The Arabic language is spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide, is the main language of 27 Arabic countries, and is the 5th most spoken language in the world, so it is no surprise that many firms are looking to translate their websites from English to Arabic.
This essential guide covers everything you need to know about translating a website from English to Arabic – why to do it, how to do it, and more!
Why Translate your Website from English to Arabic?
The Arabic language is the 4th most used language online, the 5th most spoken language in the world, and it is also one of the official languages of the United Nations.
This means that translating your website from English to Arabic makes good financial sense if you’re looking to expand your business and can increase your market reach dramatically.
The last decade has seen significant growth in the number of internet users in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), so much so, that the UAE is now listed in the number 1 position (alongside Denmark and Ireland) with an internet penetration rate of 99%.
When entering an Arabic-speaking market, translating your website from English to Arabic has the following benefits:
• Expands market reach
• Increase revenue potential
• Increase search engine ratings
• Boost consumer confidence
• Give a competitive edge
• Improve online visibility
• Greater customer satisfaction
• Increased conversion rate
• Improved user experience
Over the last twenty years the MENA region has witnessed massive growth and now has a combined GDP of $3.64 trillion.
Many of the countries within the MENA region are diversifying growth areas and have established robust economic support for businesses.
Consequently, translating your website from English to Arabic will ensure your company can participate in this market at the optimum level and gives the greatest chance of success.
How to Translate your Website from English to Arabic
Website translation is the process of adapting language and content, from one language (source) to another (target), for optimum user experience and engagement.
It can range from a single homepage in one language to a multilingual website with hundreds of pages.
However, in order to achieve the best results, website translation should be completed by a professional language services provider using native speaking translators.
This is because they have in-depth knowledge of the language, audience, culture, and market (accumulated over years of experience) which is then utilised to create a translated website which looks and reads like it was originally created in the target language.
An engaging, aesthetic, and accurately translated website offers your brand the best chance of success in any market and the following tips will help you get your translation project off to a flying start:
• Decide on the scope of your project – how much of your existing website requires translation? Will all pages be translated, or can some content be cut without losing continuity and appearance?
• What is the overall objective for your translation project? – Understanding this will allow you to check progress and measure success. Consider deadlines and timescale.
• Budget – work with your team to establish a realistic budget, consider ongoing translation requirements and initial costs
• Brand – be clear on how you want your brand to be perceived but be open to advice when it comes to adapting branding for a new audience. consider target audience, tone of voice, logos,
• Choose a reputable and reliable Language Services Provider (LSP) to work with on your translation project – look for one which specialises in English to Arabic translation and can show examples of previous projects. An LSP which offers linguists who are industry experts in your field can be useful, especially for highly technical or complex translation projects
• Assemble all files and information in preparation for translation – and check them thoroughly as any mistakes will be carried over in the translation process
• Consider additional content – videos, images, symbols, and so on, might also require translation (or localisation) for an Arabic-speaking audience to ensure they are culturally appropriate
• Keywords and SEO – organise lists of keywords, a glossary of frequently used terms/phrases and any additional SEO information which might be relevant to your LSP. This can help speed up the translation process, and minimise costs, on subsequent projects
• Assign dedicated contacts – which member(s) of your team will handle the translation project? Make sure they’re well-equipped to assist your LSP; can answer queries and make decisions
English to Arabic Translation Providers
There are literally thousands of translators and Language Services Providers that offer English to Arabic website translation, but they aren’t all created equal.
Choosing a reputable and reliable LSP to use for your translation project will require a little searching and investigative work.
Create a shortlist of LSPs by comparing reviews, checking their websites, viewing examples of their work, and even asking their previous clients how they rank the service, as the more information you can discover, the easier your choice of LSP will become.
It is also vital that you discuss your requirements with each LSP on your shortlist in order to get an idea of how well you work together.
Cost is always a factor that must be considered when choosing an LSP but be conscious that you generally get what you pay for, so if something seems too good to be true, it often is!
Here at Creative Word, we have been delivery high-quality English to Arabic translation projects for two decades and with offices in the UAE and the UK we are ideally placed to give you the best the service.
We use only native speaking linguists to ensure a quality translation every time and have partnered with many leading brands in both the UK and the MENA region in general.
Contact our team now via email to discuss your requirements or call us on 020 8408 2268
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