Accept-Language is a header in HTTP introduced to specify the preferred language of the user of the browser. This tool is utilized for adding user-friendliness to the browser experience. There is limitless diversification in the way people use signs, language, formulas, time, date etc in their routine life. If the browser is able to behave the way cultural preferences are in the locale of the user, it certainly is going to earn more patrons and make businesses thankful to it.
What Can Be Done to Improve the Effectiveness of Accept-Language Feature?
As mentioned alone, the use of accept-language alone is not going to make the offering user-friendly. The simplest example is the difference in the way UK and US keyboards work. There are different outputs for same keys. Similarly, the accept-language feature can be made to work better if the sub-codes of the language, expressions used in locale, date and time expressions etc are also changed accordingly.
The second attempt is focused upon the people and type of language spoken in any locale. The accept-language, if not designed to differentiate between German spoken in Switzerland and that spoken in Austria, can lead to loss of patronage straightaway. To make things easier, this website has curated all the language codes and sub-codes prevalent so that the header can serve the intended purpose better.
Inclusion of cultural setting is another interesting step one can take for enhancing the effectiveness of accept-language feature. Use of greetings, expressions etc typical to the locale focused can help user identify better with the browser and find the work environment easy to adjust with.
Accept-language feature allows the website owners to modify it according to the origin of traffic. If they buy traffic from certain locations, they can pick the language popular in use in that area and win support and faith of the visitors.
Common Issues One Can Find with Accept-Language Feature
- Accept-language feature is not explicitly denoted in the browser. Many of the users, unless they have serious reasons to search for it, are not aware of its presence on the browser. Thus, ignorance about such facility on the browser makes it difficult for the user to derive benefits from such a useful feature. Also, they may have not ratified the setting because of no knowledge about it.
- Giving other choices such as currency type, etc to select few of the language users can hit badly upon the business where currencies are different but the language is the same. This is quite likely to happen in European areas where Euro is available in select countries; however, the language will be the same as non-Euro using areas.
- Some people borrow computer systems for work from companies or peers. There can be start-ups hiring people from various locations. This calls for the need to change accept-language after the user takes over the machine.
Thus, when you want your browser to work the same way that user in any given area of the work wants, accept-language helps in delivering user-specific experience.
