Website translation and localization using web translation services are the methods used to change a website so that it suits the language and culture of the targeted audience. Not everyone speaks English and in fact 33 percent of those that are regular users of the internet don’t speak English at all. It might or not, be a surprise to you that if an internet user engages with a website in his or her language the time spent on that site will be twice as long as if the website was in English.

If your company is seeking more markets then the best way to do this is to localise your website information as soon as possible by using a website language translator. This will attract a global audience and ultimately you will see a rise in sales. It’s a website translation services and website localisation services company which can find a suitable website language translator of which there are many available in up to 150 languages. It’s not just language that’s important when undertaking website translation and localization but adapting the translation so that it uses appropriate language that suits the potential customer for your business.

The first thing a website translation service does when asked to undertake a website’s localization and translation is assess the space that is required on the web pages to accommodate the new language. Some languages when translated by a website language translator will take up more room than the source language. This means the pages may need to be realigned to accept the changes without losing their effect. There are many other technical things that need to be done to the website including:

● changing or rearranging symbols relevant to your business;
● changing images and diagrams so they attract your potential customer in a different culture to your own;
● changing the colour schemes so they reflect a positive image to the new culture.

Why you should translate your website

Just think about the question “why translate your website?”  You are losing sales to your competitors and you wonder why. Check their website and you are most likely to see that there are links to it in different languages. To get back your sales you have to translate and localise your website in such a way that you can draw in customers from far and wide throughout the world.  Have a look at your competitor’s websites or get one of your technical experts to do it for you. Note down some of the features of these websites that you could improve on if you were to follow their example and that’s to get an experienced translator to translate and localise your website for you.

There are a lot of potential customers out there just waiting for businesses like yours to offer goods at a price and quality that beats your competitors.  So has that answered your question “why translate your website?”

The website translation and localization process

Before it gets a translator to translate your website, a website localization service studies the cultural and linguistic idiosyncrasies of the speakers of the targeted language before the translation and localisation begin. This means ensuring the grammar, vocabulary and punctuation match the way they are used in the targeted language. It’s important for the website localisation service to get the style of the translation right as well as ensuring the tone of the translation matches that of your intended customer.  Once this has been completed the translator can begin the translation.

The localizing of layout and of site navigation

The next step is to adapt the translated text so it fits into the layout you have on your website. The way text is placed is often to attract readers’ attention when they open up your website pages for the first time. When a new language is put into place it may take more or less room on a page and may even overlap onto another page. This has to be considered before the website localisation has been finalised.

Adapting images to a new audience

Pictures often portray a message better than words. However, images mean different things to different cultures, so that it’s important that all images on the source website are scrutinised and if necessary the best way to translate a website is to change or adapt it so they always put over a positive message about your product. If the targeted language is Spanish in Latin American countries then it’s wise especially if using images of people to adapt them to suit the targeted country and culture.

The localizing of symbols

Symbols are similar to images so if for example, you are selling building materials to a Caribbean Island country it’s of little use showing a house symbol that’s representative of a house in your business’s location. The intending customers won’t think that your products are relevant to them. This will not be the best way to translate a website as it can cause problems in localization.

If you have a symbol of an animal like a bat on your website this is seen by some cultures as a bad omen and a symbol of fear and death. Your localisation services will ensure inappropriate symbols are substituted with ones that show positivity not negativity. Units of measurement, orders of numbers in features like time and date displays and currency are adapted so they are formatted correctly as part of the localization process.

Colours in cultures have different meanings

In website localization, the use of certain colours may be more attractive to the targeted culture. Examples include pink, which represents trust in Korea, yellow in China represents nourishing, while red in India represents purity. Website localisation services check the importance of colours before the final touches are put to your newly localised website. They will select the most positive colours as part of the best way to translate a website.

The final testing of a localised website

Website localisation and translation services don’t just make your newly localised website live until it’s been through thorough testing. This means ensuring the site works in exactly the same way as the English version but in a different language. Also, any links will be tested to ensure they go through to a part of your website that has been localised and translated to reach your new customers in their language. Linguistic tests will be carried out as well to ensure the translation fits into the right context and that it is consistent throughout the site.

Benefits of translating websites

1. Not all consumers speak English

Not all consumers speak English, so if your website is translated into some of the commonly used languages like Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, French, or Malay, you will be covering almost 85 percent of internet users and possible customers and is one of the many benefits of translating your website.

2. Increase in revenue is one of the benefits of translating your website      

If your products are exposed to a wider audience you will increase your revenue to higher levels than just keeping it in your native language.

3. Boosting consumer confidence

When a potential consumer arrives on your webpage after a search engine found it his or her confidence in your product will be enhanced if it’s advertised in their language. It is so much easier to fully understand a product if the text is easy to understand.  Making purchasing decisions is so dependent on how much confidence the likely purchaser has in your product.

4. Improve your ranking in search results

Website translating and localisation services can create an SEO enhanced website by ensuring well used keywords are embedded seamlessly into the translation.  Customers use certain words in the search engine boxes and these have been well researched by website localisation companies so you reap the benefits by more customers accessing your website.

5. Gain a competitive edge in Europe

According to a 2011 survey by the European Commission, 90 percent of Europeans prefer to engage in a website that appears in their native language. 42% of the survey sample said they wouldn’t purchase products if they couldn’t understand the website’s language. One of the benefits of translating your website into Europe’s key languages is you will gain a competitive edge over your competitors.

6. Website translation services to manage global branding and boost audience engagement

Website translation services offer graphics and desktop publishing as well as translation as a way of marketing content and localising your English website. This is the only way you can make your brand a global brand and boost your customer base.

If you already have a video demonstrating your product this can be localised too by using voice-overs which are the most effective or through the use of subtitles. If the culture of your targeted audience is likely to be more receptive if the video is presented in their language this can also be incorporated into your website’s localization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you should always be aware that today’s customers’ expectations are to have quick-loading, multilingual websites at their fingertips. This is a reality that you have to adjust to if you want your brand to be a successful global brand so that you can reach the highest revenues from a product you have worked hard to develop and produce.

Translation and localisation has been tried and tested and good translation services know that these two methods work together hand in hand to produce the best marketing plan for any adventurous business that wants to grow and develop and gain competitive advantages over its competitors.

You need now to find a good translation and localisation service that understands your product and has the translators available to provide you with a translation service that will grow your brand so all your hard work can be transformed into more leisure time as your revenue grows to new high levels.