Modern technology allows businesses to sell to customers anywhere in the world but this comes with a problem – how do you effectively communicate your brand, and products, to audiences that don’t speak your native language?
The answer is – a multilingual translation and localisation strategy for websites, marketing material and customer services.
In this way, businesses are able to adapt to local audiences, modify for cultural differences and ensure communication with customers is linguistically problem-free.
A multilingual solution is a must for global businesses, the two main reasons can be found below:
1. Language is more than just words and translation
Using a language services provider to translate websites and marketing is only the first step in a multilingual solution for successful international companies.
This is because language encompasses more than just words; it can include images, colours, cultural references, geography, design, and so on.
Therefore, when we communicate with other people from outside of our culture, and who speak a different language, we need to be aware that there will be variances in interpretation which should be considered alongside basic translation.
Translating website content will offer a simple method for attracting potential foreign customers but to ensure they really engage with your brand and products, it is necessary to localise website content, customer services, social media posts, product packaging, and so on.
Localisation involves a more detailed approach to translation which will include adapting the following factors:
• Images
• Colours
• Font
• Text size
• Currency
• Weights and measures
• Linguistic and cultural phrases/idioms/humour
• Geographical locations
• Regional dialects
• Cultural variances, preferences and norms
• Search engine ratings and SEO keywords
Using a professional translation services provider to localise company websites, social media posts, product information and brand taglines guarantees potential customers are able to navigate websites easily, purchase what they require (in their own currency) and successfully interact with social media and customer service apps.
Localisation is generally more expensive than translation but it gives a better return on investment as it helps promote brand trust, improve customer satisfaction and ensures a high level of cultural accuracy.
2. Consumers Buy from Websites in Their Native Language
With more than 6000 languages in the world it would be difficult to account for every single one but it is worth considering that research has shown that most online consumers prefer to engage with websites (and purchase from them) if they are in their native language.
Research states: “Considering the data from our survey, there should be no question about localizing your website and product information if you want to sell more goods or services to global customers.”And that, “Localization improves customer experience and increases engagement in the brand dialogue. It should be a rigorously planned and executed business strategy for any company looking to grow internationally.”
This doesn’t mean that it is necessary to translate and localise for hundreds of different languages but it does mean being a bit savvy with regards to which language is best suited for a particular region or target market.
For example, while the ‘de facto’ official language of the United Kingdom is English, there are numerous other indigenous languages including, Welsh and Scottish, that are spoken by almost 3million people as their native language. Depending upon the type of product and the target audience, it is worth researching which language would be a best fit.
Ask for advice from a professional translation team if you need support on assessing which language(s) to choose for a particular culture or region.
Multilingual solutions for international trade are available from many sources, however, selecting the right professional translation services provider to work with on translation projects is a must for assured accuracy, reliability, expertise and knowledge.
Advice on translation and localisation projects can be found here, or alternatively, you can contact us directly to talk to one of our translation project managers who will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the translation process.
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