Translation Tips For International Audience
07 Mar Translation Tips For International Audience
As business grows the world seems to become smaller, with clients needing more from you and quicker than ever. The Internet is a wonderful thing but imagine if you could only understand a fraction of it. This is where we come in! Translation services should be your first port of call for international expansion, in order to translate your website, translate your marketing letters, any contact you have with the outside world to make sure you are targeting the widest possible audience.
Translation Services for International Expansion
Watch Your Language on the Web – Use localized content and Avoid Slang Where Possible
In order to survive in the new world you need a document that is understandable for people in your target audience. That is what localization is for.
For example if you’re addressing an English audience, just because you’re writing your page in English in Australia doesn’t mean that a Canadian would necessarily understand it or find it useful. Make sure that you avoid using slang in your document and hire translation services for linguistically and culturally appropriate text in a target language or country where it will be used or sold.
Use Translation as a new Marketing Tool for International Expansion
Considering the fact that every human is more likely to make a purchase for something in their native language you have to see translations as a marketing tool. The success towards translation relies on quality and accuracy, so make sure you hire a professional translation company.
a) How To Test your International Market Without Paying a Cent
Before you translate your website or prepare to launch your product in a new country you should check some statistics to see the demand of your product.
Keyword Statistics – First step would be to create a short list of potential keywords and test them with Google’s Keyword Tool. In addition to providing statistics, the tool will generate new keyword ideas to help in your international expansion quest.
b) Sell to multiple countries
If you expect to sell to multiple countries don’t forget 3 vital things: shipping, conversions and competitions. If you can only ship within your country, make that very clear. It can be very disappointing for a customer to find exactly what he is looking for and then find that there is no possibility to ship outside the U.K. (and he lives in Australia). In the U.S. measurements like pound and mile are common, in Australia, you might hear terms like stone or meter, and in Europe kilo or kilometer. It helps if you include conversions, and if you don’t know the actual conversion, provide a link to a conversion site. This includes measurements for recipes, distances, and temperature. There are many guidelines for international expansion. If your site is solely based around competitions or has only one or two, make sure you follow any legislation in force in your country or the county in which the competition is based.
No more worries about being lost in translation
Tips for Leveraging Language in Your International Expansion Strategy
- Hire a translation service: A professional translation agency not only knows the language but also the geographic location of that native language. Localization can determine the difference between a significant message and an annoying message.
- Make a budget: Translation is not expensive, but you do need to understand where and how to save cash. For sites, your main pages describing your product or service may require a complete translation, but customer reviews and testimonials need online translation with light post-editing, which is the most cost-effective way to market to your international audience.
- Know your audience: Localization is a crucial understanding when translating, you must know the details of the region you are doing business in for international expansion.
- Be aware of translation traps: Global publishers may tell you they handle the communication efforts in different nations; though, publishers are not language specialists. Being a native speaker in a foreign country doesn’t make someone a translator.
As you can see there are many things to consider when you are addressing a global audience, that’s why it’s always better to get translation from the beginning. You can contact us for any language combination, not just Dutch projects! Send us an email to [email protected] for more information.