TL;DR:
If your site decides my language based on my IP instead of my browser settings – and you don’t let me switch it – you’re doing it wrong. You’re not clever. You’re losing business.
I’m in Spain right now.
I visit a website I’ve used before.
Suddenly, it’s all in Spanish.
I speak some Spanish. Enough to order tapas, find my way, maybe flirt badly.
But not enough to decode your Terms of Service or checkout form.
And worse – there’s no option to switch back to English. None.
So, what do I do?
I leave.
Why This “Smart” Feature Is Actually Dumb
Too many developers think they’re being clever.
They detect my IP, assume I’m fluent in the local language, and proudly auto-translate the site.
Except here’s the problem:
I might be travelling.
I might be using a VPN.
I might be living abroad.
Or maybe, just maybe, I prefer English.
Your clever trick just became my frustration.
Browser Language Is What You Should Use
If you want to be smart, check my browser language.
It already tells you what I actually use day-to-day.
Every modern browser sends this info to your site.
If it says “en-GB” or “en-US”, show English.
If it says “es-ES”, fine – show Spanish.
And here’s the real key:
Always, always give users the choice to switch.
It’s a single dropdown.
It’s not rocket science.
And it’s the difference between keeping or losing a customer.
Alienating Clients 101
Think of the message you send when you trap someone in a language they can’t understand:
“You’re not our kind of customer.”
“You don’t belong here.”
It’s not just bad UX – it’s bad business.
Imagine pitching to an international client and your site refuses to speak their language.
They’ll take their money somewhere else.
No matter how beautiful your design or how fast your hosting is.
Stop Worshipping “Best Practices”
Developers love rules.
Marketers love trends.
But some so-called best practices need to die.
IP-based language redirection is one of them.
It’s lazy. It’s arrogant.
And it assumes your visitor is always local, which in a global economy is laughable.
People move.
They travel.
They work remotely.
Your website should be ready for that.
The Fix
Keep it simple:
Use browser language, not IP, for defaults.
Always show a visible language switcher.
Remember the user’s choice next time.
You’ll make your visitors feel respected instead of locked out.
One Last Thought
The web is supposed to be global.
It connects us.
So why are we still building sites that push people away the moment they land?
If your site insists on speaking Spanish to an English visitor in Spain, or Dutch to a French one in Belgium, you’re not offering localisation – you’re enforcing segregation.
The smartest websites aren’t the ones that “detect.”
They’re the ones that listen.
Would you want your website to be that arrogant?
Or would you rather have one that speaks your clients’ language – literally?
