In the 21st century the main focus has been making the world more connected, and entrepreneurs are no exception. All entrepreneurs aim at increasing their customer base, and going international is one way to do it. To achieve this, the business world opted to merge with the technological sphere to ensure the physical boundaries from state to state are not a barrier to the exchange of goods and services. The biggest barrier to business over the years has been language. Most entrepreneurs use English on their websites, which is a huge drawback especially to the native language speaking clients. Changing the world can be an impossible task to take up, instead the business world took an adaptive approach through internationalization.
Significance of localization
Internationalization is the process whereby the producers strategize on products that are acceptable and appealing to people in as many countries as possible. In case the producers have a website, they design it in such a way that people speaking different languages can translate the content on the site to their own language. Transactions done in one’s native language are as personal as it gets. This trail of logic has been backed by studies that show 55% of clients have a preference of online shopping in their local dialect. Using their native language makes the process easier and the producer/seller becomes more trustworthy. That’s a good indication which lets us know that localization helps with business growth, but there’s more to it – you can learn more about the tools that help your e-commerce business flourish – here. Investing on an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that has the option of localizing language is of benefit to both the entrepreneur and the customers considering that 56% of clients confess to value the use of their local languages more than the price of the product itself!
Hire professional translators
Coming to translations on the website, all the critical contents and documentation should be translated. To get the most accurate and honest translations one has to vet the translator and ensure they are familiar with the native language. Investing on the best translation services and translators will help avoid poor translations which lower the business’ level of professionalism. Even the marketing and branding should be localized depending on the culture of the setting. Some holidays and discounts may simply not make sense to the locals. With the right local specialist or translator you will know the kind of marketing and branding that works for the specific community. The specialist will come up with the best translation for the slogan, the best colors and even give tips on the peak and off-peak seasons of that particular community.
Let the ERP do the Heavy Work
To get the best translations, ensure that you have the best ERP providers who will make sure the localization details are well taken care of. To achieve all these, one has to ensure they have the best language service provider for their organization. The organization has to consider whether the translator is a native speaker or not, because it will be advantageous if they are natives so that they translate accurately. In case the materials to be translated have a specific format or subject matter that can only be handled by professionals in the area, then specialists must be hired. All translators must provide proof of relevant education or previously translated work to show they are well acquainted with the task and most important they must be within the budget.
Narrow down the translator funnel
Other than the hiring issue, the organization has also to consider the number of languages the organization needs to have translated. If the languages are few and the translations minimal then they can get small language service providers like freelancers, but in case the languages are numerous, then it is advisable to use one language service provider. One service provider is also an easy and convenient contact person in doing follow ups unlike dealing with various small service providers. To maintain the brand, one translator is suitable, as all the documents will be written in different languages but in one voice unlike a variety of small service providers who will all be speaking in their different voices and in different languages, in which case the aspect of uniformity will be lost. It is advisable to use one provider who will develop a deep understanding of the business and can be a long-term translator for the organization bringing about consistency and uniformity.
Choose the Right Web Store Platform for Internationalization
To ensure consistency of the multilingual platform, the organization has to ensure they choose the right web control and management solution (WCMS). You can learn more about important factors for multilingual website design by clicking here. WCMS enables the organization to manage international websites and ensure they have the capacity to modify the content on local sites. It should also have an automated translation workflow, this will help reduce time wasted when launching new sites within the website. The minute new information is posted, it is translated to all the languages through the service providers. Pseudo-localization is another aspect to look at. Language may have a specific font of writing, or direction of writing. This is sorted out by the pseudo-localization which presents language in its most original form. A fallback location should also be put in place to go back to the original language in case the client speaks a language that is not available.
All these features have been brought together to ensure the best localization experience in entrepreneurship wherever one may be and grow the business sector to the highest possible heights, internationally.
Author Bio
Rilind Elezaj is an experienced a Digital Marketing Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Rilind possesses a strong entrepreneurial mindset and has devoted his career to enhancing the sphere of digital marketing. In his methodological approach, Rilind integrates web development and other digital marketing solutions to create hybrid strategies that bring the best results.
