Language selection page as default page for website

I am updating my website and I am adding multiple languages.

I was wanting to do this by having the 开发者_Python百科website open to the default page were the user can select there language.

Is this a good way to do this.

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You could try checking the Accept-Language HTTP header on the server and send the content back in that language (if you can), then include a simple language selector in a prominent place such as the upper left corner.

You might want to have a look over here too: What is a good interface to allow display in multiple languages

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IMO No instead you should first show default page (with usual stuff) in English (As unarguably the most used language) and then provide option to switch Locale (Language) if user want to. You can take Idea from various Multilingual websites on internet.

Visitors most likely wants to see stuff rather then an option to select language(..personally i hate this design). If visitor feels he is not comfortable with language he will most probably search for such an option on that very page or on Home page.

Later when user has selected his preferred language, you can store it in his cookies and render content in chosen language thereafter.

You can go one step forward and workout the location of User with his IP address.

For Example Microsoft.com shows current locale in top-right corner and clicking on it gives you full chart of different languages supported.

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You could do what google does, which is default to the language of the country that the person is connecting from. You can detect this by IP address. There are a number of IP location databases: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolocation_software