It is the digital era and businesses are going global. However, when dealing with a global audience who speak different languages, the need to convey your message in a language that each target customer understands is crucial. And, that is why translation is very important for businesses that are scaling globally. Moreover, when done well, translation can boost business growth in several ways. First, it eliminates the language barrier, creating a two-way communication. It also helps you maintain local relevance in different markets around the world. In addition, it stamps your business credibility and improves your business image. So how do you ensure that translation is done well to drive business growth? It can only be possible with the following best practices.
- Do your research
After deciding that you need translation in your business and setting goals that you need to achieve, you need to set the ball rolling with some research. This means identifying the languages that you want your content translated to. It can be easy to generalize or do as the competitors do, but a translation that can’t help your business will only be a waste of resources. Here are some best practices when it comes to target languages:
- Check your website traffic from foreign markets – if you start seeing more traffic from certain markets, it is worth exploring if there is need for translating to their local languages
- Check your competition – If your competition has content translated in a particular language, chances are that there is potential for your business as well
- Consider popular languages that have a high number of potential customers around the globe
- Keep in mind the different versions of a language and explore more whether you need to narrow down to specific ones
- Don’t forget localization
If you are to capture the mind and the heart of your target customers in different markets, your message needs to resonate effectively with them. That is only possible if you get rid of cultural and technical nuances in your website. That is where localization comes in. Localization goes beyond just translating text from one language to another to take into account cultural differences. This might mean changing the tone of your content, modifying expressions and idioms to fit each market’s cultural preference. It also involves changing visual elements such as images, illustrations, color and buttons to meet the functional and cultural expectations of each market.
- Work with a credible translation company
Translation can take up a significant amount of your resources in terms of time and money when done in house. That is why it is wiser to leave the job to the professionals. Partnering with a translation services company removes the burden of finding and vetting translators and proofreaders, answering questions from them, deciding the right word count and testing the quality of the translation among others. However, it is important to ensure that the company that you work with is credible and highly experienced and knows how to help your business grow. Besides having a strong knowledge of both the source and the target languages, translators need to be industry experts for them to align your message with your industry specifics.
- Know what to prioritize
Translating all your content in all platforms can be a huge project that can spread over a longer period. You might have the budget for it, but you might be losing business if you have to wait for the entire project to be completed. That is why understanding what content to prioritize for the highest business impact is important. So make sure that you do your homework right. Analyze what your international customers are saying on your website and social media platforms to identify the most pressing needs. You can then decide which content can give you a quick ROI.
- Have a reasonable timeline
When it comes to translation that can drive business growth, perfection is key. Moreover, there is no way that you can’t rush perfection. You need to give yourself enough time to create a strategy, set the budget, find a good translation company and negotiate costs and timeframe. After that, the translators need enough time to translate and proofread your content to ensure quality before handing it over to you. If you rush your translation project or leave it until the last minute, you risk paying more money and getting a poorly done job.
Conclusion
Translation is an investment that has potential to grow your business in terms of widening your market reach. If you are to see results, proper planning and strategizing is crucial. Give it the weight and attention it deserves. If you are just starting or feel stuck, the above outlined best practices can shed some light on what to do in order to drive growth for your business.