TeamToday, more than ever, there is a need to globalize everything. The world is getting smaller by the minute and too many businesses, blogs or products are still stubborn regarding the importance of translation in today’s market.
Naturally, many people believe the investment is not worth the reward but the world is in constant change, and translation is one of the hot topics that has been changing rapidly. Which way do you think the scales are tipping to right now? Let’s see.
A global market and a global language?
As we have discussed before, the market is now global. We have services like Amazon FBA, Shopify, digital goods, e-commerce of any kind, services that sell your products to customers all around the globe. And we are not even getting into big companies that have infrastructures of their own for this. We are talking about small businesses or even one-person businesses.
Do we have a global language? Sure, English is considered to be the global language when we are addressing people of other countries. And it will continue to be so for many years. There are, however, many, many millions that do not speak English. There are roughly 1.35 billion English speakers but what about the 500 million that speak Spanish? If you are running a small successful business, should you really be leaving money on the table like that?
For example, Amazon is translating their marketplace and all of its services to several languages because it is worth it. The initial investment might be harsh but it pays off later on.
Translated content looks professional
Another reason that makes translation so important in a global market is presentation. If we are looking for a service or product and we find a website with several languages available, it instantly looks more professional. It seems and looks like a successful business.
Sure, it does not mean that said business is professional or that they offer a high-quality service/product. But it gives off that vibe, even if it is not the case, and that could just be the difference that will push the client to buy their services or products.
In addition to a more professional look, having several languages available also makes a business look bigger than it actually is. And as many of you know, many things in this world revolve around perception, and if your consumers have the perception that you are bigger/more successful, they are more likely to make a purchase.
Lastly, in this global market, it is really is important to have more languages available for your clients, the big ones at least. By having your content available for speakers from different parts of the world, you show that you care about other cultures and not just your own. The small things matter.
Quality over quantity
Nevertheless, we still have to take into account the quality of the translations. The global market is more demanding than ever, and even though not too long ago, a couple of years or so, your website would be the face of your business, but now it is not only about how beautiful your page is. Do not get me wrong, your company’s website still is the main face in this online market, but now content it is not only about your image, but your content, too.
Imagine this, you are looking to buy a product or service and you are researching the topic at hand. The usual detective work, right? Now, you are browsing google and all, and you click on a page, it is a small business with a ton of info on what you are looking for. Jackpot. You start reading the first paragraph and the writing seems a bit awkward. Moments later, you find typos, nonsensical words, confusing sentences. Apparently, the business owner is French but he used Google Translate to translate his website to English, leading to this mess.
What do you do next? Me? I just leave the site. Yes, the information could have been valuable, but if the translation is horrible, it shows how unprofessional the company is, and it shows that they didn’t take the time or money to prepare themselves for the global market.
Final thoughts
We live in a small world these days. However, the global market keeps getting bigger and bigger. Even though we are all closer now, people are starting to valuing their individuality and country more, and that includes their language. By investing in high-quality translations, you will be showing how important other cultures are, and you will make your foreigner clients feel special.
Having your business ready for the 3 or 5 most spoken languages in the world could be the key to a successful and globalized journey.
