Business globalization is not just a buzzword. The world is getting ever-tighter, which makes quality website translations more important than ever. The upside of global business promotion is a chance to reach wider audiences and boost your ROI. The potential challenge is making sure your message really hits its target. That’s where human expertise comes in because no matter how far the tech has already progressed, people always buy from other people. Below, we explain why website translations matter, compare the pros and cons of human vs machine translation, and offer tips on choosing the right translation agency.
Importance of Website Translations
These are only some of the top benefits of website translations:
Reaching a larger audience
Over half of all global website content is written in English, but that still leaves almost the same number of potentially unexplored markets! Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese, and French account for another 20% share of the global market, but the list can go on. And since a survey of consumers has proven that 76% of web users prefer purchasing products with information in their own language, businesses ignoring this huge market share are missing out, big time!
Building trust with your audience
To attract clients, you need to speak their language, and website translations allow businesses to do just that. Generally, people feel more confident browsing websites in their mother tongues because it minimizes the risk of misunderstanding and helps build a sense of familiarity. Going the extra mile and localizing a website has the potential for even greater rewards, especially if you add a human touch and leverage the inside cultural knowledge of the untapped market.
Increasing website conversion rates
Making your leads feel at ease increases the odds of converting them into clients, which is the main purpose of running the website in the first place. This, in turn, boosts the chance of repeated business transactions. After all, once the ice is broken, maintaining a relationship with an existing client is easier than converting leads into customers. And way more profitable, at that.
Boosting website SEO rankings
Some markets are simply more competitive than others, and making your content stand out among thousands of other English sites is not always easy. Website translations into other, less widespread languages can give your business the competitive edge it requires. Not only do you get a chance to reach new markets; you also have an opportunity to rank higher than you normally would in English. But to achieve this, you will need a professional translation service that leverages tech and human knowledge.
Human vs machine website translations
Both options have their pros and cons, namely:
Human translation pros
- Thorough understanding of cultural context
- Industry-specific expertise
- Cultural adaptation
Human translation cons
- High cost
- Slow turnaround time
- Risk of human error
Machine translations pros
- High speed
- Affordable cost
Machine translations cons
- Risk of misinterpretation
- Lack of cultural adaptation
Today, combining machine translations with careful human edits is the best solution that leverages the advantages of both methods while minimizing their drawbacks. While machines can do some of the work, website translations will never be complete without a human touch. After all, qualified translators can effectively solve all the common challenges of translating and localizing a text for a specific audience.
Common Challenges of Website Translations
- Cultural nuances: translating texts word-by-word, as some machine algorithms still do, often devoids them of cultural nuances, including humor and allusions only locals understand.
- Technical constraints: it’s not always easy to translate existing website structure into a new language. For starters, character counts never coincide, so the agency might need to play with fonts and design elements. SEO optimization, especially that of meta-tags, also requires additional research – sometimes, it makes more sense to use different keywords than translate existing ones word by word.
- Maintaining brand voice: even when expanding to new markets, a business must always maintain its brand voice. That’s where human translation skills come in because many messages should be adapted to new audiences.
- Variations in legal requirements: different countries have different regulations on data privacy, copyright, consumer protection, and many other legal matters. Translating legal disclaimers, terms and conditions, and privacy policies often requires specialized expertise and understanding of the local laws.
- Project management and coordination: large-scale websites require ongoing updates, often have multiple stakeholders, and usually operate on tight deadlines. Coordinating website translations and review processes across multiple countries and languages can become a logistical nightmare without a well-structured, established workflow.
How to Choose the Best Translation Service
With so many agencies offering translation services, how do you choose the right one? Here are a few tips to get started.
- Focus on industry expertise: companies operating in specific industry niches should first check out translation agencies with similar industry experience. Tech, finance, healthcare, and e-commerce all have their unique jargon that should be considered during translation.
- Review localization services: adapting visuals, layout, and even payment methods to new language outputs is a must to meet local expectations. Always check out the localization quality before jumping on board.
- Inquire about quality assurance: ask how the agency conducts quality checks. Choose in favor of services that combine human expertise with translation management systems.
- Request references and samples: check out the existing portfolio and ask for additional samples in your industry niche; an agency with years of experience should have no problem providing those.
- Evaluate communication and customer support: communication is key to success in any project. Without quality support, extended collaboration can turn into a nightmare, so prioritize services that stay in touch.
Website translations into multiple languages give businesses the competitive edge they require. In today’s global setting, most companies can benefit from additional exposure to new markets. A properly translated, localized version of a website can help achieve that, along with many other benefits of reaching international audiences.