Your official website is an opportunity to present your product and service offering to customers. So why limit it to one language? Website translation has many advantages. It’s time for a rundown.
If you still haven’t translated your website, you’re missing one of the key elements to business success. Yet many companies invest considerable time, effort, and resources in building the ideal website, but don’t bother translating it to at least one additional language. Now is precisely the time to understand that in our global world, website translation is not an option – it’s a necessity.
Why is website translation so important?
Your website has potential. If it is only accessible to an audience in one language, you’re using only a very small portion of that potential. Why? Because unlike ads and marketing materials in stores, on TV, on the radio, and in the press, your website is accessible to everyone everywhere, all the time! This extraordinary advertising advantage allows you to reach audiences no other marketing tool can. Successful website translation enables you to:
• Make the most of your worldwide potential Make your website accessible to an extensive range of target audiences around the world and accordingly attract more customers
• Grow your market share Translating and localizing your site for a specific market makes it more approachable and user-friendly for local visitors, not just because people find it easier to browse the web in their native language. Translation allows you to widen your sphere of customers and thus grow your sales.
• Reliability A good website with quality content, translated by an experienced company reflects reliability and professionalism and fosters trust in your site visitors
Things to remember before embarking on a translation
Website translation is not a task to be underestimated. Today, many companies offer website translation services, but not all of them are equal. Before undertaking the translation of your website, keep the following points in mind:
1. Avoid automatic translation The technological advances of the recent decades have brought with them many benefits. Nevertheless, computers are still not ready to replace people. When it comes to website translation, remember that computers are not capable of the sophisticated, accurate, and natural-sounding work human translators provide. Many companies invest in automatic (machine) translation, only to be disappointed by results that fail to meet expectations or compete with the quality offered by professionals.
2. Localization Website translation must be done by professionals – preferably native speakers who understand the culture and target audience, not just the language. Localization means making written content accessible to foreign audiences, with all that implies. As website translation requires converting information from one language to another, localization is a useful tool for preventing awkward cultural gaffes through an understanding of the norms and expectations of the target audience.
Text Translation