Gaining a global audience
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Global marketing takes more than just enabling traffic to your website from other countries. Encouraging multilingualism and cultural diversity will help determine how involved your business can be with the online world. In this presentation I will discuss WHY it is important to cater to foreign audiences in their native languages and why translation is the next step to grow a global business.
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Gaining a global audience
- 1. @lujeffcoat GAINING A GLOBAL AUDIENCE the importance of website translation
- 3. @lujeffcoat
- 4. @lujeffcoat Why is translation important?
- 5. @lujeffcoat
- 7. @lujeffcoat Only 26% of the world’s population speak English EnglishProspective Customers Prospective Customers Prospective Customers
- 8. @lujeffcoat People Prefer Their Native Language Speak to them in the language that their heart speaks.
- 9. @lujeffcoat 75% of customers prefer to buy products in their native language People Prefer Their Native Language
- 10. @lujeffcoat 60% rarely or never buy from English-only websites People Prefer Their Native Language
- 15. @lujeffcoat LOST IN TRANSLATION translations gone wrong
- 16. @lujeffcoat
- 17. @lujeffcoat
- 18. @lujeffcoat
- 19. @lujeffcoat
- 20. @lujeffcoat
- 21. @lujeffcoat BE SPECIFIC TO BE TERRIFIC the difference is in the details
- 22. @lujeffcoat How to best connect with your audience
- 30. @lujeffcoat WordPress Translation Tools: Factors to consider when selecting a translation solution
- 36. @lujeffcoat HOW TO TRANSLATE CONTENT using WPML
- 37. @lujeffcoat You can manually translate post and page content by simply typing the translations into the WordPress page editor.
- 41. @lujeffcoat DON’T WAIT TO COMMUNICATE get started on gaining your global audience
- 42. @lujeffcoat DO YOU GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS? (maybe you shouldn’t, if they prefer kilometers)
Editor's Notes
- Global marketing takes more than just enabling traffic to your website from other countries. Encouraging multilingualism and cultural diversity will help determine how involved your business can be with the online world. In this presentation I will discuss WHY it is important to cater to foreign audiences in their native languages and why translation is the next step to grow a global business.
- I am passionate about website translation because I work as a customer service representative for a multilingual plugin! I am part of the customer support team for WPML.org, the WordPress Multilingual Plugin created by OnTheGoSystems. I have been working with them for just about a year now, and before that I was a freelance web designer. I see day to day the impact that good (and bad) translation can have on a business.
- This is why I am here. I don’t want you to get stuck in a situation where you are stuck on the toilet without toilet paper.
- SO… why is translation important to your business? Let’s discuss.
- I’m about to say something that’s going to really shock you. Did you know that not everyone speaks English???
- Shocking, I know, but true. And just because a person CAN speak English, doesn’t mean they can speak it well enough to use it in all situations. Holding a conversation is one thing. Understanding something well enough to follow instruction or making buying decisions may be another.
- According to data from Internet World Stats, in 2015, only 26 per cent of the world’s internet population do speak English, despite it being the most common online language. That means that for companies looking to go global, almost three-quarters of prospective customers are potentially untapped if their website is not effectively translated. - See more at: http://www.languageconnect.net/blog/retail-and-ecommerce/the-importance-of-effective-translation-for-ecommerce-websites/#sthash.dshT4M6k.dpuf
- Translation is Important Because People Prefer Their Native Language. To effectively sell to people, it’s not enough to speak a language that they understand (especially if their understanding is limited). You must speak to them in the language their heart speaks.If you want to excellent marketing, excellent service, and excellent results, speak to the customer’s heart.
- A study from Common Sense Advisory found that 75% of customers prefer to buy products in their native language. This makes sense. I know personally I am more likely to buy when I feel comfortable and confident in what I am buying. To be honest, it would be really hard for me to purchase something on a site that wasn’t in English.
- 60% of non -native English speakers rarely or NEVER buy from English-only Websites. So just the fact that you don’t offer a translated version of your site is turning potential customers away. Survey showed that when asked how frequently internet users visited websites in languages other than their own to obtain goods or services, 42% answered that they DON’T! They don’t even visit the sites, nevermind purchase from them. That is almost half of all the consumers that a website in a different language is missing out on! See more at: https://vocabridge.com/en/blog/how-important-is-it-to-translate-my-website#sthash.dftApwDA.dpuf
- Today’s online tools make it possible for even small businesses to expand overseas. You don’t need to be a large corporation and have offices all over the globe anymore to be able to sell to foreign markets. It has become much simpler to open your doors to overseas customers.
- Translation allows ideas and information to spread across cultures. This is important because it goes beyond the purchase of goods or services. Maybe your website is informational. Well, with good translation, you will be able to spread that information further than you would without translation. Need some examples? Look at the The Bible. It has been translated into at least 531 languages. No matter what you believe, that impact on history is undeniable. And the story of the Bible would not have been spread had it not been translated. Currently translation is helping sports teams and organisations overcome language barriers and transcend international boundaries. By combining translated content with social media, they are able cross the border with their fan base.. http://www.k-international.com/blog/translation-boosting-global-sports-engagement-social-media/
- You can gain their trust and build the credibility of your brand by offering them content in their language. When someone can see that you have gone that extra mile (or kilometer) to translate your content, it automatically proves that you are willing to work harder to earn trust. It makes you more relatable and easier to communicate.
