In recent years we have observed a growing trend to go global. Big and small companies are trying to get their share of the market by looking for customers worldwide. Even though English is widely spoken around the world, consumers increasingly want everything on their own terms, and that includes a preference for communicating in their own language.
The world has become a global village. Easy internet access, online shopping trends and growing populations have presented brands with huge opportunities to expand into new markets and engage with customers on a deeper level. English-speaking companies are wise to focus on reaching out to new audiences by creating multilingual content because potential customers are much more likely to buy products and services from websites that address them in their own language.
This is where you might well need the help and expertise that a translation company can provide. Translation and localisation services have been proven to generate revenue, increase global reach and drive customer loyalty. A wide range of language solutions is available to help you succeed internationally.
Website Translation
Translation is the process of changing the source language of web content such as text and multimedia into the target language by simply substituting words and sentences from one language to another. This includes translating ideas and concepts and involves the translator adding their own skill and judgement in order to best capture the essence of what the author means.
Website Localisation
Localisation is a more specialised process of adapting your web content and images for a local market. It goes beyond translation, to modify the source language and other site elements to appeal to the customer’s local preferences and regional expectations, in their native language. It helps ensure greater user experience by having culturally relevant content, local currency, sizes and measurements, localised product info and images, which all contribute to a higher conversion rate.
Content Transcreation
Transcreation means ‘translating’ and ‘creating’ the original text in a new language whilst making sure it is still appropriate in the context for which it is intended. The transcreator is given the freedom not only to translate the original but also to make significant changes to it, in order to obtain copy that reads well in the target language. Transcreation is more suitable for shorter advertising and marketing content.
Multilingual Customer Support
It is always a good idea to provide online help, FAQ and customer support in the local language. Translation companies provide ongoing email and letter translation support and can help you reply to online customer enquiries.
Multilingual Social Media Content
If you are thinking of actively selling your product abroad it is worth considering social media marketing. By providing multilingual content on behalf of your company on all the major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter etc) a translation company can help you engage with the non-English speaking audience, both in your country and worldwide.
Multilingual Product Information
Both consumers and requirements of legislation drive the need to have all the product information translated into the target language. If you are thinking of selling abroad you should have all your product descriptions, instruction manuals, certification, decals and warranty cards translated into the local language.
Multilingual Staff Communications
Every company employing people abroad needs to support their staff which means that every aspect of what they do, including human resources, health and safety training and internal communications has to be translated.
Verbal Interpreting
Face-to-face and telephone interpreting can further enhance your business in a foreign country. Interpreters can help you communicate with your business partners in meetings, attend trade shows and assist during three-way telephone conversations.
With all these solutions available at your fingertips it is much less daunting than it seems to go global. So don’t let your brand voice get lost, dip your toe in the water and consider these exciting ways of helping grow your business internationally.
Alex Fiddler is a language and communications expert of Eurotext Ltd, European translation specialists. For more information, please see www.eurotext.uk