Translating Content: The Secret to Reaching More Customers

Want to reach more customers? Well, one simple action you can take is to translate your brand's message into local languages. Providing the information to customers in their own language builds trust.

While it may be obvious that translation is necessary for travel companies, it doesn’t matter which industry you are in: education, sports and entertainment, banking and finance, and even fashion; the benefits of reaching customers in their own language can be seen across all industries. The world, and therefore, business, is truly global and definitely not 'one size fits all'.

Translation is a simple, inexpensive and effective way to instantly increase the number of customers and the quality of your brand communication.

Increasing the number of customers

Consider this: 6 billion people who don’t speak English as their native or second language. Therefore, by publishing content only in English, you may be missing a great opportunity.

You may be thinking, "This doesn't apply to my company, we only operate in the US market". In 2016, the US Census found that 35 million citizens don't speak english at home. Think of them as 35 million potential customers!

Building trust with customers

A survey of over 3,000 global consumers, from non-English speaking countries (from Asia, to Europe and South America) found that over 75% of people would only buy products presented in their native languages. In addition, 60% would rarely, if ever, buy from an English-only website. By going the extra step to reach customers in their native language, you will undoubtedly have more sales and happier customers.

Communicate the same message across all languages WITH PROFESSIONAL LINGUISTS

Pro Tip: Always use a translation service, why? Because as much as it is important to provide your customers with content in their own languages, it is essential to get it right and avoid all faux pas. There is more to a translation than just the literal translation. In some cases, the intended meaning can be lost as you convert your content to other languages.

In some of the worst cases, the meaning can completely change and come across as offensive or impolite. There is an extension to translation called transcreation, which accounts for the emotion and intention behind the content. A quick tip: Use a translation service, because machine translations are often literal translations and don't account for subtle nuances and emotion.

Improved Local SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of your website has become a business necessity. Did you know that over half of all Google searches are in a language other than English? Google's algorithm for selecting which websites show up on the top of searches is based on the language or languages of your website. More languages = more opportunities to connect with new clients.