2016-08-17_0959_001

Do You Need Website Translation?

In Blog by Rafael MorelLeave a Comment

With the internet becoming ever more available on a global scale, many companies and web page owners are considering whether they should have their website translated. These businesses may wonder if the investment is worth the potential return, and whether it will bring additional sales. Website translation is necessary to anyone looking to truly globalize their reach, and the return on investment is very likely to be a positive one.

What is website translation?

Website translation, also called website localization, isn’t limited to translating only the words on your web page. It’s also about translating the meaning and intent behind the words. A good website translation will transform your site into a culturally acceptable and easily understood page for your target region. This is very important because it can be easy to unintentionally offend and potentially alienate that share of your market.

It’s important to note that English speaking web users are no longer the lion’s share of the online market.  In fact, native English speakers may not even be half of the online community. Access to the internet is spreading across the world like wildfire, and many of those users may not know any English at all. International companies can reach those who either only speak or prefer to read in their native language by having their site localized.

Who should get their website translated?

Any business looking to expand their market beyond the English speaking community should look into getting their website translated. First, a company needs to identify their target audience. This could be a single country with a solid market for the goods provided by that company, or it could be multiple languages to ensure the broadest reach across the language barrier. Regardless of what you decide, if you have a product that has a market with a global reach, you need a website capable of appealing to those who aren’t primarily English speaking.

By having your site translated into the target language, you will help build trust with those potential customers. If your competition is still only operating in English, you have a leg up if you’ve made your website friendly to alternate language speaking countries. Diversify your market, and you’ll open up new opportunities for growth.

Be found in search

By having your website translated, you’ll also have a much greater chance of being found in an online search internationally. Outside of the English speaking community, there are other search engines used more commonly, and these will be more likely to find your site once translated. Even Google is adapting to search in different languages!

Choosing a website translation service

When choosing a website translation service, you should be sure the service will adapt the website to meet the cultural differences, and not just translate the words. They should be able to adapt any kind of slang or colloquialism into an acceptable alternative, because many English phrases are virtually nonsense or have no equivalent translation.

They should be able to recommend changes that make your website more culturally acceptable to the target country, and work with you to ensure your complete satisfaction.

With the internet becoming ever more available on a global scale, many companies and web page owners are considering whether they should have their website translated. These businesses may wonder if the investment is worth the potential return, and whether it will bring additional sales. Website translation is necessary to anyone looking to truly globalize their reach, and the return on investment is very likely to be a positive one.

What is website translation?

Website translation, also called website localization, isn’t limited to translating only the words on your web page. It’s also about translating the meaning and intent behind the words. A good website translation will transform your site into a culturally acceptable and easily understood page for your target region. This is very important because it can be easy to unintentionally offend and potentially alienate that share of your market.

It’s important to note that English speaking web users are no longer the lion’s share of the online market.  In fact, native English speakers may not even be half of the online community. Access to the internet is spreading across the world like wildfire, and many of those users may not know any English at all. International companies can reach those who either only speak or prefer to read in their native language by having their site localized.

Who should get their website translated?

Any business looking to expand their market beyond the English speaking community should look into getting their website translated. First, a company needs to identify their target audience. This could be a single country with a solid market for the goods provided by that company, or it could be multiple languages to ensure the broadest reach across the language barrier. Regardless of what you decide, if you have a product that has a market with a global reach, you need a website capable of appealing to those who aren’t primarily English speaking.

By having your site translated into the target language, you will help build trust with those potential customers. If your competition is still only operating in English, you have a leg up if you’ve made your website friendly to alternate language speaking countries. Diversify your market, and you’ll open up new opportunities for growth.

Be found in search

By having your website translated, you’ll also have a much greater chance of being found in an online search internationally. Outside of the English speaking community, there are other search engines used more commonly, and these will be more likely to find your site once translated. Even Google is adapting to search in different languages!

Choosing a website translation service

When choosing a website translation service, you should be sure the service will adapt the website to meet the cultural differences, and not just translate the words. They should be able to adapt any kind of slang or colloquialism into an acceptable alternative, because many English phrases are virtually nonsense or have no equivalent translation.

They should be able to recommend changes that make your website more culturally acceptable to the target country, and work with you to ensure your complete satisfaction.

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