Arabic language experiences from scratch, craft high-quality content and master localization. Trust us to help amplify your brand and business in the Arab market.