Do you know who said: “If I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I’m purchasing, dann muessen Sie Deutsch sprechen (then you must speak German).” Willy Brandt, previous West German Republic chancellor.
The question is, how will your web site sell? Who do you target?
Most Ireland entrepreneurs ought to understand that they’re merely a click aloof from any corner of the globe. What most Scotland sme’s, sadly, don’t understand though, is that their shopping cart is struggling to make it to the checkout counter. According to a net marketing study, “everytime your web site is generating £2 million in english sales, you drop another £one million in multilingual sales if you’re not making your website simply accessible in French language.”
In economics this is called opportunity cost -meaning the price of something in terms of an chance foregone. The chance value of not speaking “German” is a whopping 50%! This straightforward truth is supported by statistics.
A Forrester Research study revealed that “Guests hang around twice so long as they do at English-only URLs; business consumers are 3 times more likely to shop for if addressed in their own language; and client service costs drop when directions are displayed within the user’s language.”
Another Forrester Research report, quoted in an article titled “Reasons for Success in international E-Commerce” provides statistics that indicate “over fifty five% of the web world log on into the Web from countries where English is not the local language.”
This important tips today will become alarming in the future if you still assume that there’s no reason to translate your promoting materials using website translation.
One thing is undisputable though, English is the foremost used language on the Web, and many individuals do have the power to read your native language. But, faced with a selection, would you pull out your wallet for a corporation that caters your needs in a different language, or in your native language? Think, would you buy my product if “je parle subitement une langue que vous ne pouvez maitriser” (I speak a language you can’t handle)? Place yourself into your customers’ shoes, first.
If translation is not part of your european e-commerce plan, then you’ll be losing cash even if you have never invested in the first place!
And, if you understand the particular meaning of this message, you have got at least 2 main options in hand: you’ll be able to either develop an in-house translation competence, or you might partner with a professional translation service provider to translate your marketing materials. Using an in-house translation competence may be very pricey and it’s a long term effort that would not deliver fast result.
How can free translation online be your best bet?
Your beginning purpose should be the clarification of your translation project requirements. Take into account:
Whether your marketing materials are for internal consumption (together with partners) or external consumption?
Whether or not value is more important or quality is more necessary?
What’s the time frame for your plan?
What are your company’s global objectives?
By clarifying project requirements, you for your translation project?