- If they can’t understand the content of your website, they will most likely leave and go to your competitor. Providing a great customer experience goes beyond translating content into another language. You have to make sure it’s done right. This means that you should avoid plugins and services that translate your content automatically without human review. I recommend working with a company that specializes in translating content for multilingual websites. I happen to know of a good one, if you’re looking for suggestions ;)
- So this leads me to our next part of this presentation: Lost in Translation. So after seeing my awesome presentation on translation, you’ve decided to translate your site content. Keep in mind that there is a dire need for professional translation and also for proof reading. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at a few of these translations gone wrong. Many of these examples are signs or advertisements as opposed to website content, but you’ll get the idea.
- I’m not sure if the cigarette buttocks belong to the superb animal, or if they're just in the area as well. But try not to abandon the garbage.
- Fresh Crap, just $7.99/lb. What a deal!
- The expression on the kid's face makes this twice as creepy. I’m starting to wonder if this is a translation failure at all.
- A side of sexual harassment with your dried bamboo shoot?
- Perdue Chicken came out with a phrase “it takes a strong man to make a tender chicken”, which translated in Spanish to, “It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate”.
- By now you can see clearly how translation can affect your business reputation. While it’s definitely tempting to use automated translation tools such as Google Translation, it pays to spend the extra time, effort and attention to detail. I would advise against using such tools for your business website. The reason why is because these tools are not perfect and even one small translation mistake can be disastrous for your business. When translating for your business, it’s important to get it right the first time. Choose qualified human translators to ensure your outreach efforts don’t end up a word salad.
- Don’t do verbatim translation. this is why it’s best to have content translated or at the very least reviewed by a native speaker or experienced translator. Not just the words need to be translated, but also the style.There are certain words which cannot be translated into other language. For example, there is no equivalent for the word “Holy Grail” in other languages.
- Don’t skip editing. Ask a native speaker in the target language to give the final text at least a cursory overview. Decide if you want them to look only for errors or to really fine-tune the style.It’s essential that your content sounds like it is actually coming from the market you’re targeting. In 2009, HSBC bank had to launch a $10 million rebranding campaign to repair the damage done when its catchphrase "Assume Nothing" was mistranslated as "Do Nothing" in various countries.
- Consider the connotations of different colors. For example, in the United States, green often represents eco-friendliness, whereas elsewhere it signals greed. In China, green can even indicate infidelity!
- Be aware of seasonal references. A blog post published in the summer in the Northern Hemisphere might talk about ice cream and vacations from school -- but during that time, the poor folks the Southern Hemisphere might be battling snowstorms and bitter cold. Not every country has a weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
- Be sure your users can select their preferred currency and that they can understand measurements. Inches versus centimeters, size conversions, currency conversions. These are all essential for full site translation.
- Avoid idioms, jargon, and regional metaphors. Don’t assume lingo or pop culture references will work for everyone. Does your headline rely on a turkey-related pun and Thanksgiving? Readers outside of North America won’t know what you are referring to.
- Translation for eCommerce goes beyond just translating product names and descriptions. When it comes to eCommerce, ensuring that sites have well optimised and regularly updated engaging content specific to each language, that all product descriptions and prices are translated and converted correctly and even that functional buttons such as “add to basket” and “checkout” are specific to each language’s site will help to keep customers satisfied and not turn them away from the brand as a whole. Getting these issues right can be time consuming for firms, but it’s those who do it right, as well as giving customers an extensive and well researched range of languages to choose from, that give themselves the longest potential reach and the highest prospects for growing their brands on a truly global scale. - See more at: http://www.languageconnect.net/blog/retail-and-ecommerce/the-importance-of-effective-translation-for-ecommerce-websites/#sthash.dshT4M6k.dpuf
- There are lots of options for translation tools. I encourage you to do some research and find out which one suites you best. Take into consideration who will be monitoring translated content and what is their technical skill level. How much money can you invest in translation?
- Obviously, my suggestion is to use Human Translation. Although a lack of translation can mean you are limiting your audience, offering poor translation can do damage to your business reputation. Yes it’s cheap, but you get what you pay for. Translations often don’t make sense. Search engines could consider them as spam.
- What is your total budget for website translation? Keep in mind it’s not just the cost of the plugin, but also the time spent on the actual translations or the cost to hire a translator. This will likely be ongoing, as you should be regularly publishing new content.
- Do you need technical support? Will your site owner need help with content translation?
- How can you provide a good user experience without decreasing the speed of the application? How large is your website?
- WPML Polylang MultilingualPress Google Language Translator Professional Translation Services qTranslate http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/9-best-translation-plugins-for-wordpress-websites/
- When you use WPML, you have the option of using .mo files to upload your polyglot team translations. You can also activate String Translation and manually create the translations, or you can have a combination of both. One thing to keep in mind is that page and post content is not the only content that needs to be translated. There are strings created in plugins, theme files, widgets, etc. that will need to be translated, too. Talk about .mo files, where to download. The difference of using string translation versus files, so you can change the style. Mention Page Builders, plugin strings, theme strings. Things to keep in mind that it’s not just the content you type on a page editor that needs to be translated. XLIFF files, PoEdit, etc.
- Page Builder content can be translated using a translation editor or by adding the shortcodes to a string translation table.
- By now you can see clearly how translation can affect your business reputation. While it’s definitely tempting to use automated translation tools such as Google Translation, it pays to spend the extra time, effort and attention to detail. I would advise against using such tools for your business website. The reason why is because these tools are not perfect and even one small translation mistake can be disastrous for your business. When translating for your business, it’s important to get it right the first time. Choose qualified human translators to ensure your outreach efforts don’t end up a word salad.
- Do you consider your business as one that goes the extra mile for their customers? Is that a reputation you want your business to have? If so, and if you want to gain a global audience, then you need to seriously consider the importance of correctly translating your website.