Thursday 26th June 2008
Why translate your website?
Your website is an integral part of your strategy to attract attention in markets anywhere in the world. It is the first port of call for anyone trying to find information about your company.
The Internet does make global marketing of products and services easier, but are companies in English-speaking countries making enough effort to communicate internationally?
Addressing your potential international customers in their native language maximises your marketing efforts and shows that your company is interested in them and their culture.
Five years ago, if you asked what the predominant internet language was, the resounding reply would have been English as it accounted for the content of 75% of global websites. Today the answer would be very different, however, with several other key languages coming to the fore and quickly superseding English as the most widely used languages on the web.
Businesses are increasingly finding that being a ‘dot com’ is no longer enough. Greater advances in technology and marketing expectations mean that people expect companies to communicate with them in their own language – this applies both for business-to-consumer and business-to-business alike. Now, almost 80% of all internet traffic is from non-English speaking countries, with only 21% of websites written in English and a massive 79% in other languages.
Winning business in foreign markets is more important today than ever before but the message and strategy must be right. A simple translation is often not enough – the design, imagery and style of a website, or any communicative material, needs to be tailored to appeal to each individual country or market. The promotion of a website and the entire marketing approach should also be considered, as these are likely to be different from one country to another.
International consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, launched a Spanish version of its website in September 2007 and now reports that customers are spending roughly double the amount of time on the Spanish site as English-language customers.
Besides the immediate boost to sales generated by localising your website for foreign markets, there is significant long-term value in reaching out to customers in multiple languages. A multilingual website is an excellent way to test new markets and open the door to international trade. Having a fully localised website shows appreciation and respect towards a foreign culture, and ensures that you can be found in the most popular search engines in each specified market, country or language.
Many US and UK businesses are slow to adopt foreign languages: those that do embrace the global marketplace reap the benefits almost immediately. An international website adds prestige to your business and will make you stand out, head and shoulders above competitors.
With the current economic downturn occurring in the US and spreading to the UK, reaching out to foreign markets can only help to improve your bottom line with minimal financial outlays.
Offering a multilingual site will not only provide a short-term competitive advantage, but also stand your company in good stead for the future, when multilingual websites become the rule and not the exception.
Web-Translations is renowned for its ability to tackle high profile, technically demanding projects with professionalism, expertise and enthusiasm. The company continues to work with a global network of 25,000 translators, linguists and developers, and is committed to consistently exceeding expectations as well as embracing and pioneering new technology.
If you would like more information about any of our products and services, please contact a member of the Web-Translations team on +44 (0) 1924 360 460.
