Four Things To Consider Of Before Deciding To Expand Your Business With Website Translation

By Author: Wes Rumrill
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Many of us have become aware by now to the profitable new marketing opportunities that can be generated by expanding through website translation, but many website entrepreneurs mistakenly think that it is as simple as having their existing website translated by machine, and throwing it out there. Truly successful website translation does not work like this; it is an involved task which will require a fair amount of initial investment, and constant maintenance throughout its life span. Before you jump into multilingual marketing head first there are four things that you should be brought into great consideration, to make sure you are making a wise and profitable marketing move, rather than a great mistake;

5. You are going to have to invest- When you are dealing with the future success of your company, it is no time to be a cheap skate. The many aspects of website translation require the expertise of experienced professionals, who know what methods are tried and proven. The translation itself is just the beginning, but for the site to truly connect with its new found foreign audience, it is going to have to be chalked ...
... full of personable and custom created material, from the style of the writing to high quality images, the right color choices, proper formatting, familiar navigation, and more. This can be accomplished through hiring a wide assortment of freelancers to help you with your mission, or better yet, employ a good website translation and localisation team to handle almost everything for you. It will take some investing, but if done properly, will pay off several times over in the long run.

6. Make Sure it is Worth Your While- Choosing the right language other than English to have your website translated to is probably the most important step in the process. It is quite possible that, being you are already interested in website translation, you already have a specific language in mind, but there are some questions you should ask yourself before being completely sure.

• What is the rate of internet users that are using this language primarily while surfing the web? Chinese is the second most widely used internet language, but that doesn’t make it an obvious choice for every company to translate to, which brings us to the next question.

• Is there a strong interest in this country in what it is you have to offer? Many products and services can be appreciated universally, by people from any culture or language, but this alone is not enough. Through the use of marketing surveys or other means, it may be possible to find out if there is actually a demand for your product, and if other various factors will be successful, such as price, delivery times, etc. Most people aren’t going to want to order a product or service from half-way across the world, if they can get it cheaper and quicker right there at home. However, if it is a truly high-quality and special service, being presented in a familiar and personably translated way, the potential for international profits from website translation can be great.

• How much money is being spent online by speakers of this language? As mentioned above, it is important to determine if there is an adequate number of internet users in the proposed country, but a high number of web surfers will only matter if they are a group that is likely to spend money on online purchases, or if they are simply inclined to window shopping. To help you figure out how much money is spent weekly, monthly, or annually, by a specific language group, there are a variety of charts and online resources can be found quite easily, that list this information.

7. You Must be Aware of International Laws- Before making the switch through website translation, it is important to be sure that the products or services you are offering comply with all the laws set in the country. For example, certain online gambling sites are illegal for US citizens to participate in. Some countries may have safety laws in place that disallow certain designs or materials to be used in manufacture. Plenty can be found out through online research about different global retail laws, but for many companies, it is best to seek out the advice of a professional legal expert who is already familiar with the laws of the country.

8. Be Informed about Shipping- If you are running an online retail business, and are thinking about taking it to the international level through website translation, it is extremely important to become well-educated about the shipping aspects, which can vary greatly from country to country. The first, and most important thing to take a look at, is what laws are in place for importing goods into a specific country. Some countries have special requirements, regarding things like what the products you are shipping are manufactured from; do they contain liquids, chemicals, livestock materials, etc. Regulations like these can make it extremely costly to ship goods to certain countries, and leave no profit to be made. Another thing to be taken into consideration before deciding to include a country into your website translation is how long it is expected for shipping to take. People, in general are impatient, and do not want to wait a month or two to finally get what they ordered online in the mail. Since security regulations may be stricter, or even more disorganized in some countries, the shipping times can vary greatly from place to place.

If you have read and researched the above information, and are still feeling confident about your decision to expand through website translation, then, congratulations! It is quite possible that you are well on your weigh to a world of international success, bigger than your wildest dreams. Just keep patient. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it wasn’t built by one person either, which is why it is absolutely essential to seek the help of a professional translation company.

Web Site Translation on an as-required, hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. This is a cost-effective and hassle-free way to manage your website. We will monitor your website and update your multi-lingual websites accordingly. Please visit: www.translationlogic.com